Challenge with the discount salons

[nailsbysuzie]

Hi Dears
My business based on Glasgow and I do gel polish and extensions. My biggest problem is to convince my customers to try gel extensions. In Glasgow people mostly prefer discount salons. They have quite good technics. But we all now most of them ( not all ) using cheap and rubbish materials which lasts forever !!!!. I try to explain my customers when they last longer than 3 weeks it doesnt mean it was a good application it means it was plastic !!!!. Am I right ? Anybody has ideas to help me.

By the way my prices are 15 for gel polish 25 for gel extension

[ethnic reference substituted]

 

[user 111574]

It's a problem we all have across the uk - competing with cut price practitioners.

I think my advice would be to focus on attracting clients who don't use cheap salons. You won't convert the ones having the cheap nails so start a fresh client base.

Price yourself much higher to attract a different type of client. Gel polish such as shellac for example, should cost £23 at least IMO . Charge extra for glitter, nail art or chrome too.
So you could get £30 for one client potentially. Extensions should be more.

There are lots of threads on here to help you with promotions and how to advertise / target your market more effectively.

Good luck [emoji6]

 

[FleurNails96]

Educate your clients on the reasons why they should be coming to you.

Advertise the fact you have great products, impeccable hygiene standards, a beautiful work space and do amazing work!

A lot of clients don't realise that their nail technicians should be sanitising the pedi bowls in between treatments or getting nice sanitised (or sterilised if possible!) tools and drill bits.

 

[nailsbysuzie]

It's a problem we all have across the uk - competing with cut price practitioners.

I think my advice would be to focus on attracting clients who don't use cheap salons. You won't convert the ones having the cheap nails so start a fresh client base.

Price yourself much higher to attract a different type of client. Gel polish such as shellac for example, should cost £23 at least IMO . Charge extra for glitter, nail art or chrome too.
So you could get £30 for one client potentially. Extensions should be more.

There are lots of threads on here to help you with promotions and how to advertise / target your market more effectively.

Good luck [emoji6]

Thanks for the advice. This advice is works for gel polish ( I work with essential nails Gelaze and Gellux. But i just ordered Akzentz to give a try something more quality). But I have no choice or idea to create a Gel Extension customer base. They didnt even know about Gel extension exist . First they need to know there is a different type of extension. Then they need to try and love . But I know Gel extension worthes way more than 25 but this would be just for a time. Really happy to know that there are people understand me Cause mostly they suggest me to learn acrylics and sell them in a cheap way. Neither acrylic nor gel extensions can not be cheap if they are healthy, good quality and professional.

 

[nailsbysuzie]

Educate your clients on the reasons why they should be coming to you.

Advertise the fact you have great products, impeccable hygiene standards, a beautiful work space and do amazing work!

A lot of clients don't realise that their nail technicians should be sanitising the pedi bowls in between treatments or getting nice sanitised (or sterilised if possible!) tools and drill bits.

Sanitizingggg Some of my clients havent ever heard of it. They always asking me why I am spraying this all the time( my sanitizer spray) .

 

[nailedit00]

I have the same problem as you lots of my clients come from NSS' and some think that what they do is normal, they tell me I'm missing steps out (drilling the natural nail), they suggest forms are weaker than tips and if they snap a nail they say it's because it's not done with a tip it drives me insane I think if you don't value my skill and knowledge go else where but of course I have to be polite about it they're used to having thick acrylics which you can be rough with and are awful to remove so if they catch a nail and it comes off/snaps (doesn't happen often at all) it's 'fell off' because I missed steps out and forms are weak even if it's after 2 weeks! I would love to change this

 

[FleurNails96]

It's really difficult as a lot of the time clients don't care/think about the health of their nails!

I've seen clients who have had some nails never grow back through years of abuse from NS salons.
Educating people on the kind of standards and practices they should be experiencing is a real passion of mine and I'll tell anyone who'll listen haha!

 

[nailsbysuzie]

I have the same problem as you lots of my clients come from NSS' and some think that what they do is normal, they tell me I'm missing steps out (drilling the natural nail), they suggest forms are weaker than tips and if they snap a nail they say it's because it's not done with a tip it drives me insane I think if you don't value my skill and knowledge go else where but of course I have to be polite about it they're used to having thick acrylics which you can be rough with and are awful to remove so if they catch a nail and it comes off/snaps (doesn't happen often at all) it's 'fell off' because I missed steps out and forms are weak even if it's after 2 weeks! I would love to change this

 

[nikkisbeauty]

If you have a Facebook page why not put up a few links about the diferance in quality products and bad products try looking up Doug shoon and show some of the science behind it and I agree keep your prices high for your extensions at the end of the day u are offering a quality high grade product so you will attract more high grade clients and if they question your pricing just explain your product and treatment in a glowing way to help explain the difference if your passionate about your treatment then clients will pick up on it x far better to get a few quality clients using quality products than clients looking for the cheapest all the time x

 

[fluffycloudland]

Do any of you have Instagram or Facebook pages where you can show pictures of nails damaged by nss or of nails ripped out of the matrix?. It illustrates your point.

 

[nailsbysuzie]

I have the same problem as you lots of my clients come from NSS' and some think that what they do is normal, they tell me I'm missing steps out (drilling the natural nail), they suggest forms are weaker than tips and if they snap a nail they say it's because it's not done with a tip it drives me insane I think if you don't value my skill and knowledge go else where but of course I have to be polite about it they're used to having thick acrylics which you can be rough with and are awful to remove so if they catch a nail and it comes off/snaps (doesn't happen often at all) it's 'fell off' because I missed steps out and forms are weak even if it's after 2 weeks! I would love to change this

I am not telling them definetely No Acrylics. But even there are decent salons make decent acrylics. And even though I gave them the same prices with these cheap salons they prefer to plastic stuff on their nails. I told them your nails are not tools. You should take care of them but they dont understand. Anyway who wants extensions stays more than 2 weeks. Naturally there will be a big gap after 2 weeks and it wont be look good. Customer should look for a infill or new set to keep the decent look on their hands.

 

[nailsbysuzie]

If you have a Facebook page why not put up a few links about the diferance in quality products and bad products try looking up Doug shoon and show some of the science behind it and I agree keep your prices high for your extensions at the end of the day u are offering a quality high grade product so you will attract more high grade clients and if they question your pricing just explain your product and treatment in a glowing way to help explain the difference if your passionate about your treatment then clients will pick up on it x far better to get a few quality clients using quality products than clients looking for the cheapest all the time x

I would definetely do this. I had posted a pic of damaged nails of a customer whose tried to take off her gels by her own at home. That would work a little. I should do this more

 

[nailsbysuzie]

Do any of you have Instagram or Facebook pages where you can show pictures of nails damaged by nss or of nails ripped out of the matrix?. It illustrates your point.

Yes I would do this. Definetely this would work better than tell each customer. Also pics are more way effective than words. Thanks for advice dear

 

[FleurNails96]

No product will ruin anyone's nails - with the exception of fakes and products that aren't safe for use on nails (MMA for example).
It's best to stress that it's not the products that damage nails but the application and removal!
Also, not sure what you mean by "plastic stuff" but both acrylic and gel are a form of plastic [emoji4]

 

[nailsbysuzie]

No product will ruin anyone's nails - with the exception of fakes and products that aren't safe for use on nails (MMA for example).
It's best to stress that it's not the products that damage nails but the application and removal!
Also, not sure what you mean by "plastic stuff" but both acrylic and gel are a form of plastic [emoji4]

The MMA and fake gel polishes 3 per bottle are real plastics for me . We use good stuff which cost money and time and education. And all the application we made are not last forever because they made for use and removal. But I see some applications especially for acrylic they are not for safe removal. And I say to all my customers if you had a gel or acrylic and they not leave you easily during removal esp. mma acrylics, it means you had a plastic tool not nail application. I genarally give a little file on the gel polish them wrap it with solution. After 5 mins under led lamp Voilaaaa. I take them off without filing the natural nails . If they come with a good extension (doesnt matter gel or acrylic), I file the most of the extension then soak of or wrap and after 10-15 mins Voilaaa again no filing the natural nails. But sometimes they come with bad cheap stuff ( that one I mean plastic) it takes ages and filing forever to removal and then I feel myself as a carpenter more than a nail technician . But you are right they all kind of a plastic but we do plastic for nails not for tools

 

[pinknsparkly]

Statistically a lot of these salons (and I'm not saying they ALL are) have trafficking victims working in them. They often then tend to drugs at night or work as prostitutes and don't get any wages.... there was a salon near to us the police raided and shut down and police came and advised us about it and asked if we'd noticed anything. If I mention said salon now to clients that frequent NSS this does tend to shock them and hopefully think twice of where they are spending money getting treatments done and where there money is possibly going.

 

[nailsbysuzie]

Statistically a lot of these salons (and I'm not saying they ALL are) have trafficking victims working in them. They often then tend to drugs at night or work as prostitutes and don't get any wages.... there was a salon near to us the police raided and shut down and police came and advised us about it and asked if we'd noticed anything. If I mention said salon now to clients that frequent NSS this does tend to shock them and hopefully think twice of where they are spending money getting treatments done and where there money is possibly going.

I am speechless

 

[nailpod]

Statistically a lot of these salons (and I'm not saying they ALL are) have trafficking victims working in them. They often then tend to drugs at night or work as prostitutes and don't get any wages.... there was a salon near to us the police raided and shut down and police came and advised us about it and asked if we'd noticed anything. If I mention said salon now to clients that frequent NSS this does tend to shock them and hopefully think twice of where they are spending money getting treatments done and where there money is possibly going.

Actually I think you might be correct I went to a salon in my country which was in a well known area and I had this young teenage boy who did my nails, he looked like he was too scared to even talk to me. I managed to get out of him that he was doing nails to pay for his "lodging from the owners" and he was only 15 years old I think.
I felt so sad for him and when his polish application was smudged or bad I heard bosses screaming at him and he almost started crying so I quickly just said to the boss. It's not his fault I dug in my hand bag. Broke my heart poor kid .

 

[AcidPerm]

As usual, this has descended into a 'bash the foreigners working in NSS salons as they must be doing something illegal' rant.

It's true that a lot of salons are staffed by Asian people from various countries including British born people but there is no evidence that the majority are working illegally.

Rather than blaming the NSS as a scapegoat why not concentrate on offering a quality service for a reasonable price and attracting a loyal customer base.