That was wonderful Jill!
Arpi Sekeryan Dashing Diva Professional Regional Field Trainer Cell: 334-782-4137 On Nov 22, 2012, at 11:03 AM, Jill in Ky <[email protected]> wrote: > Katherine, I feel your pain & I hate when that happens! It is so frustrating, > but this is how I've learned to handle it after 25+ years in the business- it > all boils down to psychology: > > After I've tried to educate someone & they still aren't getting it, I stop > trying. For me, I can recognize the feeling of being defensive when it comes > on me & it serves no purpose. I have to reign in that emotion because > ultimately I do not want to alienate the client (no matter how stupid they > appear to be). My goal has to be focused on giving her the best possible > service in the time that she's booked. If that means filling over someone > else's crappy work, then I'll do my best to make it look right & create a > stable nail (ultimately it will be her new nail techs problem when her > acrylic starts to break down). Then I direct the conversation to something > else more pleasant, the hour goes fast, and then she pays me. It's not easy, > but I try to take my ego out of the equation. > > Think about it from the client's point of view......by YOU contradicting what > she's telling you & pointing out her new nail techs flaws, the client is > being made to feel like SHE made a poor choice in salons because she's > ignorant. No one want's to feel that way, including ourselves. So then the > client keeps talking about how beautiful & wonderful the new salon is & how > great their services are, because that's HER way of trying to convince YOU > that she DID make a good choice. She has a need for your approval, but she > doesn't realize that it hurts your feelings & puts you on the defensive, so > both of you get nowhere. It's frustrating on both sides because both peoples > egos are involved. > > Obviously, the other salon is exciting to her because it's new. She was > probably excited about your salon back when she became a new client, too. The > new tech probably strokes her ego in ways that you don't anymore, because we > all get familiar with long time clients & thus, the honeymoon phase goes out > the window. It's only natural that it will eventually happen with this new > salon, too. Then when you eventually see her she'll start to complain about > them. > > I wouldn't turn her away or insist that she soak off for a new full set, but > that's just me. I wouldn't want her to leave my salon with hard feelings > because SHE won't understand why after all these years YOU are giving her the > boot, plus she will tell everyone in town about how she was so rudely > dismissed as a long time client by you. And what if she doesn't have the > money in the budget to pay your prices for a full set? She'll be forced by > YOU to take her business elsewhere then. We're in business to make money & > HERS would be gone. What purpose would that serve? > > If she were my client, I'd mentally prepare myself for when she comes in > (keeping my body language relaxed- not on the defensive) bragging about her > new salon & then I'd just let her talk it out of her system. I'd keep my head > down, fixing those crappy nails so they look good, & occasionally at the > right points in the conversation, I'd interject the little words that will > mean so much to her.... "uh-huh" & "is that right?" & "no way!" & "you go, > girl!". I'd be taking my ego out of the conversation & using psychology to > make the client feel validated. Eventually, she'll run out of steam & you can > direct the conversation to other things that are important to HER. Aaaahhh, > the honeymoon phase is returning! > > It's a challenge in acting & psychology, but for me it's also satisfying when > it works because everyone leaves happy. One great thing about being in the > South is that you learn how to sugar coat phrases which have underlying > meanings. The best one to remember is "Well, bless your heart!", which sounds > very nice on the surface, & you can interject it into your next conversation > with her when she says what a great nail job her new tech did. But what you > really mean by that phrase is "Well, you are dumb as a rock"! > > Jill Wright > Event Coordinator & Nail Tech > www.nailtechevent.com > > > > > On Tuesday, November 6, 2012 1:55:18 PM UTC-6, Katherine Fahrig wrote: >> >> Hey Techies, >> >> I have a client who used to be a regular gel client until she moved to >> Florida last year. She now comes to me 3 or 4 times a year. It wasn't a >> problem until this visit. She showed up with NSS, substandard, horrible >> acrylic nails that are yellowing and have fill lines. She went on and on >> about how she found a new salon that is so beautiful and the guy she goes to >> is so up to date on all the latest things and does such beautiful work. I'm >> looking at horrible, yellow, fill lines and acrylic ( she was told that it >> was the new powder gel that they were using ) and I want to scream! I >> pointed out the yellowing and the fill lines, she acknowledged them and then >> said something about "taking it all off" for her fill. I told her that she >> would have to soak them off for about an hour and then I would do a full >> set, for the price of a full set. She said that they just pulled them off, >> no hour wasted soaking them off. I had to keep my head down so she could not >> see the horror on my face. >> >> What do you say to someone when presented with this kind of mess? I did not >> have the time to soak them off and do a full set, so, I did not push her to >> do so. I told her that it was acrylic on her nails and she said that it was >> powder gel, didn't I know about it? I explained that it was not powder gel >> it was acrylic and she still insisted that they said it was gel so it is >> gel. I stopped short of telling her that they are lying rat finks because >> she went on and on about how much she liked the salon and the "guy" who does >> her nails and the conversation was quickly turning into an argument with my >> client defending her "guy's" flat out lies! >> >> I'm still trying to get my hormones in balance so I could use some advice as >> to what to say and what not to say. In general I do not bad mouth anyone >> else's work, but, what do I do when someone is lying their but off and the >> client believes them over me? I have certificates on the wall that prove my >> advanced education and she's heard me go on and on about all the >> conventions, continuing education, this mailing list, industry web sites and >> trade publications that I've gotten all my information from for 25 years and >> she still believes that lying sack of *~#t!!!!! Sorry, I fell into name >> calling.....not sorry he is a lying sack of _____. >> >> She was a good client for about a year before she moved to FL, I educated >> her while she was in my chair and now she seems to have forgotten all of it. >> On her way out she saw my old ProFinish two hand uv lamp and exclaimed, >> "that's what they have, the new two hand lamp! What do you use it for?" I >> told her that that lamp is a least 15 years old and useless except to get >> regular polish clients to sit still for 4 minutes. She looked confused, but, >> said nothing more. >> >> I thought about booking 2 hours for her next appointment and soaking the ac >> off and putting on a new set of gels so she would be reminded of how they >> should look, but, if I'm doing all that work, I'm getting paid for a full >> set and she would not agree to that. Besides, she saw my nails and the >> clients before and after her with beautiful, clear, non yellow, no fill >> lines, gel nails. Maybe she listened and noticed more than she admitted to >> and she will find a new salon in FL that actually does gels, not acrylic >> (that turns yellow) with a gel overlay. >> >> So, Techies, I did a little venting, now, what do you all say to clients who >> come in with NSS nails and tell you how beautiful that are? >> >> Katherine >> Nails at Panache >> St. Louis, MO >> Sent from my iPad > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NailTech" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/nailtech/-/GMGy0U4sa_EJ. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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