I went to Lucinda's Day Spa as a new client on 03/23/23. I booked a shellac manicure and pedicure. The nail technician and I picked a shellac color that would match my toes as I had an important event that weekend. When I left and entered natural light, the color on my nails/toes did not match. Lucinda's blamed this on a nail polish manufacture issue, (okay---but it's a moot point given my overall experience). Lucinda's then put me with an unlicensed nail technician (without informing me she was an "in house apprentice" nor asking me if I would be okay with a nail apprentice training on me to re-do my shellac nails), and then had a senior nail technician re-paint my toes. If I had wanted an apprentice to do my shellac nails I would have gone to Empire Beauty School to support students. I asked for a full refund for the ordeal I went thru not only in my time being inconvenience, but in the unsatisfactory shellac nails done by the apprentice, and especially for the establishment omitting that I was being put with an apprentice who only had three weeks on the job. I felt taken advantage of. I gave them client feedback via email. Sometimes it's best to let a business display their customer service. I feel it speaks volumes. I have never been asked not to revisit an establishment, never-mind been treated this way by a business.
Lucinda's Day Spa Response below:
Hi ___________,
I just wanted to follow up with you regarding your client feedback we just received. To start, we will not be refunding you for any of your services. As stated in your e-mail, and multiple times to you on the day of your service, the original issue occurred due to a manufacturer error- something that was beyond our control. When this was brought to managements attention, it was made clear that the issue was not due to the level of skill of your technician or the quality of service, but rather that you were displeased with the color of your polish that you chose. This is an issue that, under usual circumstances, would not warrant such attention, nor this level of response. Even so, we hold ourselves to the highest level of customer service standards and went above and beyond to rectify this unfortunate happenstance as we knew this issue was of particular significance to you.
We did this by presenting you with a number of different options, 1. Keep your nails the way they were and receive a refund. 2. Match the color on your toes by removing the shellac on your hands and re-polishing with normal polish, free of charge and refund you for the difference in cost. 3. Remove the polish on your toes and repaint with the shellac, free of cost.4. or, Choose and entirely new color and repaint both your toes and your nails so that they matched, free of cost.
At no point was it discussed that we would redo both services AND refund you in full, as the point remains that the services were rendered and therefore have to be paid for. After much back and forth on what you would prefer to do, you chose to pick a new color and have the services be redone at no cost. We went out of our way to make this happen by asking these technicians to skip their lunch breaks and stay late for you to do so (which they both did).
To your point on _________, ___________ is a licensed Apprentice through the state of Maine, and no client up until you has had any problem with the quality of her work- as she is an exceptionally talented apprentice and has been booked solid since she opened for services. We did not omit this information out of malice, but rather it did not seem relevant seeing as you did not want/accept any of the other options that were given to you.
Furthermore, it was brought to my attention that after all of this, you then approached the front desk and asked for the gratuity that you originally had left for ________back. (even though you were fully aware it was not an error on her part, but again, an issue with the product).
After talking with the owner, ________, and showing her this feedback that you have left, it is at this point that we will be letting you know that we are no longer interested in your business, and ask that you do not return to this establishment. Here at Lucinda's we are only interested in serving a clientele that respects and values all employees, of all levels, and the services that they provide. You have made it abundantly clear that you do not.
Wishing you the best in your search to find a Spa that can better accommodate your expectations.
Regards,
______________
Front Desk Manager
Lucinda's Day Spa & Hair Studio
263 US Route One, Cumberland Foreside ME
207-829-3100 read more