Working over other technician's work

[fingertipsnails]

Hey geeks! Ok so this has come up to me a few times over the past couple of weeks, i as a rule dont usually work over other technicians work, whats everyone elses rule? Am i wrong to do this?

 

[Envy]

Its a very personal decision as you never quite know what you may strike...

I am confident that there is nothing that comes through the door that I haven't seen before and can't deal with (even if dealing with it means refusal due to damage etc)

Soaking/removal I won't do, as the damage under the old set may be far worse than having to work over top as it grows out - I would rebalance, rather than remove..

Of note: I do charge much more for a first service (roughly halfway between rebalance and full set pricing) this buffers me for the time spent getting the old product under control..

I know many techs turn them away or request removal be done at the old tech...

 

[fingertipsnails]

Thank you so much for your response, i once has a lady come to me with nss nails on and soaking them of took me at least an hour and half, and i find they have more lifting than nails i do too, ill have a think and hope i get some other responses too, thank you!

 

[Sammyjaygrant]

I do, if I spot any damage already there I always point this out!! I also do not guarantee the nails like I would my own, I cover my own completely and always do nail repairs complimentary. You have to go on your own judgement with this one. Always ask what's already on the nail and what was used ie drills etc
I have seen alot of damage done by these "Discount salons" I know that's not what I should call them but it is what all my customers refer to them as, so becareful with those customers as they often use imported products and we have no idea what is in them! Most contain mma's and these are very dangerous!


Hope this helps

 

[geeg]

Like the others, I am totally confident to work on anyone else's work and totally confident that I can spot damage and decide on the right course of action, which is usually to rebalance until the damage has grown out, by which time the client will not need a new set as she will have one with my product.

I would never turn work away from my table!

 

[geeg]

I do, if I spot any damage already there I always point this out!! I also do not guarantee the nails like I would my own, I cover my own completely and always do nail repairs complimentary. You have to go on your own judgement with this one. Always ask what's already on the nail and what was used ie drills etc
I have seen alot of damage done by these "Chinese salons" I know that's not what I should call them but it is what all my customers refer to them as, so becareful with those customers as they often use imported products and we have no idea what is in them! Most contain mma's and these are very dangerous!


Hope this helps

I never would guarantee the nails I do ... I think that is silly, as you can't guarantee what the client will do!! I also never do nail repairs for free unless I fix a breakage within a rebalance appointment; out of their normal appointment, the client pays just like anyone else to sit in my chair. Why would I work for free to repair something that the client, not I, did to her nails? I would not advise anyone to work like that.

You are right, you should not refer to non standard salons as 'Chinese' salons. Even if your clients do. I know too many great Asian technicians to lump them all into the NSS category. And I know of hundreds of non standard technicians doing really bad work who are not from South East Asia! Most of them badly trained or untrained, uninsured mobile members of the 'kitchen Mafia' ... Or 'back yard Barbies' ( where ever you go in the world they have a different name for them) but I wouldn't say all mobile technicians were like that any more than i would say that all non standard salons are Chinese and use MMA monomer!

Lastly it is not right to say that most Asian salons use products containing MMA and it is equally wrong to say that MMA is dangerous. Monomer that contains MMA makes nail enhancements that are very very hard and which if broken can cause allot of damage to fingernails. It is best not to use that type of product for sure, but in itself it is not dangerous.

 

[K-Nails]

This is horrible but a good indication to a client of what their nails can go through by NSS salons.

Imhad a young lady come to me wearing these such nails.

Rock hard thick yellowy nails with awful rings of fire you would not believe. Fortunately having only clear acrylic on them I could see no infection so we decided just to infil and re-shape.

Every two weeks she came back and we watched the ring of fire grow up her nails. She had absolutely no idea this was wrong and that it was damage!

I now have a client for life who has sent me several of her friends. Xxx

 

[Emily Case]

I'd never turn away anyone. Business is business after all! There is a reason these ladies come to us. They trust us to make a judgement and fix something. We can change their opinions of nail techs if they've been to bad salons in the past!

If you fix something, the majority will be so very grateful that you will have a client for life. If you take the right course of action, you can make a shabby set of nails look stunning. I don't usually take the old set off, just file down as much as needed to make a whole new set without uncovering damage (there usually is some, unfortunately).

My most loyal clients have come to me from NSS salons - or even from local salons with bad techs. They appreciate your time and effort because it shows when you genuinely care.
xx

 

[fingertipsnails]

Thank you so much for your responses! I think i agree and im so much more confident with my efile now after 2 courses thanks again!

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I will never ever infill anyone else's nails or remove them. I always tell the client to go back to where they came from to get them removed. My reason for this is that I know some of the local cheaper salons in the area use drills to prep the nail and could have caused a lot of damage. When I remove their handy work I do not want to be blamed for the damage they have caused as the client may think I caused it during removal.

This happened to me once. A client had paper thin nails under her cheap acrylics and even though I was very careful in the removal, she blamed me for the state of her nails. She had been going to the cheap salon for about 6 months for infills so you can just imagine! This scenario frightened me to death so I now as a rule never touch anyone else's work. Lesson learnt.

 

[AmeliaR]

I would do a Rebalance!! I always like to book out extra time as it can take up to an hour just to file some on the hoofs down!! I had one lady come to me last week whos mobile tech had gone on maternity leave her nails were THICK and overed in greenies!!! Nearly every nail!! She said she was prone to them!! I think its more likely that her nails were that thick that they always lift causing the greenies!! She left with beautifull thin almond nails with an custom semi opaque powder to mask the greenies there!! She was sooo pleased!!

Sent from my HTC Vision using SalonGeek

 

[K-Nails]

I will never ever infill anyone else's nails or remove them. I always tell the client to go back to where they came from to get them removed. My reason for this is that I know some of the local cheaper salons in the area use drills to prep the nail and could have caused a lot of damage. When I remove their handy work I do not want to be blamed for the damage they have caused as the client may think I caused it during removal.

This happened to me once. A client had paper thin nails under her cheap acrylics and even though I was very careful in the removal, she blamed me for the state of her nails. She had been going to the cheap salon for about 6 months for infills so you can just imagine! This scenario frightened me to death so I now as a rule never touch anyone else's work. Lesson learnt.

I understand where you are coming from Hun but like we said best to try and infil. If you suspected any sort of infection except a greenie straight to the doctors.

By infilling you aren't causing anymore damage and as long as the nail is still intact and you get rid of any lifting Your customer can grow out the NSS work safely.

Obviously during the consultation you need to explain that there might be a colour difference between products but nothing a spot of nice nail varnish won't hide. In this climate customers are everything and if they have come to you there must be a reason. Xxxxx

 

[geeg]

I will never ever infill anyone else's nails or remove them. I always tell the client to go back to where they came from to get them removed. My reason for this is that I know some of the local cheaper salons in the area use drills to prep the nail and could have caused a lot of damage. When I remove their handy work I do not want to be blamed for the damage they have caused as the client may think I caused it during removal.

This happened to me once. A client had paper thin nails under her cheap acrylics and even though I was very careful in the removal, she blamed me for the state of her nails. She had been going to the cheap salon for about 6 months for infills so you can just imagine! This scenario frightened me to death so I now as a rule never touch anyone else's work. Lesson learnt.

It is my opinion that this is a very short-sighted decision that you will come to regret.

I don't think you have handled these kinds of enquiries in a caring manner or even in a sensible manner nor as a real professional would have handled them.

 

[Mobile Manicure]

It is my opinion that this is a very short-sighted decision that you will come to regret.

I don't think you have handled these kinds of enquiries in a caring manner or even in a sensible manner nor as a real professional would have handled them.

That's a bit harsh. It's my business, my decision, I will never regret it and as it happens, I DO handle these enquiries in a caring manner (has my phone been hacked?) and try and inform people about the harmful effects of MMA and explain why these salons are so cheap. Two hours of filing off MMA is not on my service menu.

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

...

 

[Envy]

How can you be sure that other salons are using MMA??

It is extremely difficult and very expensive to test for this, and unlikely they leave the bottle on the table with MMA on the label... And of course once it's set it's virtually impossible to test for...

Bear in mind, there are plenty of cheap generic EMA liquids that when applied thickly have the same consistency and beautiful appeal as if they used quick set cement...

I have actually made a nail with MMA (on a tip - and purely as an excercise in understanding the product) and whilst it was hard to file, it was not hugely time consuming and EMA bonded quite well over top...

just my 2 cents ... being sensational or warning clients of 'possible, but unproven dangers' in my opinion is bordering on unprofessional. I instead would explain the benefits of why and how I work so that the customer can come to their own conclusion..

I'm sure you do handle it well, and of course if you choose to recommend the client return to the salon they are trying to avoid, that is your right.

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

You are really sending these people away and back to the person that caused the damage in the first place... Who knows how they will then remove the nails for them or maybe they will just get another infill there OR perhaps they will find another tech who IS willing to do them.

I cannot understand why a professional nail tech would take the decision to turn a customer away because she has previously been somewhere else... It's absurd really!

Is it not your role as a Professional Nail Technician to provide and offer all nail services to anybody that asks for it???
I personally see it as my duty to offer the best advice and service I can to every customer... Particularly if they have been going somewhere else then that is my opportunity to show them, convince them and impress them.. I have gone over/removed many nails from NSS and not once has anybody accused me of damaging their nails.. I show them the damage that is there already and talk to them about it so they understand.. Why can't you do that ?

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I can see your points, they make sense but I was so frightened by the damage I saw that it scared me off ever going over or removing someone else's work. I imagined insurance claims etc and just don't want to go there.

Unfortunately I have to turn work away quite regularly as I am usually fully booked and can't fit everyone in. To turn these clients away is a necessity. I am not taking on any new clients at the moment, if I did there would be no time for sleeping (which I should be doing now).:zzz:

 

[Envy]

I can see your points, they make sense but I was so frightened by the damage I saw that it scared me off ever going over or removing someone else's work. I imagined insurance claims etc and just don't want to go there.

the damage can be dramatic agreed. But if you make them aware of it then they appreciate more what they get as it grows out.

Sometimes starting fresh or removing the nail is actually the worst thing for a damaged nail as you then start all over on a severely weakened foundation. by rebalancing you allow the nail to recover at a gentle pace without exposing and having to work over this weak foundation..

Unfortunately I have to turn work away quite regularly as I am usually fully booked and can't fit everyone in. To turn these clients away is a necessity. I am not taking on any new clients at the moment, if I did there would be no time for sleeping (which I should be doing now).:zzz:

This is a great problem to have
(Time to put your prices up, you'll lose a few clients, work less for more, and gain some new ones who pay the extra - you obviously have the skill they want...)

 

[Rinn]

i had a lady in the other day for a rebalance. her left hand wasn't too bad, she had some greenies down the side wall of 2 nails and a little lifting on 1 or 2 nails. so i prepped them and moved onto the other hand... sweet Jesus... they were an utter mess, nearly all the nails had greenies, lots of lifting and 3 nails were just crumbling away at the sides. The skin around the nails was all broken, cracked and sore.............. ok plan B. i cleaned them up, removed all previous product , advised her to keep them clean, dry , keep her nails short , product free,apply solar oil and tea tree oil on the crumbling nail as i believed it could be fungal.
her cleaner had been applying gels for her for the last couple of months!!
any thoughts or did i have it covered. did i miss anything ?