flashlash
Well-Known Member
Hello out there!
Last week I had my first real problem with a mobile client and want to prevent it in future. I'm even considering not doing mobile to 'cold' clients unless they have been to me first or have come directly through someone else. I'm a bit confused because quite a lot of my business comes through the internet.
I had a lady ring who sounded a bit loopy but she was very local so I thought why not. She had had a leg operation and had been in hospital for 10 weeks. This did not phase me however as I have done clients with new knees, hips etc and painted in all sorts of funny positions!
I had driven past her house and thought it looked a little run down so I was nervous - mainly about her not paying me for my work. Anyway I went.....
She answered the door. She was probably only 60 but looked 80 which is fine but she was unkempt (not so great). She had no TEETH in and apologised for this. She was on a walking frame and her house was filthy with plates piled high in the kitchen and the sink full of food and plates. Her carpet was covered in hairs and crumbs and goodness only knows what!
Anyway, she wanted a mani and pedi and said a chiropodist had been out to her and charged her £45 for 20 mins and they only cut her toe nails. Poor woman - what a rip off! I felt sorry for her and did say on seeing her revolting feet that she did need a medical pedicure but I would do my best!
Honestly, I started with her BLACK feet and was dry wretching scrubbing the grey thick sludgy skin from her feet which was just falling all over the place. Her nails had been cut and her cuticles weren't too bad but the soles of her feet were so disgusting - I couldn't eat my dinner that night! I then had kneel in all the sludge because she couldn't get in a position which I could paint in otherwise - yuk!!!!!!
Her hands weren't much better....long yellow tallons with thick black goodness knows what underneath them.
She went out before I painted her fingers to go to the loo. I started loading up my car and when I went into the hall there she was sitting on a commode! So you see.....I hope I've painted you quite a vivid picture?!
I did feel sorry for her though, she had no family and was living in squalor due to the fact that she was immobile and didn't have enough help.
Anyway I painted her toes and fingernails a stunning red. She splodged her toes almost immediately by turning her feet over on their sides and insisted on answering her phone half way through fingernail paint job, when she put her hand down, it had hairs and crumbs attached to the paint. I was tearing my hair out. I fixed her toes quickly and her fingers but pretty sure they would have looked awful within minutes.
She also had a weird lodger who lurked about and he kept mentioning sex and things - not in a leery way but did just keep bringing it up which could have been more sinister I suppose.
I felt traumatised.....all that for £40. It really wasn't worth it.
But what do you do? Do you vet your clients for mobile work? If so, how? Do you ever feel unsafe? It's really put me off doing mobile work. The thing I often find is that there is not enough light - I always ask for good light but it's amazing what people think is good light. I do take a light but you need it both sides at times. Once I practically had to do a Minx pedi in the dark - she had just moved in and didn't even have a bulb in the central ceiling light so in the end I was just using my small lamp. Minx by braile!
Just wondering how everyone else does it? I never do lashes mobile because I like more controllable surroundings but I'm beginning to think that way about my other treatments too!
For now, I've put that clients name in my phone and if she calls again it says DANGER!!
From a very traumatised Flashlash!
Last week I had my first real problem with a mobile client and want to prevent it in future. I'm even considering not doing mobile to 'cold' clients unless they have been to me first or have come directly through someone else. I'm a bit confused because quite a lot of my business comes through the internet.
I had a lady ring who sounded a bit loopy but she was very local so I thought why not. She had had a leg operation and had been in hospital for 10 weeks. This did not phase me however as I have done clients with new knees, hips etc and painted in all sorts of funny positions!
I had driven past her house and thought it looked a little run down so I was nervous - mainly about her not paying me for my work. Anyway I went.....
She answered the door. She was probably only 60 but looked 80 which is fine but she was unkempt (not so great). She had no TEETH in and apologised for this. She was on a walking frame and her house was filthy with plates piled high in the kitchen and the sink full of food and plates. Her carpet was covered in hairs and crumbs and goodness only knows what!
Anyway, she wanted a mani and pedi and said a chiropodist had been out to her and charged her £45 for 20 mins and they only cut her toe nails. Poor woman - what a rip off! I felt sorry for her and did say on seeing her revolting feet that she did need a medical pedicure but I would do my best!
Honestly, I started with her BLACK feet and was dry wretching scrubbing the grey thick sludgy skin from her feet which was just falling all over the place. Her nails had been cut and her cuticles weren't too bad but the soles of her feet were so disgusting - I couldn't eat my dinner that night! I then had kneel in all the sludge because she couldn't get in a position which I could paint in otherwise - yuk!!!!!!
Her hands weren't much better....long yellow tallons with thick black goodness knows what underneath them.
She went out before I painted her fingers to go to the loo. I started loading up my car and when I went into the hall there she was sitting on a commode! So you see.....I hope I've painted you quite a vivid picture?!
I did feel sorry for her though, she had no family and was living in squalor due to the fact that she was immobile and didn't have enough help.
Anyway I painted her toes and fingernails a stunning red. She splodged her toes almost immediately by turning her feet over on their sides and insisted on answering her phone half way through fingernail paint job, when she put her hand down, it had hairs and crumbs attached to the paint. I was tearing my hair out. I fixed her toes quickly and her fingers but pretty sure they would have looked awful within minutes.
She also had a weird lodger who lurked about and he kept mentioning sex and things - not in a leery way but did just keep bringing it up which could have been more sinister I suppose.
I felt traumatised.....all that for £40. It really wasn't worth it.
But what do you do? Do you vet your clients for mobile work? If so, how? Do you ever feel unsafe? It's really put me off doing mobile work. The thing I often find is that there is not enough light - I always ask for good light but it's amazing what people think is good light. I do take a light but you need it both sides at times. Once I practically had to do a Minx pedi in the dark - she had just moved in and didn't even have a bulb in the central ceiling light so in the end I was just using my small lamp. Minx by braile!
Just wondering how everyone else does it? I never do lashes mobile because I like more controllable surroundings but I'm beginning to think that way about my other treatments too!
For now, I've put that clients name in my phone and if she calls again it says DANGER!!
From a very traumatised Flashlash!
