I can't give you the chemistry behind it...but I also have experienced that my
excellent quality gels will not properly adhere to cheap MMA acrylic. It just
doesn't. The gel layer will peel in a few days. I have also had problems with
good quality EMA acrylic adhering. Even if I "rough up" the surface of the old
acrylic...
I think that MMA has a short life cycle...it breaks down, yellows, crumbles,
shrinks...and generally falls apart unless you reapply more MMA on top of it.
Maybe the new addition of MMA monomer "renews" it somehow? Or maybe because a
lot of users of MMA strip the old product off before doing "fills" it *seems*
to be in better condition than it will be if a new client comes in to me and we
try to transition her old product over a couple of fills. I've observed that
after 4-6 weeks her old product is lifted, yellowed, shattered.
In fairness to the client, I do tell them that sometimes my products are not
compatible with other brands...and we may have breakdown, but that I will TRY
to transition without the further stress to her natural nails of
grinding/soaking/grinding/soaking that it takes to get old MMA off their nails.
I tell them that if they will stay with me and let us work together over the
next couple of months, I can promise them their nails will be healthier,
thinner, more natural looking...prettier. They either like that program...or
they don't commit. If they do, I will thin the product down as much as I can
each appointment....my products easily buff away...so I usually end up removing
a part of their old product each time. Eventually we get them into good shape.
As for the rings of fire and old fill lines and fills over lifted product, I
explain what that is, tell them what I know I can do about it... which is
nothing until it heals by growing down the nail bed over time...and recommend
we go with color (polish or UV gel polish) during this transition phase. I tell
them how much it will be and then shut up...and let them decide.
Both Katherine and Jill have given us good insights. It *is* all about the
client. And it is *also* about our reputations. I say:
Behave with integrity.
Do your best work.
Educate the client.
Stand behind your service and your products.
Be proud of what you do.
Never comment about another tech's work....simply let YOUR work speak
volumes for you.
Best wishes, everyone!
Karen
Grapevine
From: Jill in Ky
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2012 12:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: NailTech:: Re: What to say to clients who think that an NSS salon
nails are beautiful?
Your gel won't adhere over cheap acrylic? I'm not a gel tech, but am eager to
learn more about it, so can you explain to me the chemistry behind WHY it won't
adhere if you take the shine off the top of the old nail product?
I'd really like to know because I thought you could use a camouflaging pink gel
to help hide the fill lines. If that's not the case, then maybe I need to stick
to acrylic where I can custom blend the powder to help hide other nail techs
fill lines. For all the gel techs out there, jump in to help instruct me on
this, ok?
Jill W.
On Thursday, November 22, 2012 5:57:24 PM UTC-6, Katherine Fahrig wrote:
I understand what you are saying and I agree in principal. However, in this
situation, that is not going to work. She wears a French Manicure, so the
yellow acrylic and fill lines show through my crystal clear gel product.
Additionally, my gel will not adhere to cheep NSS acrylic. So, the problem is
that the finished nails look horrible with the yellow ac and fill lines showing
AND they will not hold up. My gel will chip off the top of that NSS ac in less
than a week. I do not want my name on those nails. I do not want her telling
everyone that those yellow, fill lined and chipping nails are my work.
Back in the day, when I did acrylic nails, I had an opaque pink that I used
on clients who came to me with horrid yellow acrylic on their nails and I was
proud to have my name on my work because I could make the nails look good
despite the crappy product underneath. Even if I used an opaque pink gel, it
would still chip off the top of the NSS acrylic. The only thing I could do is
start doing acrylic nails again. Not going to happen for my own reasons, long
story that is a whole different thread.
It's not an ego thing, it's a reputation thing. I will not put my name on
yellow, fill lined nails. That is not what my work looks like. I use top
quality products that do not yellow and correct (manufacturers) technique that
does not leave fill lines. I do not view a good work ethic as "ego".
I get what you are saying, but, this situation is not about ego, it's about
my name on substandard work. I have other clients who get their nails done in
other states, one who gets her nails done in Vancouver, BC, I have no problem
doing their nails. No, the work is not as good as mine ( that part is ego ) but
they all use a quality gel and I can do my work with my gel over it and with
one appointment I can produce nails that deserve my name on them. I do not bad
mouth the other salon or manicurist, I like to hear about how things are in the
other city for my clients who live part time here and part time there, it's a
fun and exciting life that I can live vicariously through. It's not about me
having to convince anyone that I'm better than the other manicurist. It doesn't
matter, I do their nails when they are in STL and the other manicurist does
their nails when they are there. No competition, we are actually working
together, sharing the client. I'm cool with that. I'm not cool with someone
telling a client that they are getting gels when they are getting acrylic and
then the client expects me to make her yellow, fill lined acrylic look like the
clear, natural gel nails that I'm known for creating.
I do not think that anyone should put their name on work that is beneath
them. Every single set of nails that walk out of my salon meet my standards for
quality, beauty and durability. That is customer service. That is a full book
of happy, satisfied clients. That is a reputation in this city that I am the
best.
Belittling, berating or insulting a client, coworker, manicurist (licensed or
not) is not good customer service. Doing substandard work over a substandard
foundation in not good customer service.
Katherine
Nails at Panache
St. Louis, MO
Sent from my iPad
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
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