I waited until I'd visited this salon a few times before writing a review because I wanted to give…read moreit a fair chance. The last issue happened last week, but I waited until today to write about it. I wanted to sit with my emotions and see if it still bothered me. It does.
The salon is nice, and I can see they've tried to renovate it, but I wouldn't call it 100% accommodating. The bathroom and baseboards still look old, and the chairs don't have a massage feature. I notice details that other people might not, but none of that was a reason for me to stop coming.
I told them from the beginning that I'm picky. I'm polite, but I know what I want and always tell nail salons upfront. I've been getting my nails done since I was 15, and I'm 45 now. My nails are thin and brittle, and psoriasis affects how they look. Sometimes they can look like they might have fungus, but that's what psoriasis does to my nails. I need a technician who understands that.
My first appointment went well. I really liked my pedicure and the woman who did it. She's a sweetheart. The nail technician is nice and does a good job, though she has a strong personality that can come across as a little rude. I have a strong personality too, so I gave it a chance. Both technicians are fast, which I love because I travel a lot for work and don't want to spend hours in a nail salon. A full set and pedicure took about an hour and 15 minutes. Both looked cute, and I got what I wanted.
About a month later, I called and asked for a fill. When I arrived, the nail technician started removing my nails. She then told me that next time we should do a fill because my nails are so brittle. I told her I had asked for a fill when I called, and that she'd said she would decide whether to remove them once she saw them. She told me that regardless of what I say on the phone, I should discuss what we agreed on directly with her when I come in. I said okay, but I also wondered why my request hadn't been communicated to her. That's part of having a receptionist. I was irritated, but my second full set and pedicure looked good, so I decided to come back.
At my next visit, she removed the polish, saw that the nails underneath didn't look good, and decided to take the set off. I also switched from an oval shape to a shorter, simpler coffin shape. The next day, the color started chipping. My sister said that can happen with a solid color using gelx, but I was about to leave the country for work and wanted my nails to look professional.
I called the salon, explained the chipping, and asked to come in to fix it. I offered to pay. The person on the phone insisted there would be no charge and booked me. I even asked if she was sure, and she said yes. I want to emphasize that I offered to pay because I value people's work.
When I came in, they saw me fairly quickly. Nobody mentioned a charge before or during the appointment. At the end, the nail technician told me it would be $35. I paid and gave her a $7 tip. I wasn't going to change my character over it, but I was irritated.
I don't know whether the receptionist failed to tell the technician what she'd promised. My issue isn't paying, I offered to do that from the beginning. My issue is being told repeatedly that I wouldn't be charged, then being charged without an explanation or apology. My nails had been done less than 9 days earlier, and she changed the color and reshaped them. Even if they wanted to charge me, they could have told me beforehand or acknowledged the miscommunication. Nobody did.
I've run businesses for years, and transparency matters to me. If a client explains what they need to the receptionist, that information should reach the technician. This was the second time something I'd discussed on the phone didn't seem to be communicated. In my experience, the front desk came across as disengaged, and the communication was mediocre.
I'm not naming anyone because I don't want to put anyone on blast. I hope the salon takes this as a lesson. The nails looked nice, the woman who does my pedicures is lovely, and the nail technician is quick and does good work. My biggest issue is the salon's internal communication, which shouldn't be the client's responsibility. Thank you for the services, but I won't be back.