I went to Lovely Nails today for a fill-in, and unfortunately, after this experience, I will not be…read morereturning.
My nails were three weeks old, and I had two broken nails, one had completely come off the week before, and another was lifting. When the nail came off, I noticed that part of my natural nail underneath had turned brown. I was already planning to bring this to their attention when I came in for my appointment. While I was explaining the situation to the nail technician, another employee sitting to his right asked what was going on. After he explained it to her, she told me that I needed to "cover my nails" because water could get underneath them. I was confused and asked what she meant. Was I supposed to cover my nails while showering or washing my hands after using the bathroom? The technician then told me my nails were "too old" and that I needed to have them removed and get a new set. Keep in mind, I had gotten this set at this same salon only THREE WEEKS AGO. I asked the price for a new set, and he told me $95. At that point, I didn't have a problem paying for a new set. However, once he started removing the artificial nails, we discovered brown/green discoloration on FIVE of my natural nails. What bothered me most was the response. Instead of showing concern, explaining what could have happened, or even offering an apology for the situation, the technician started shaking his head and saying that I had gotten water underneath my nails. He and the other employee continued talking as though I had caused the problem because my nails were "old" and lifting. Yet the nails that had been lifting were not even the ones with the discoloration. The other employee also told me that this had "never happened before with any customer." Maybe it hasn't, but it happened to ME. I've been getting my nails done for years. I've gone longer than three weeks between appointments before and have never experienced anything like this. I understand that lifting can allow moisture to get underneath artificial nails, and I'm not claiming to know exactly what caused the discoloration. What I do know is that these nails were applied at this salon only three weeks earlier, and when a concerning issue appeared on FIVE of my natural nails, I expected professionalism, concern, and accountability, not attitude and immediate blame. I ultimately decided not to let them put another set of nails on me because of the way the situation was handled. I'm also someone who tips very well when I receive services here. I have tipped the people who have done my nails and toes even when something wasn't perfect because I believe in showing appreciation for someone's work. Unfortunately, after today's experience, Lovely Nails will not receive another penny from me. Mistakes and problems can happen in any business. What determines whether a customer returns is HOW you handle the problem. A simple apology, some genuine concern, and a respectful conversation would have gone a long way. There was absolutely no accountability today, and that is what lost me as a customer.