*long post sorry
*pics of my loved ones over the years and empty shop on Saturday
I've never been offended or insulted by a business owner in my years of living in San Clemente. I am still shocked by yesterday's occurrence at Mingee's Nails on Del Mar. I've been a regular customer for 20 yrs; going for a pedicure no less than once a month with several of my favorite technicians. As well, when my mom & dad in law were alive, we brought them in to have their toenails safely cared for and owners & staff were so loving toward them. When Mingee's husband succumbed to a heart attack we were there that afternoon and grieved with the family and staff alike. When my extended family comes in for holidays, it's always a regular activity for sisters and nieces to go to Mingees. There is now a new owner and her name is Stephanie. While the interior has been redecorated and is clean and lovely, she could not be any less welcoming to customers and overtly unkind to staff. (It has been a difficult week for our family as my daughter's long time partner has been in the ICU on a ventilator since mid January and my daughter's had to return to work at her new job, I've been trying to fill in for her bedside, making many treks from parking lot to ICU at Mission.) Yesterday on my way home, my feet were especially achy so I decided to go up to Del Mar and walk in to Mingees without an appt, since it was 4:30, and hoped I could get a pedicure. When I arrived there were only 2 customers in the shop and the rest of the chairs were empty. Two of my favorite gals were working on one customer and owner giving a manicure to one other. I sat down hoping to wait for gals to finish. Stephanie, the owner, told me they could not take me as they were "completely booked" so I said I'd run some errands and come back. Returned about 15 min later and sat down to wait for last customer to be finished. Shortly, she approached me and told me I had to leave because "she was expecting a large group at 5:00, they were late, but were coming and had to get ready". This was so peculiar; it was like she didn't want to let me walk in and have one of my regular techs without an appt. I decided to sit on one of the chairs out front for awhile to see whether or not anyone showed up. They did not. (I drove around for a bit and came back and the store was still empty) For some controlling, bullying reason toward myself and her staff, she completely made up some bizarre story to deny me service and her staff a long time client. One other very bizarre behavior previously exhibited by this woman was, shortly after New Years, my sister and I were there and I'd just finished having a relaxing neck massage and my eyes were closed when I hear this very loud pop, pop, pop, pop and I startled as did my sister and the other customers, as it sounded gunfire. It was the owner, Stephanie, remotely setting off a firecracker decoration hanging from the ceiling. She was laughing her head off as she continued to repeat doing it. My sister, who has experienced workplace gun violence, and I with my heart racing were none too amused. There was also a man a couple of chairs down, who exclaimed he was a vet and found the experience alarming, and recounted the story of the gunshots fired in the clothing store across the street, a few years ago, killing the owner of the store. I'm not sure any of our feelings mattered to Stephanie. I'm done. I will not be returning to Mingee's as long as it is under the current ownership. I will miss my favorite technicians. Perhaps she will sell the store again while our gals are still there, and that would be wonderful. read more