Client always knocks some of her nails off

[Deb379]

Hi there

I have one particular client who without fail, when she is due for her rebalance rings up and tells me she has knocked 2 or 3 off. They are usually on the same fingers, and each time we have gone shorter. I know she's heavy handed as she likes to clean! I told her several times last time to take better care of them. Perhaps if I charged her full price she might!

This time apparently she's knocked 5 off! I was just hoping for a quick rebalance tonight but looks like she'll be round for a while, groan.

Do you think she is just not suited to nail extensions? I know she doesn't like to be without them.

Should I try gel nails on her and see if they suit her better? She always has tips and L&P, and I'm wondering if I should try and sculpt for a change?

I think I will stop charging her model prices now, she's had cheapy prices for too long, be interesting to see if she takes better care of them. Trouble is I can't help feeling it's my fault, even though I know she knocks them as you can see the tell tale signs on her nails.

Any ideas welcome

Deb379

 

[Kellyc]

Hi Deb, i have just done a similar post to this as my client keeps losing them too this week under Breaking Problem? in the main discussion section and had some good replies hth x

 

[Fab Freak]

Darn right you should stop charging model prices - maybe she dont value them as they are cheap...sorry to say this but its true..

I charge full wack and have dont since i qualified, and I aint the best by no means...still lots to learn....

Keep em short...and charge her for every new nail...I charge £3.50 per nail ...go for it Debs stop being so nice...your are business not a charity hun....

L&P is still the hardiest nail IMO out there....why not try sculpts on her could be worth a try...tips dont make a overlay any stronger.. hope this helps you come to some decisions....

 

[Tickled Pink!]

i bet you if you tell has that as from her next appointment, prices are no longer 'reduced' model rates and that she'll be paying full price, she will incredibly take more care of them!

having said that i have a new client coming back today for her first maintenance appointment. she rang yesterday to double check the time and i asked her how they'd been - her words they look really 'tatty'. she works in a factory on an assembly line so heaven knows what has happened to them...i rekon this one will be one who shouldn't have extensions!

 

[AngieLHN]

Hi I have a client like this to! She drives me mad, l go to her every two weeks and their awful! the whole lot need replacing ( if their are any left! lol), and l think, am l doing somthing wrong here? But when l go to my other clients they don't need half as much work just a normal rebalance, l now sculpt hers and this saves me time but l'm still with her for 2 hours sometimes a bit longer if l have to remove the old ones, l did try gel on her but they did'ent last at all! and the best bit is she says "l don't do anything with them l always look after them! Angie xx

 

[Jo Jo]

Hiya Deb,

I have absolutely no idea how a client can 'knock' nails off! Me thinks she is telling porky pies!! One of my clients is a boxer and her nails don't knock/ping/pop/fall off. Some people cannot resist the temptation to pick at things, have you had a good look at her nail plates? any tell tell signs of the demon picker?? Definitely charge her regular prices , it may stop her nails from mysteriously 'knocking' off!! J xx

 

[Fab Freak]

Hiya Deb,

I have absolutely no idea how a client can 'knock' nails off! Me thinks she is telling porky pies!! One of my clients is a boxer and her nails don't knock/ping/pop/fall off. Some people cannot resist the temptation to pick at things, have you had a good look at her nail plates? any tell tell signs of the demon picker?? Definitely charge her regular prices , it may stop her nails from mysteriously 'knocking' off!! J xx

Hmmm woud have to disagree with one part of this Jo...If you or a client gives give em a right old clout or a bad knock car doors my fav then the overlay will snap/come off/ping however you want to discribe .....lol if they didnt we'd all be in agoney with no nail plates....
But in this case maybe not..

 

[Jaffacake]

I never managed to knock off L&P nails, think my finger would have come off first! lol, but for the last half a dozen sets or so ive been wearing gel just to try it out, and i must say i have managed to knock off a couple! Im not saying its not my fault cos it is (didnt float off in the bath or anything lol) I was cleaning and i caught one and the tip part came off just leaving the product on the nail (its the cleaning im not used to rather than the nails LOL) and i also caught one in a drawer and it came off. It may be that im not building up the stress area enough or something? but it has happened......

 

[Jo Jo]

I see what you are saying Lou and sure this can happen from time to time to anyone but all the time?? seems unlikely, I think in 10 years I have broken about 3 nails, I know thats quite low but unless you really are as heavy handed as a builder I just can't see it. J xx

 

[Kellyc]

Hi Ya, i very rarely break my nails and cant actually remember the last time, but my client breaks at least 3 a week and have done a post on it recently when i go back to do hers (although have been putting it off) i will build up the stress area more, it does make you question yourself though when it keeps happening x x x

 

[Jo Jo]

I must admit my stress area is pretty well packed, thinking back the only trouble I had with breaking was when I was using Gel and then it was break city! Jx

 

[Deb379]

Thanks for your thoughts, comments.

I know she knocks them as she took some layers off her nail plate, although I suppose she could have picked them off as that would have done it too.
Yes you are right I will charge her full price tonight!

Deb379

 

[geeg]

I have to agree with JoJo on this one. A break is a break and can happen once in a while. But regularly every rebalance appt. 3-5 nails .... no way is she breaking them .. without help :lol: quite allot of help.

Maybe it's time you asked your cleint to take responsibility for her nails. You can only go so far to solve her problems SHE has to take a little care of them. Changing systems all over the place is not going to help a determined picker.

 

[Bud]

good luck you - stick to your guns!!! (i find it difficult to charge full price too:wink2: )


x

 

[Deb379]

Hi All

Yes I will definitely give her a grilling tonight find out exactly what she's doing. I'm fed up with it to be honest. Plus as I said to her before if she keeps breaking them off her nail plate will become more damage. Two of her natural nails had quite a bit of damage on them last time where she must have really whacked them and they broke off.

At first she used to ring me straight away, but leaves it now till her rebalance.

I did a lot of cleaning today and the amount of times I banged my nails really hard (no extensions on thank goodness) I can see how she would break them off as I know she's a bit of a cleaning nut and does it at lot more than me!

I think you said to me once before Gigi maybe she's just not suited to extensions.

I'm wondering if an overlay would be better, that way she can't rip any tips off, an overlay would protect her nalis whilst they were growing. Good idea ?

Deb379

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Some people just don't take pride in their nails and really aren't bothered. I've heard so many times ... they were fine till yesterday but I knew I was coming in today and couldn't resist picking at them ... and they're a mess. Well I just make them sit in the nail naughty corner - only joking lol!, but wish I could sometimes.

I do charge full price for repairs at infills and I just tell them that my bank manager thinks it's great, all this extra money for me. But then I tell them it's costing them a fortune and really damaging their own nails, so spend a while going through with them what causes them to break (sometimes takes a bit of caoxing but they do come clean in the end) and say we need to find a solution because their nails shouldn't look like this. (I try and speak like a professional who cares about her work and her client and puts them at ease, I don't make the client feel guilty or embarassed)

I also have a grid table on my client record card so that each time they have a repair I mark it off (1 square for each nail 1-10 and one grid line for each infills). You can then build a up a history of repairs to see if there is a pattern of breakages - clients are amazed when you suddenly ask" are you left handed" and they are - because most breaks and probs occur on the dominant hand. I have now started reinforcing the gel with fibgregalss gauze on those nails that ALWAYS get broken (Notice I didn't say break!)

What is lovely is when they come back and say look they're all still on, they feel like they have really achieved something ... and so do you.

....... and sometimes there are the lost causes who you just have to say enough is enough, extensions just aren't suited to your lifestyle.... and you feel like you have failed them.

 

[Deb379]

Thanks Sarah, she did admit she can't stop fiddling with her nails! They weren't nearly as bad as I thought they were going to be, but did decide to soak off and do again. She always says to me I must take more care of them this time! Says it all.

Deb379