Introducing a charge for polish over acrylics?

[blossom]

At the moment I charge an extra £5 for single colour shellac over a new set of acrylics or an infill (a few £ more for glitter/stamping/foils etc) whereas ATM I don't charge for polish.

This has come about because when I did my acrylics training years ago (before shellac & gel polishes were introduced) I was taught that polish was part of the service.

I now feel I should make a charge for polish as it takes the same length of time to apply and in fact they often smudge so we re-do a couple and some won't leave for 10/15 mins til it's fairly dry. As I work from home not a salon, this makes a difference as to how quickly I can turn clients around.

I was thinking of introducing a charge for polish but don't want to lose present clients. I wondered about charging new clients and maybe preparing old clients and giving then the rest of the year to get used to the idea before charging to them?

I'm hoping shellac will be the favoured option since it will only be a tiny bit more then they can leave quicker.

Has anyone found themselves in a similar position or any thoughts?

 

[blossom]

Anyone?

 

[Trinity]

I don't charge for polish, I too feel it's part of the L&P service, if I was an existing client I'd be a bit peeved at an extra charge for something that's always been part of the service.

I don't find polish takes longer but I use Vinylux and it's dry by the time I've cleared up, written their notes, rebooked next appointment and prepped my card system to take payment.

I'd charge newbies but leave existing as they are, maybe do a price increase on those at a later date

 

[perfect10kb]

Yes i do think you should charge extra for polish .

I think your idea of straight away for new clients and end of your for existing is very fair

They could apply a polish themselves at home so if they want you to do it then they should expect to pay for your expertise ;-)

 

[nailpod]

My charges for full set with glaze n go is X amount. Then if they I've gel polish or regular one coat gel top coat other then glaze n go I charge extra price.
And usually nail polish i apply a uv sealer so that is same price.

But time wise you must cover yourself as I find polish is more annoying !

 

[Cindy2021]

I only have a couple of clients that prefer polish and I charge an extra £5 for that or gel polish.
The cost per service is obviously a lot less but it still takes me time and actually more to do normal polish than gel and then they sit with me briefly while it dries.
You could just do small overall price increase but leave plain L&P as it is?
I've increased prices a couple of times just as I'd got it wrong initially and there was never any complaints or questions. I'm going to do another for infills very soon.

 

[blossom]

My charges for full set with glaze n go is X amount. Then if they I've gel polish or regular one coat gel top coat other then glaze n go I charge extra price.
And usually nail polish i apply a uv sealer so that is same price.

But time wise you must cover yourself as I find polish is more annoying !

Nailpod do you mind if I ask what uv sealer you use over nail polish? Can the client still remove at home or does it buff/soak off? Must polish be dry before applying? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[nailpod]

I just use Iz Hammond Iz gel, they make one in a polish bottle so applies and 60s Led and you're done! No worries!
Nsi also does a airshield but sometimes can crack over polish if client is rough till dries completely , I prefer gel top coat Iz gel and it soaks off!

You are meant to wait but I don't have the time. Clients fiddling or taking too long upsets my appointment book.

 

[blossom]

I just use Iz Hammond Iz gel, they make one in a polish bottle so applies and 60s Led and you're done! No worries!
Nsi also does a airshield but sometimes can crack over polish if client is rough till dries completely , I prefer gel top coat Iz gel and it soaks off!

You are meant to wait but I don't have the time. Clients fiddling or taking too long upsets my appointment book.

Does it cure under uv as well? X

 

[nailpod]

Yes it does usual times think 2min.

 

[Ashley Blakemore]

I'm like trinity, I find I can do a set of pink acrylics with vinylux colour in the same amount of time as a set of French sculptures so I don't charge more, I know I'm using polish which costs but I do find this is just easier when someone is booking in as I sit them down and ask colour or French and then I don't have to awkwardly explain its more, as some clients aren't sure what they want when they sit down. I charge for a shellac. Vinylux is definitely the way forward though as it dries in 8 mins and you can book them in and chat and before you know it they're dry, pop a bit of solar oil on to make sure they don't smudge ( the oil crates a barrier from clothes etc and I find clients are more careful when their fingers are greasy[emoji6]) I wouldn't use a soak off topcoat that you would need to buff off as this will make it longer as you would have to buff this off (you can't soak it off over acrylics) and then remove polish then start on infill, unless it's shellac of corse which does need to be buffed off but that's another reason why I charge more!

 

[nailpod]

Well I hate regular polish on hands for clients they always bump them I did most amazing painting of my life this week and she phoned me 10min later said car door slammed and caught her hand all nails smudged off .

Like what do you do? Re do them for free or charge them again? Hence i prefer to use IZ gel and soak off instead I don't mind extra time it really isn't a lot extra

 

[blossom]

Well I hate regular polish on hands for clients they always bump them I did most amazing painting of my life this week and she phoned me 10min later said car door slammed and caught her hand all nails smudged off .

Like what do you do? Re do them for free or charge them again? Hence i prefer to use IZ gel and soak off instead I don't mind extra time it really isn't a lot extra

I redo cos I'm a sucker.

If you get a client requesting polish tho nailpod, do you say you don't offer it? What if they offer to bring their own? (Sone of mine do which makes it worse as theirs is often crap)

I'd like to phase it out but can't see a way as it's still an asked for thing.

 

[nailpod]

I did aswell but in bigger salons they wouldn't. She decided to not re do them as she rekon a she would mess it up again anyhow!

I do still do regular manicures as I have a lot of Muslim clients so they only have their nails "painted" for 4 days when they have their periods . Then taken off afterwards so that is possibly the only normal polish I do nowadays. Everyone else prefers gel polish or gel. And if I don't have a colour in the gel but they have in polish I do polish and use a gel topcoat and for that yes I do charge.

So I can't phase mine out [emoji24]
I do enjoy painting though I like to think I am pretty good at it. Most therapist are terrible at painting. Think it's due to working for so many years in hotel where we had back to back 6 pedicures and manis daily in some cases so practice made perfect haahahaha