I've been a regular client at The Polish Lounge since 2022. While the longevity and technique of their nail work have always impressed me, usually lasting 3 to 5 weeks without chipping, lifting, or breakage, the customer service during my most recent visit was enough to lose me as a client.
During my last appointment, I was sat with David. Throughout the service, he made several inappropriate and racially insensitive jokes, while also openly flirting with younger female technicians - which I've seen from him before. It made the experience uncomfortable from the start.
I asked to change my nail shape from almond to square, but he told me I'd need to cut the length to make that possible. Not wanting to lose length, I agreed to coffin shape instead. I liked the shape initially, but the polygel application felt rushed and sloppy. Rather than keeping the narrow coffin shape, the nails ended up looking wide and blocky. I asked him to return to the almond shape, and later in my service he said it was a good choice and that he didn't like square nails and doesn't think they look good on anyone. He also made critical remarks about my design choice (really pushing in the beginning to try stickers), and commenting about my choosing polygel--creating the clear impression he didn't want to do the service.
As he finished my nails, the design (a simple smiley and frowny face) became increasingly messy, with uneven lines and poor detailing. While I did say "I liked them" at one point, I didn't feel comfortable being honest - especially under pressure - and didn't fully examine the line work until I got to my car. That's when I saw that the design was not clean: the eyes were inconsistent, and the mouth lines were shaky. It just didn't look good. I can accept if a design I picked doesn't suit me, but poor execution is a different issue.
Additionally, he never had me wash my hands - not before the polish, not after filing. In every other nail experience I've had over the past three years (or ever), I've always washed with water and/or soap at some point during the process. At the end, he simply applied cuticle oil to my dusty hands and sent me on my way.
I paid $95 and left, but ended up walking back in shortly after to explain that I didn't like the nails or the experience, and requested a redo with a different tech. The front desk accommodated this, but the new tech was cold, didn't greet me, avoided eye contact, and didn't speak to me throughout the service. I felt like an inconvenience for even asking.
This technician redid the design with thinner lines and smaller smiley faces. On his suggestion, I added small circles around the faces to make them clearer. While I appreciated the design improvement, the experience felt strained. When I went to leave, I was told there was a $10 upcharge for the added detail - despite the fact that I had already paid for a poorly done design and came back in due to quality concerns, not preference.
Even after the redo, I still wasn't happy with the final result, this time realizing I had picked the wrong base color. But no one acknowledged my dissatisfaction, apologized, or made an effort to ensure I was satisfied. The atmosphere made it feel like I was being a difficult client, when all I wanted was the quality and professionalism I had come to expect. I ended up going to a different salon the next day, where the tech happily tried five different design variations until I was completely satisfied.
Bottom line: If you care strictly about technique and long-lasting nails, The Polish Lounge delivers. But the lack of professionalism, empathy, and customer care - especially when a client is clearly unhappy - makes it not worth returning. The vibe has changed, and I no longer feel respected or valued there read more