You want to be taken seriously? Then get SERIOUS!

[pinkmummy]

Great thread, I agree with nearly all that's been said.
We don't spend our hard earned money & precious time on the best training available to then cut corners. I also have had had clients asking why do I do so much prep and why the consultation card. They don't realise there are contraindications to the service, and that their occupation & lifestyle will have an influence on how their nails will finally look. I for one feel privelidged to have received some of the best training around. Time for a refresher I think though.

 

[bling nails]

i must admit thats why i set up on my own.....salons that i have worked for and managed told me and staff to cut corners to get more clients in and less to spend on re-ordering stock. eg: cool blue......get client to wash hands before treatment as soap and water is cheaper...soap and water dont sanitised hands!!!!! AND having to dry your hands on a towel that had been used all day.....minging!!
i went as far as bying my own cool blue from nail shows, cause my boss was sooooo tight.
another eg: couch rolls come in a 2 ply tissue...we had to seperate into a 1 ply cause we were told we used to much......(next it would have been the bloody loo roll if she had her way!!)
it was frustrating and embarrasing.....i left cause its my reputation that gets slattered.
At the end of the day, like all of you said, cutting corners only means more cost and time in the long run....and loss of clients.....and ive seen this happen in the salon i previously worked in with the other nail tech working there....she was far busier than me as she had worked there longer. she went on holiday for 2 weeks and i covered for her to do her clients...they were so impressed with the way i did them, even asking why i use scrubfresh, (i mean, how can you not use scrubfresh??? its the greatest nail prep going) that they booked with me on next app'.
she wasn't happy on her return, but at least her ex-clients were....and i had saved them from going else where.

 

[izzidoll]

Great thread........with a great response.

When I am training I can hear this....especially when I go over PREP...students who have been clients saying...my technician NEVER does that....I inwardly cringe & then they deliver the coup de gras...."and SHE is Creative trained"......Well that wasn't the WAY she was trained.....:smack:

Thankfully I have found this has lessened of late although most girls attending courses have had enhancements done at NSS salons which are cropping up all over the place in Edinburgh & Glasgow. These students are really shocked when sanitation, disinfection & PREP are gone over in detail!!

BUT WHY OH WHY....do technicians, whatever their training, cut corners or even change anything from the way they were shown?....Yes by all means go back every year or so and upgrade your skills as things do change, but be shown by the experts. Don't make it up as you go along!!!!

I can honestly say, that from the minute I started my training with Creative I have NEVER deviated from the methods shown to me..Why would I? ... IT WORKS!.....
Yes I am now extremely lucky that I am an Educator for Creative and I get to learn directly from Samuel ....and Hey, If Sam said that my smile lines would be better if I stood on one leg and whistled Yankee Doodle Dandy whilst applying..I WOULD DO IT!!!

Thankfully he doesn't LOL........:lol:

But seriously, the amount of experience that has gone into compiling manuals and organising courses.....using tried and tested methods...that is part of what you are investing your hard earned money in when you attend a course.....don't squander your investment make the most of it!

 

[ZOE!]

What annoys me is that i do a proper prep every time and dont cut corners at all. But the tech i work with who has been in the industry for 8 years doesnt do any at all. She does great nails and has a very huge clientielle and cant take on any more clients.

 

[wondernail]

I think that one answer to this would be for the companies involved to spend more money in consumer mags than they do in the trade mags.

For example, my friend has taken on a range for her salon that has a whole page ad in the trade mag but she can't shift the bloody stuff because nobody's heard of it. Better that they put the ad in a consumer mag and get the word out there. I think that it would be money far better spent for clients to read about this great range and then go looking for it.

I had a friend who was in a band and they were great but the bookings weren't coming in. So, I called a big entertainment agency saying that I'd heard this band and didn't have their number and were they on their books. Within one hour, the agent had found their number and had called them asking if they wanted to be on her books. Crafty yeah, but hey !!!!

I'm a Creative girl through and through and I would like to see it become the Toni & Guy of nails where it taps into the snobbery of people and hopefully educate them at the same time.

xxxxxxxxxx

I agree that "whole system" should be used but not to the point of tapping into snobbery.

 

[Snugglepuss]

Great thread Geeg - it amazes me how we are all meant to be singing off the same song sheet and yet we aren't in tune.
I had a new client come today (who had previously been to a Creative Nail Tech) wanting a manicure. Her nails were in a right state and I couldn't understand why, but when I had nearly finished her manicure and I was using a girlfriend buffer for shine, she said "that's fab can I buy one - how come you do not use one of the white blocks?" Seemingly the tech had been buffing the natural nail plate with a white buffer (nothing else) every time this lady went for a manicure - which IMHO led to weak and thin nail plates. She also commented that even though I was more expensive, her treatment had been far more thorough and she had lots more extra bits done - and yes she is coming back:hug:

 

[pinkshell_nails]

I have recently aquired several clients from a technican who uses the same products as me, as she has broken her wrist. So far there have been 5, and each and everyone of them has never, ever had a re-balance or infill. I just couldnt understand it at first, until i realised that by making her new clients have new sets every 4 weeks, then she can almost triple the amount of money she earns! I charge on average £40 per full set, and this person is charging more than that, and works from home, so you can imagine her profit margin! So i have promtly educated these clients on re-balancing, and infilling, and lets see where we go from there! I feel these clients are receiving a raw deal, and basically being ripped off.
A great thread!

 

[Moanie]

this is a great thread, and the perfect oportunity for people to let other geeks know that they are doing every thing step by step, as taught by creative. I might as well get involved too.
Ifollow my creative training to the letter and always give every client my best shot. This takes time (i know will reduce with experience). I truely believe that the time aspect plays a part in wether a client will return or not. Not many people have 2 and a half hours to spare just to have their nails done. I bellieve this becaus I have good friends that can be completely honest with me. They tell me when i have given them a duff set and when i have given them a great set, they also tell me that it takes me too long. I ask them to be very honest with me and to give me constructive critisism, it always comes down to time.
It takes me two hours to do a full set using natural tips and white powder but I will not scrimp on prep to save time. I dont want to resort to french tips either as i think they look naff. A lot of my friends have had their nails done for years and are happy with the white tip look - even though you can see the shadow. I think this is because they dont know any different.
Even though i am new at this game i think i do a good job and reflect this in my price. i will not charge 15 quid for the hard work i put in, i would rather lose customers than give my service away. If people want to charge 15 quid then let them, i would be interested to see if they are still in business in 1 years time. i doubt it. Who can afford to give money away like that and survive???
As geeg says, it is up to the true pro's to educate their clients as to what they should expect from their nail tech. I will not profess to class my self as a true pro at this early stage in my new chosen career, but, i am working hard to earn that title. there are so many people doing nails now it is scary, creative are churning them out in droves, i am 1 of them. I personally would be happy to be tested on my ability in 12 months time, if i dont come up to expected standard have my certificate revoked and creative account cancelled. Now that would make people think about spending all that money on training and not being professional and responsible - dont ya think?

 

[Jeni Giles]

Wow!! The things I'm hearing warm my little heart:hug: My students have nicknamed me Sergeant Scrubfresh because I am so strict about prep steps.

90% of service breakdown can be directly linked to improper prep or product ratio...my opinion, it's mostly in preparation. Cutting corners and not educating the client lead to the rest of the service breakdowns, not letting the client know proper after care, allowing the client to leave the free edge to long, not rebooking for rebalances before the client leaves.

The ideas that you have all shared show that we have a common goal but we must provide a united front and work together to educate the public about what to expect. In the states there are frequent news stories about improper sanitation or safety issues regarding nails and I am often asked questions about these salons.

We have one NSS salon in our town and several of the technicians are very talented, safety consious and make an effort to keep things sanitary, new files, new table towels, cleaning their drill bits between clients, BUT we also have several licensed, Creative or EZ flow master salons that I wouldn't send my dog to.

My hope for the future (and why I became and educator, not for any specific company, although that's really why I chose to become and instructor) is to teach good, safe, sanitary habits so that our industry can grow and continue to improve. Without good educators (who are all working from the same page) we get no where. The manufacturer's who educate us and teach the educators give us all the same information, and they spend a great deal of time making sure that their methods work, try to keep the schools and distributors up to date. Some of the responsibility lies with the technicians to question and pursue also.

A very dear friend of mine has a saying "the only difference between a rut and a grave is the amount of dirt you have thrown in your face" if you are in an educational funk, or feeling unmotivated, go to a class, meet a mentor, pick up a new nail book.

The commitment we make to this industry can be like the food we choose to offer for breakfast. If I made ham and eggs and you had to choose between the two which would it be....the eggs from the chicken who could leave when the job was done, or the ham that came from the pig who laid his life on the line?

Are you a Pig or a Chicken???

 

[IllumeGirl]

great thread geeg x. just a quickie during my lunch break. i think techs who dont use thier whole system and cut corners are definitley not serious about giving thier clients a top level service. they can only think about how can they squeeze more clients in and how can they save money? they dont stop to think or probably even care that they are offering a sadly lacking 'service'. i take great satisfaction in knowing if a client goes elsewhere she will be made very aware of how excellent my service is as unfortunately alot of clients from other salons have never experienced cuticle remover etc etc. i make sure each product i use that i explain its benefits and why its important. ongoing education is vital for nail techs to stay ahead and also its up to us to educate each and every client. anything that i can improve upon i do to keep that step ahead, anything to make me stand out from my competition, and that certainly includes using my product range correctly, otherwise how would i expect to get the best performance? care enough to give your clients the best and they will care about you!

 

[Jen Smith]

Oh isn't it good to talk about 'Nails' again ... nice topic Gigi..

As for me personnally .. I do take myself seriously... I have spent a lot of time and funds on getting to the 'start' of my nail career. My home salon is all set up and I can tell by my new clients reactions they are very pleasantly surprised on how 'professional' and comfortable the salon is. "Oh gosh.. I didnt realise you actually had a salon" .... "Oh isn't this lovely.. I am going to enjoy coming here" .... so I am getting a good atmosphere before I even start with their treatments.

As for their treatment, I NEVER diverse from what I was/am being taught by DN as its a proven working factor. I wouldnt say my nails are top notch yet, but I strive for my best set each time I start a set. Full consultation and explination why certain questions are asked; full prep and knowledge why I am doing each part of prep (the clients seem to really enjoy being told what each proceedure entails). I use only enough monomer for each client and clean out my dish after and before the next client. If I was to cut any corner it would be that I use Brisa top coat. It saves on my arm ache AND it gives the nails extra durability and protects them from water a lot more than none use.

I just wish I could cut some time! Last night I was still clocking up 2 hours on a new client and I found myself appologising to her, although she didnt seem unhappy about it at all.

I guess it will come .... I am definately trying to speed up but no matter what cost, I won't be cutting corners to do so.

 

[geeg]

I just want to insert a little thought here and not change the topic of the thread but ... I do not consider using new and improved techniques 'cutting corners'. This was prompted by Jen NailFX post above.

For instance, I do not think using a finishing top coat rather than 'buffing for England' to get a high gloss shine, cutting corners. The result is still a high gloss shine and a durable one ... that is not corner cutting, that is smart.

Corner cutting to me is being 'Mean' or stingy with your time and effort and client service. Things like:

No Client consultation and no record cards
No hand sanitation prior to service
No cuticle preparation or care to remove with gentle methods
No drink for the client
No shine on the enhancements
No use of base coat when polishing or top coat
No interest in the client as a person
etc etc etc

 

[naturalnails]

I just want to insert a little thought here and not change the topic of the thread but ... I do not consider using new and improved techniques 'cutting corners'. This was prompted by Jen NailFX post above.

For instance, I do not think using a finishing top coat rather than 'buffing for England' to get a high gloss shine, cutting corners. The result is still a high gloss shine and a durable one ... that is not corner cutting, that is smart.

Corner cutting to me is being 'Mean' or stingy with your time and effort and client service. Things like:

No Client consultation and no record cards
No hand sanitation prior to service
No cuticle preparation or care to remove with gentle methods
No drink for the client
No shine on the enhancements
No use of base coat when polishing or top coat
No interest in the client as a person
etc etc etc

The only thing on your list I don't do is the drink. I was always taught not to have drinks at the nail table. However if I was in a salon and my clients were arriving when I was working then most definately I would have a coffee machine for their enjoyment.

As well as everything above, I also give my clients the time to make them feel like they are my only client (within reason LOL). I don't rush appointment times so I don't have my next client arriving before I have finished. This, I know, is a bit of a luxury, but as I am the sort of person who hates being late, I would get flustered if I had someone sitting waiting.

I do take my business seriously, only wish it was more seriously busy LOL.

 

[EllaX]

i have to say - i had my nails done regular by a creative tech (thats why i chose to do a creative course) and when i was on my foundation course i thought 'ooh my tech doesn't do that' on more then one occasions.

i never filled out a client record card
was never offered a drink (although i didnt mind because she was working on my hands and would be unable to drink it!!)
never used a base coat/top coat - i used to get one coat of french over the top and that was it!
and on a rebalance she never filed the lifting nail down (to where the lift begins) so it comes off - she used to get nail clippers under it and clip it off then just put more product over the top!

i dunno - i sometimes think id like to go back to my old tech (knowing what i know now and see what shortcuts she makes) dont get me wrong she always made a fab job of my nails - i never left unhappy!!

 

[Katmoz33]

i think the main thing some techs are missing out is cuticle removal! i had my nails done for 2 years (before i started doing nails) and not once did she remove my cuticles or push them back?! but obviously at the time i didnt know any different....her nails were creative so i have not doubt she was taught to do a prep beforehand...and her nails we very good just a shame she cut the prep out....
also a girl im at college with last week had her nails done, really lovely set of glitter tips perfectly shaped, balanced, smile lines etc but she obviously hadnt bothered removing the cuticles...
which is a shame because she had done all the hard work doing the nails then the 5 mins she could have spent on the cuticles...she chose not to!

 

[couper]

Such an interesting thread. I am doing my first paying client today so I did a search on preparation just to refresh. This has been invaluable for me and hopefully will stop any bad habits before they start!
Thank you guys

 

[pazzy]

sanitising your hands is like getting your hair WET before your cut at the hairdressers...NECESSARY!!

 

[SammyG.]

There is nothing more rewarding than when a client who returns to you for maintenance ,and requires very little work. As Gigi has pointed out clients know a good nail tech from the bad ones. They also remember how long their nails have lasted and will return time after time. If you are serious about your profession then it really is worth looking after your clients and not cheating them of a complete service. Isnt it better to have a client returning with little work required than a mammoth task ahead.
Hey Ho! At least whilst there are nail techs out there cutting corners etc and losing clients, the good and professional techs amongst us are not short of clients and thrive on the good reputation that we have built for ourselves.
:lol: :lol:

 

[Cathie!]

I do everything by the book, and I haven't been trained just by Creative, and yes it is surprising how many clients cannot believe the prep that you are doing as compared to other (NSS as I call them but not NSS as in the general theme of NSS...salons who do nails saying that they do Creative nails but who at the end of the day do as much damage as a traditional NSS but without the efile! believe, I have seen it)

I book 1 1/2 hours for either full set or rebalance...it is very surprising to me how many charlatan techs do a full set in 45 mins...I know I have lost a few clients to these people, but at least I know that I am offering a true professional service without shortcutting my service and ending up with the obvious problems that short cutting would bring me.

I believe I am a professional and would not compromise myself or my salon by short cutting just to make an extra couple of dollars.

 

[Urban Geek]

I had a new client yesterday from a salon which used to have a good reputation. Apparently it has changed hands. When the client called asking for an infill, I asked her where she had her nails done and was she wanting to come to me because she was unhappy with her nails. She said her nails weren't great but it was more because of the conduct in the salon which makes her want to go elsewhere.

Her nails were very thick and had loads of lifting. It took me quite a while to thin them out and get rid of the lifting. They weren't the best I've done since I was trying to correct someone else's work but she was very pleased with them and has booked her next appointment.

She said that the nail techs at the other salon were talking to each other over her head as if she wasn't there (foul language too). They didn't sanitise her or their hands before starting to work (most new clients don't understand why they are being asked to put sanitiser on since they've usually never done so in the past). I can't believe how unprofessional and stupid some technicians can be (and I wonder why we are not regarded as highly as I think we should ).