Customer loses a nail?

[Chantel<3]

I'd just like to defend myself here..'Probs your work tbh'
How do you know that I aren't one of the best people at apply acrylics and them lasting no matter what any client does?
I'm not saying I am but 'probs your work tbh' is rather hash to say no one knows the real reason why they have come off.. Only the client wearing them.

 

[anca14]

Sorry dont want to sound harsh.
If you are confident with your work and happy to loose this customer then go for it.

 

[LancashireSteve]

I will start off by saying that I am approaching this topic as a complete novice. Having said that, there is a lot of weight carried with the phrase "the customer is always right", and in this respect I fully understand why other posters would pick up on this and in turn be critical of how you handled your client.

However, I do think that people are missing your comment in your first thread whereby you say that your client was slating a lot of other nail techs, and how she said that every time she had had her nails done they always come off within a few days. Because of this comment, I would say that that is enough to assume that the fault lies with her as opposed to being critical of you and your own abilities as a nail tech. Those that were critical of you in this respect I do feel are being unfair because of this.

As for your reply to her (where you finish of by saying that she can remove you as a friend on Facebook etc), I do think you are completely justified in thinking/feeling this way, but not justified in actually saying it to your client. The best customer service approach is to always bite your lip, not say anything other than that which the client wants to actually hear. The products you use may not be cheap, but then negative word of mouth can and often will result in it being more expensive for you in the long run. What would you rather prefer - a client who is unhappy and bad mouths you, or a client who is merely satisfied and thus doesn't say anything bad about you to others? Which is the more damaging scenario to your own career? My point being, if she ends up satisfied, then she may well come back and/or she may well not say anything negative to other potential clients, meaning that they in turn may still come to you.

It's a tricky one, granted. But then customer service is a tricky area, so such situations are ones which should be expected at various points in your career. I do understand your point about not wanting to deal with her again, but customers are more influential than we often think. Hence - bite your lip, take the criticism (even if you are certain it's unjustified), and that way it will limit the damage such customers can (and are able to) cause to your reputation.

Anyway, that's my advice. I am a complete novice when it comes to this industry (like I say, I am yet to commence my own training), but I do deal with such situations in my other work, and alas I've found myself in situations in which I've just had to take negativity/unjust criticism on the chin and, well, suck up to clients. As someone else said in this thread, they are your only source of income.

 

[Rinn]

i think the best thing to do is have a look at her nails.

you will be able to see straight away if she pulled/picked them off or if due to an application fault if they did 'fall' off .

then you will know how to proceed with the matter.

 

[melbee]

heres my ten peneth...
I hate having to remove my shoes when entering peoples houses. I suffer with neuropathy in my feet and raynauds - to look at me you would not guess at all. I avoid all shoe removing situations as I hate having to explain myself.
You want clients to feel comfortable with you, and if someone is not expecting to remove their shoes they may have odd socks, sweaty feet, minging feet and this would embarass them - and what about verucas? I wouldnt want every tom & harry traipsing their bare hooves about all over my carpets. Perhaps mention it first in a text maybe? - like 'pls dont be offended but I have a shoes off home'
It took me a year after I qualified to iron out problems and slight application errors. Perhaps the customers you have already seen have regular beds, dry nails, good c curves and dont have busy hands. Or perhaps you are just simply the best at application ever and this is one customer from hell we all dont want. Just playing devils advocate there.:twisted: But she may be, you cant cross it out, after all, she is a total stranger.

 

[xsammi82x]

Your initial question was asking if what you said was wrong. IMO, yes. I have been a nail artist for 10 years and I would never dream of speaking to any client this way, regardless of how they spoke to me. The text that you sent her DID have tone and I would be upset at receiving a message like that from someone that I had paid for a service.

If someone came to fit a shower in your bathroom and it didn't work, you would call them up and demand that they come to fix it. Paying them for this extra service would be ludicrous because you had already paid for a service.

If you have only qualified in September, you are going to have to come to terms with the fact that you probably not "the best person at acrylic nails" as you mentioned and that you will have criticism. Take it all as constructive and learn from it. Every client is different and will require different things from their nails. Each set will be unique to your client and the work load of their hands.

If I was in this situation, I would have apologised and stated that this was not normal and was she able to come back so I could assess what had gone wrong. I would then examine them and tell her that I would repair this time free if charge and tell her "normally repairs are charged at XXX" so she knew where she stood should this ever happen again.

Don't feel victimised, you asked for an opinion, you must take the answers if you ask the questions xx

Hope this helps xx

 

[waffle4]

You say in your first post with regards to your other clients "A couple have come for back for a nail repair a few days after" . This indicates the problem may actually lie with your work rather than something your clients have been doing. I think you were too quick to blame her, especially without even seeing the nails and I also think your response about deleting you from Facebook was childish and unprofessional.

As for expecting paying clients to take their shoes off when coming into your salon (which it is supposed to be regardless of it being in your house) that is also insulting and unprofessional. You have only recently started out in this business and should be bending over backwards to ensure you have happy clients. Unfortunately I really think if you don't take a good look at your attitude you won't last very long.

 

[sarahlou06]

Think of it as a learning curve &#128522;

 

[misslady]

Do you have anything on your website about bringing children/friends to appointments? This may be an idea for the future.

I am mobile so don't have to worry about the shoe thing. But I do have little people in my house so there's a ban on shoes beyond the front door! As suggested maybe you could get a runner that you lay down for your clients - or those quirky circle mats leading to your work area.

With regard to the client, I think the best thing to do would be invite her back to have a look. But that may be difficult now that a) she is offended by your suggestion of paying for repairs, and b) swore at you over text.

Hope it all works out. X

Sent from my GT-I9100 using SalonGeek

 

[blossom]

The shoe thing . . . . neither here nor there really. I don't ask clients to remove their shoes, in fact if they start to remove them I stop them. But my beauty therapist where I go has a shoes off policy and I've never given it a second thought.

The fact that she usually has to "give the nail tech what for" and the fact that she doesn't seem to have a regular nail tech makes me suspicious..... either she is very rough with her hands and that's why she often loses nails, or she's a cheapskate who shops around for the very best deal which is often to be found at the hands of trainees or just qualifieds, who (without meaning to offend) will find out in a few years that the nails they did in their first few months or so were not the greatest nails in the world.

Either way I think what you said could have been worded better.

 

[Murfles]

"the stuff I use isn't cheap".

Here's a piece of advice, as it sounds like you're new to the industry. Never talk to clients about product price. She doesn't care. Nor do any other clients. No one cares how expensive or cheap your product is for you to buy, all they care about is what THEY have to pay. And yes, if I'd lost a few nails within a few days I would expect a free repair too. I think the way you worded your reply was totally unprofessional and unnecessary. You should have just called her and apologised for the nails coming off (be it her fault or yours) and offer a free first repair. Seriously, you don't use that much product for 3 nails. Then if she complained that they came off again I would charge her. Maybe you could have a "first repair free" policy - you have no idea how much someone appreciates when they get something for free, when they are expecting to pay.

 

[Noodle]

I don't believe there is anything more to be said here, so am closing the thread.