I normally don't rate nail salons because 90% of the time I have a pleasant and satisfying experience. Even if it is an unsatisfactory experience in terms of the actual service, normally I'll chalk it up to the establishment having a different nail polishing technique, etc.
However with Beyond Nails in Lyndhurst NJ, I feel like I would be doing a disservice by not sharing my experience. I have never felt so embarrassed, insulted, disrespected and belittled at any salon in the country. The minute I walked in I felt a really weird vibe. Everyone stared at me but didn't say a word. I looked at one of the nail techs and gave her a look that suggested I didn't just come in there to survey their decor. She gave me a look that said what do you want? I said I'd like a manicure and pedicure. Despite the weird looks I walked over to the polish shelf and grabbed my color. I then stood there and waited for someone to come over. A woman sitting motioned for me to sit down at her booth. She did not speak, she did not say hello, she did not even smile. I felt uncomfortable to say the least but I let her do what she had to do. She started speaking Korean (possibly a different language - not sure) and started taking off my polish. She then handed me off to the worker who was sweeping the floors. She motioned for me to go over to the spa station for my pedicure. Alternately she (the Mexican girl, not sure of her name) was very friendly. She did what most people at nail salons do which is smile, say hello and proceed in an inviting manner. She didn't do the greatest job on my feet but I felt like, for one, she is obviously the friendliest worker at this salon, and two, at $20 for a mani/pedi, you can't expect luxury treatment. So I tried to keep the criticism at bay. No one ever brought her my polish that I gave the first rude woman who passed me off to her and I then had to ask them to bring her my polish to actually paint my nails. I've never experienced anything like this. It was truly the coldest nail salon experience I'd ever had, and as the evening progressed it just worsened and worsened. When she finished with my feet, they motioned for me to go over to a third woman at a booth. I sit down at her and I received the repeat treatment from the first woman. She absolutely would not acknowledge me, no smile, no greeting, nothing. At this point I just want her to finish so I can leave this awful place. She proceeds to do a half ass job on my manicure, as if she doesn't even want to touch my hands. But the confirmation of what I already expected was received when I asked her three times to cut my nails even. The third time I asked her she had an attitude and was clearly disturbed saying "yeah I cut". She then starts speaking Korean under her breath. I then ask "is there a problem". She starts going off. Her boss comes over and makes matters ten times worse than they already were at that point. She goes back and forth about how manicures and pedicures are not done after 7:00 to I heard her say she cut your nails down to she barely speaks English to you have an attitude to for you to be educated you sure don't act like it. At this point I am livid. I am not only embarrassed that I'm even having this argument in a professional establishment, but I am embarrassed and further more frustrated that I have to defend myself to the owner, who clearly should be defending me. The owner proceeds to walk away saying all kinds of things like you don't know me, etc etc. I have never felt so discriminated against at a business. This was clearly a case of racial profiling, stereotyping and discrimination. My service was absolutely horrible and I regret patronizing this establishment with my business and stepping foot into this nail salon full of staff and owners that are too ignorant to realize that money comes in all shades.... and mine just happened to be brown smh... Ignorance at its finest... read more
