Your personal Agony Aunt for problem solving with clients!

[nailartist]

Well, I am assuming that, with rising costs in general, these folks are just not wanting to spend money on their nails. I do charge more than most places around me--but I'm worth it. Nobody else does what I do. I have a few clients who say that they'll stop drinking their daily latte' before they give up their nails--I need more clients like that!

 

[geeg]

I think many of us are going to have to think very seriously about our businesses and the future of them in the present economic climate. Many of us may have to work allot harder just to maintain the status quo! Not an appealing thought, but I have thought for sometime that it must be considered.

I started my business in the worst recession the UK had ever known (early 80's) and it thrived and grew all throughout as many saw nails as a 'small indulgence' which gave a HUGE amount of joy and satisfaction. Prices were reasonable and I worked very very hard.

I really believe that nail services are going to have to be more affordable for many if they are to remain loyal clients . I'm thinking technicians need to think about offering a quick, safe, sanitary, beautiful but less expensive option to hang onto the clients that otherwise may have to give up the luxury of having their enhancements. Finally there is another option that does deliver that service and it is PopIts/Dual System Forms.

With these forms it is possible to produce a beautiful full set, in half the time for a reduced cost. This is an option that has never been available before.

What I call couture services (beautiful handmade enhancements) will still be wanted by many many women who do not need to worry about the budget as much as others ... but to be able to offer the CHOICE to me would be a huge advantage for you and many many others in the salon.

Promoted properly and done well, they are going to be wanted by many many woman as an alternative and will keep clients at our tables.

 

[nailartist]

I have wanted to get Popits for some time now, but have been putting it off. You make a really good point, Geeg (like I'm surprised by that? ). I think I'll make that a priority for this month's supply run.

 

[Artsy Canadian]

I'm going to be giving my notice to my employer of 5 years tomorrow, I've decided to go into business for myself at home......I don't really know what to expect and want to leave on good terms.......any last minute advice you can give me?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Dear Gigi
I have a client that I am finding hard to handle! She started coming to me last September and has now made 2 serious complaints that my work does not last 8 weeks between appointments. The first time was to me, the second time was to a colleague. we decided that she wouldn't come back and if she did then we woud refuse her service. However she did come back and has made an appointment for tomorrow for a rebalance - she last came on 5 February, so we are approaching 9 weeks!

My first reaction was to phone her and cancel the appointment - that's a personal reaction. But the professional in me can't and won't let this happen. So here are the areas I think i need to approach ...
A. I just want to tell her in the nicest way possible that she needs to come more regularly for her nails to look their best (she is very picky when I do them and I can't understand why she lets them grow out so far between visits).

B. At the moment I am charging her the price of a rebalance of over 3 weeks. But she does take me longer to do, about the length of time of a full set.

C. I also need to tell her that when she comes in she cannot upset the salon like she did the last time as she was very aggressive towards my colleague and this was done in front of a client (we do not have the space to be able to take her to one side)

Basically I want to tell her it's my way or the highway! I know I am the best gel nail tech around here as we get work from so many other salons that is thick and bumpy with terrible lift problems.

Thank you!

 

[geeg]

Dear Gigi
I have a client that I am finding hard to handle! She started coming to me last September and has now made 2 serious complaints that my work does not last 8 weeks between appointments. The first time was to me, the second time was to a colleague. we decided that she wouldn't come back and if she did then we woud refuse her service. However she did come back and has made an appointment for tomorrow for a rebalance - she last came on 5 February, so we are approaching 9 weeks!

My first reaction was to phone her and cancel the appointment - that's a personal reaction. But the professional in me can't and won't let this happen. So here are the areas I think i need to approach ...
A. I just want to tell her in the nicest way possible that she needs to come more regularly for her nails to look their best (she is very picky when I do them and I can't understand why she lets them grow out so far between visits).

B. At the moment I am charging her the price of a rebalance of over 3 weeks. But she does take me longer to do, about the length of time of a full set.

C. I also need to tell her that when she comes in she cannot upset the salon like she did the last time as she was very aggressive towards my colleague and this was done in front of a client (we do not have the space to be able to take her to one side)

Basically I want to tell her it's my way or the highway! I know I am the best gel nail tech around here as we get work from so many other salons that is thick and bumpy with terrible lift problems.

Thank you!

This is a great one Sarah as I know many have the odd 'forceful' client who knows it ALL.

You need to set out the 'rules of engagement' with this client and as you say in a nice professional way.

Mrs.. so n so ... It's good to see you back! (knowing inside that no matter what she has said in the past, she is here at your table so must be satisfied with your high standard of work)

"You and I need to come to an agreement about your services in the future."
"All my clients return for maintenance to their nails every 3 weeks apart from you." ............... remember

I am willing to do your nails on a 4 weekly basis for you at the normal rebalance price that others pay for a 3 weekly service because I know you look after your nails well at home." (the KISS)

"If you wish to come in to the salon every 8-9 weeks for your service, you are perfectly entitled to do so, but I will charge your service at a Full Set price at anything further than 4 weeks." (this will stop her coming in, in 7 weeks and expecting a rebalance price)

"If you are happy with that arrangement then we can proceed on that basis." (you do not have to point out that if she is not happy she can 'sling her hook' and find another salon ... it is implied):lol:

"Are you happy with that?"

The choice is then hers and there are no arguments or grey areas. The lines have been drawn, the gauntlet thrown down ... now it is up to her to make her decision. She will actually respect you for it as she is the same herself.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Thanks Geeg, I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Quick update as promised and all I can say is a heartfelt thank you, I followed your advice to the letter and it was perfect. She had been to another salon 3 weeks ago and the nails were pretty dire - thick, bumpy, mega lifting, white chipping and gel going yellow! I returned them to their former glory, asking her approval the whole way through. We even had a great conversation which we never really have had.

And the piece de resistance when I'd told her about the new pricing structure ... she said, "shall I book now for 3 weeks?" I said "well yes you can of course, but you know what you look after your nails so well that I think you can go four weeks and I'll do it at the same price as a special gift for looking after them - but go over four weeks and it's full set price!"

So great result. I haven't lost a client, she hasn't lost the best gel tech in town - everyone is happy! :hug:

 

[Martigirl]

Well done Sassy xxxx:hug:

 

[Urban Geek]

Gigi,

Please help. I have recently relocated and have set up business in an area where everything is new to me. However, in my haste to get my nail salon up and running, I made an awful mistake. I am currently renting a fabulous room bang centre of a busy town BUT it is 3 quite exhausting flights of stairs up from ground level (I know, I know – I have been a major idiot!:smack and because it is in such a busy market square I am also limited in the ways I can promote myself, i.e. I am unable to have an A-Board. Consequently, it has been an exhausting and soul-destroying:cry: experience trying to get new clients up those stairs. I also feel that no matter how good my services may be, I have to face the fact that most people will not be interested in making the climb up all the stairs for any treatment, not to mention the difficulty in marketing myself. Now that I have accepted the error of my ways, I have decided to move on and I feel very positive but I have a dilemma with the options available to me.

(1) There is a small new kiosk available for lease in the spa town on the doorstep of the village in which I live. It is a brand new unit in a fab location in an affluent town and part of a small new development which will be a major addition and constant focus for everyone in the town or passing through it – I won’t be missed and would not have to do too much to get word out there that I am around. It is also equivalent in cost to what I currently pay to rent space whether it is a nail table or a room. The down side is the size of the unit. It is very small (120sq ft + cloakroom area + loft storage). It would hold my nail table, a pedicure chair, one or two small storage units and there are a couple of small recesses which I could use for retail. It has ceiling to floor window and I would be seen. My hubby is a carpenter so if anyone can capitalise on the limited space, I can.

As part of the house which I have yet to move into which is in a well populated (although sleepy) village next door to the town where the kiosk is and very easy to travel back and forth to, I could have a fabulous studio independent of the house. I would have pursued this alone but feel quite sure it would take quite a long time to establish myself BUT the kiosk could help me do that. I could work between the kiosk and the studio very easily and so could most of my clients and it would be financially comfortable for me. The village has a high population of elderly who may not be able to travel to town for a manicure or pedicure and also has a large young family market.

(2) I could rent space in a hairdressers in the same market town I am currently based. The town, although very nice, is not the most affluent and most of the people consider nail care a luxury and expect a lot for their money. The hair salon has a good reputation with a healthy client base and the space I would be renting is a pleasant gallery area a few easy stairs above. I have confidence that the hairdressers would do their utmost to promote my services and I think it would be a pleasant place to work. The downside is that although I could promote myself easy from here, it is not in the main shopping area, involves commuting and it would be harder to juggle both the home studio and this option. The home studio has such potential it would be a shame not to utilise it.

The kiosk would require planning permission for change of use. I have spoken with the planning officer who doesn’t foresee a problem. The only issue he could see would be some restrictions with regard to signage (i.e. no illuminations) because it is in a conservation area. The development has run behind schedule but it is expected to be completed and open mid-May. Because it is in such a prime location, the landlord is confident he wouldn’t have to hang around too long for the kiosk to be snapped up and isn’t prepared to wait until I have planning permission (c6-8 weeks). He is happy to take it off the market once I instructed a lawyer to proceed and will not charge me any rent until I do have the planning permission (up to 8 weeks after lease is signed).

The worst scenario is that I don’t get planning permission. In that case I would hope to sell the unit on easily and if I couldn’t I would make some use of it – perhaps open a sandwich bar!

My head is so fuzzy that I don’t feel I can make an objective decision. What are your thoughts?

 

[geeg]

Reading all through carefully, and in between the lines :lol:, I love the option of the Kiosk (and I think you do to). I should imagine that writing everything down as you have done has 99% made up you mind for you. It sounds a pretty ideal option to me. And I like the flexibility of it so that you can build a loyal clientèle and then make the move to your home situation when you feel solid ... I would think a year or 2. You have to build loyalty in order for people to follow you, and this does not come over night.

The only down side I can see at this point is ... since when in the UK did they ever finish any building project on time??? I would myself not count on that. So cover yourself for that eventuality. Neither would I like to open a new business if in the first few weeks there was the noise and commotion of building works all around me!! I'm assuming parking for this kiosk is good too as that is an absolute must.

You already identified in your first paragraph one of the most important things which is that clients will go the easiest route (with some exceptions, but in the main) clients will do what is easiest and closest for THEM no matter how stunning the work is of the technician ... and there is no doubt that your work is stunning so we have no worries there!! :green:

I'm not sure if there is some way that you can get the landlord to agree that if the project is not finished when he says it is going to be, or that if your new business will suffer because of the noise and mess of building works, that there is something in place to compensate you? If he is asking you to sign the lease ahead of the project being finished on time on only his word that it will be (yea) then you should also be able to ask for some sort of compensation if you are left out in the cold or your new business suffers because of it. It doesn't hurt to ask about this one, and I would.

Remember that SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL!!

Your option number 2,Working with a team, can be a good experience if all around you are the same sort of people that you are ... same work ethics, same values similar personalities, clearly drawn lines ... but if not, then it can be a nightmare. Another thing is, even though you say they are willing and you have confidence in them to do so, hairdressers seldom promote another's service very well after a few months. They get tired of it - it becomes old news - and unless you are actively promoting their services and bringing in clients yourself to their business then the chances of them doing it for long are remote.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL and so is your INDEPENDENCE . Being able to things exactly the way YOU want them without reference or deference to others is freedom. If you have the chance and the finances to be free then take it. And all the luck in the world to you. I know you will create a beautiful and relaxing environment as you have already done in the room you have now; you do gorgeous nails, you have everything it takes to be a success.

 

[sharon h]

Hi I need some advice on how to be professional when this man phones me back to make another appointment that I do not want to do.
this man phoned me the other day asking for a full body aromatherapy massage which was fine, I said price and parts of the body I did. I said 7pm so I knew my hubby would be around. he came took trousers of no undies,ok towels would cover no problem (used to men wearing shorts for massage) anyway had 2 towels on, said he was hot so I took the top towel of and offered to open a window as it was warm in the room. no he said he was fine so i continued to massage his back, just before I was going to say roll over he said the towel on his legs was to hot could I remove it, I said I shall get a thinner towel that i had at hand. once he was laying on his back i carried on massaging legs etc then when i got to the chest he wanted to take the thin towel of, by this time I was getting on edge, he kept moving the towel alittle lower saying he was hot. I raised the towel twice when I was massaging the chest area as he had moved it slightly. he kept putting his hands under the towel (not actually touching himself) but to move the towel.(I did think he was going to touch himself ) I have been asked if I do extras many times and the answer has always been a definate no way forget it, but this man freaked me out more than someone being up front and asking me for extras does that makes sense. I could not wait to get that massage done. I have been doing this for nearly 3 years and this is the first time I have ever felt so uncomfortable around a man. please help me politely tell this man that I can not fit him in now or ever again without being unprofessional as I want him to get the message first time and never ring me again. sorry long winded x

 

[geeg]

How uncomfortable for you. I'm glad you were smart and took precautions having your husband there.

I think I would say something like ... I'm sorry I cannot take your booking. I was very uncomfortable doing your treatment/massage at the last appointment and would prefer you not to book another appointment with me. Good Bye!

NO discussion. NO getting into why you were uncomfortable. NO threats. Just a clear and simple statement and quietly put the phone down.

I hope you have all his details in case you ever need them!

 

[sharon h]

thank you so much for replying I have been thinking about this for awhile and had no idea what to say to this man when he rang again. all new male clients come to me after 7pm and only if my husband or 2 grown up boys are around. I would never massage a man I do not know in the day time, only the regulars come during the day.
thank you for the great advice.

 

[Bagpuss]

I had major problems with a client yesterday morning and know I handled it wrongly, A new client rang me to ask if I could do her gel infills On going to the appointment the ladys nails had grown alot it had been 4 weeks since they were applied by a local salon and in my opinion needed to be rebalanced.

I asked the lady if she knew if the salon had used a buff or soak off gel but she had no idea, So I started to thin down the product in zone 1 working down to zone 3 and tbh I was struggling the Gel just wouldnt thin down and when I finally did get to zone 3 the fill line just wouldnt blend in with the natural nail Yep the nail were very thick in all zones and after 2 hours and having only managed to actually buff 4 nails done and still have a visable fill line I was at my wits end. We at this stage decided to try and soak the nail to see if that would help any but nope we still had trouble so I then decided to use a pink coverage gel to disguise the lines but was still not happy with the end result.


So why did I have such major prob when I apply gel I have it thin in zone 3 and never have any trouble with infills or rebalances ?? The salon the nails were done at is not nss and is high end on price .

sounds to me like this wasnt gel at all....she may have been told it was gel but gel files away easy. Some places will say its 24c gold if thats what they have been asked for...:lol:

 

[Bagpuss]

May have just been a uv coat they applied at the end...??

 

[Urban Geek]

Reading all through carefully, and in between the lines :lol:, I love the option of the Kiosk (and I think you do to). I should imagine that writing everything down as you have done has 99% made up you mind for you. It sounds a pretty ideal option to me. And I like the flexibility of it so that you can build a loyal clientèle and then make the move to your home situation when you feel solid ... I would think a year or 2. You have to build loyalty in order for people to follow you, and this does not come over night.

The only down side I can see at this point is ... since when in the UK did they ever finish any building project on time??? I would myself not count on that. So cover yourself for that eventuality. Neither would I like to open a new business if Ianthe first few weeks there was the noise and commotion of building works all around me!! I'm assuming parking for this kiosk is good too as that is an absolute must.

You already identified in your first paragraph one of the most important things which is that clients will go the easiest route (with some exceptions, but in the main) clients will do what is easiest and closest for THEM no matter how stunning the work is of the technician ... and there is no doubt that your work is stunning so we have no worries there!! :green:

I'm not sure if there is some way that you can get the landlord to agree that if the project is not finished when he says it is going to be, or that if your new business will suffer because of the noise and mess of building works, that there is something in place to compensate you? If he is asking you to sign the lease ahead of the project being finished on time on only his word that it will be (yea) then you should also be able to ask for some sort of compensation if you are left out in the cold or your new business suffers because of it. It doesn't hurt to ask about this one, and I would.

Remember that SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL!!

Your option number 2,Working with a team, can be a good experience if all around you are the same sort of people that you are ... same work ethics, same values similar personalities, clearly drawn lines ... but if not, then it can be a nightmare. Another thing is, even though you say they are willing and you have confidence in them to do so, hairdressers seldom promote another's service very well after a few months. They get tired of it - it becomes old news - and unless you are actively promoting their services and bringing in clients yourself to their business then the chances of them doing it for long are remote.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL and so is your INDEPENDENCE . Being able to things exactly the way YOU want them without reference or deference to others is freedom. If you have the chance and the finances to be free then take it. And all the luck in the world to you. I know you will create a beautiful and relaxing environment as you have already done in the room you have now; you do gorgeous nails, you have everything it takes to be a success.

Thanks for your wonderful advice and reassurance Gigi. My heart is with the kiosk and I hope to get things in progress in the next couple of days. The building work is almost complete so I am sure it wont be a probolem but it is a good suggestion that I should get a clause protecting my interests should there be any holdups.

It will be so nice to have my own salon where I don't need to fit into anyone else's space. I will keep you posted.

Thanks again for your help, advice and your valuable time xxx:hug:

 

[Urban Geek]

Oh and Gigi, I think we are now at Volume 2 for your book x

 

[Joannesnails]

I have a question for geeg but not because im having a problem because im interested in something...So geeg how did you become so brainey and so clued up about nails, the beauty bussiness etc? I think its utterly amazing how you can just know anything anyone asks? I would love to be like that xx

 

[PrimaVera]

I read a lot of stories about technicians who feel the need to explain "why" and "how" to their clients. And sometimes are caught off guard and give away treatments, discounts or extra service for nothing.

What helps a lot is imagining you're NOT the salon-owner. Imagine you have a boss who sets all prices. You're simply not allowed to change them by yourself, as if you're working at a cashregister in a store or something (all prices are fixed, no negotiating possible). It may sound strange but really helps feeling more secure towards your clients and also in building your confidence.