I've been a regular at this nail salon for the past seven or eight months, and usually, it's been a…read morepleasant experience. However, my recent visit left me feeling incredibly disappointed and disrespected. When I went in, I had some trouble choosing a nail color out of a book that is covered with cellophane and I was told three times that Kaitlyn would see me as soon as I picked out a color. That meant that I should hurry. I prefer to see the actual sample against my nails to get a better idea of how it will look. Feeling rushed, I showed the technician three colors I was considering, asking if I could see them on my nails. She only brought out one bottle and applied a single coat. When I mentioned I was looking for a deeper mauve shade, she showed me bright fuchsia colors instead. When I pointed out what I was envisioning, she dismissed it, saying it wasn't mauve.
When I asked to see a slightly darker shade, her response shocked me. She flatly said, "I'm not going to show you anything else. You didn't like what I picked out for you." It was clear she was angry. She then placed two boxes of polish on the table and asked me to choose, but they were still in their boxes. How could I possibly decide without seeing them on my nails or at least a piece of paper? Reluctantly, I asked her to apply the first color, even though it was too light. She had already put it away and begrudgingly went to get it.
During this time, I commented to the customer next to me that it felt like I was there to get yelled at, despite being a paying customer. The technician never spoke to me again, only conversing with her coworker in Vietnamese. I even asked if there was time for a pedicure, and she curtly said yes. As I was leaving, I gave her a generous tip and calmly asked her not to speak to me in that tone again. She didn't respond or even look at me, despite speaking perfect English.
I also noticed another customer having issues with her technician, who didn't speak English and was filing her natural nails too roughly despite the customer's protests. The urgency to pick a color here is overwhelming--you're given about 60 seconds. For the amount of money I spend regularly, I expect to leave the salon satisfied, not come home feeling rushed and needing to fix my nails myself. I understand that salons aim to serve as many clients as possible, but it wasn't even busy that day.
What hurts the most is that the technician I've been seeing for months didn't acknowledge me as I left. It's clear she's upset with me for not picking a color quickly, but I just want to walk out of the salon happy with my nails. Is that really too much to ask?