Pretty in Pink [& Green]

 

Clients walking into Posh Nails Salon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, can’t help but break into grin. The welcoming 1,400 sq. ft. salon has a unique atmosphere that boast bright, cheerful colors, modern furniture, and funky soundtrack from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

‘I wanted to liven things up a bit,” says owner Kim Chung of Posh, which recently own NAILS’ Artist & Visionaries Award for the Best Salon Atmosphere. “I wanted modern, yet comfortable, setting that was also cheerful.

A FEW HER FAVORITE THINGS: When creating the atmosphere of Posh, Chung turned to her most reliable source of inspiration herself. She filled the salon with her personal favorites. Bold pink livens up a dominant wall that also features the Posh logo in white, and lime green spruces up a back wall. “I wanted something bright, and pink and green are my favorite colors,” Chung says. Chairs, pillows, towels and other accessories match the pink and lime green color scheme.

Chung’s favorite flowers, orchids, are also abundant present within the salon. Arranged in vases throughout the salon, Chung says the flower add a “girlie” feel to the space.

A modern, silver curtain made from chains of hollow circles dangles against the wall between pedicure stations. “I wanted to add a little twist to that wall,” Chung says.

A fuzzy white rug adds color to the stained concrete floor, and matches the white chairs. “I wanted to coordinate everything, but not be overpowering with too much of one color,” Chung says. As a vibrant touch, Chung also incorporates live plants, including bamboo palms and indoor palms, into the salon.

An MP3 player plays “oldies but goodies” from ‘60s and ‘70s. “People always say, “I love your music,” “Chung says. “It’s great for just chilling and relaxing.”

WAY BACK WHEN: Chung entered the nails industry straight after her high school graduation. This gives her a total of eight years of nail experience. “it’s been my only career, and I love it,” Chung says.

She eventually decided to open her own nail salon so she could run the salon to her preferences. “I’d worked at a lot of salon, and I knew what liked and what I didn’t like,” Chung says. “Several nail salons I worked in before Posh were really boring or they would only have a station or two. I really wanted to create a salon that was upscale and fun, so when people are getting services they’re not bored.”

Chung is still very involved in the day to day running of Posh and works in the salon six days a week that it’s open.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THE NTH DEGREE: Located in a fast growing area of northwest Oklahoma City, Posh does its best to live up to its tagline of “individual attention and high-end products” something is upper –middle class clientele has come to expect. The salon mainly serves woman, but about 20% of its customer are men (frequently husbands who come with their wives).

Prices at Posh are a little bit higher than other salons. Manicures cost $18, and pedicures range from $20 to $35, making it more of a mid-level boutique salon.

Chung uses well –known professional brands, including Essie, OPI and creative, in the salon so that clients have a comfort level with the products used to tend to their hands and feet.

Then salon also prides itself on passing on nail knowledge to its customers. “Some salon just do nails, without educating their client on what to so after they get home,” Chung says. We educate the clients on taking care of their nails. We talk about the latest products, what they need if they’re a nail biter, or what to do if their nails are thin and brittle.

Sanitation is a high priority for the employees at Posh, who are encouraged to educate the clients on the salon’s sanitation procedures. “We tell our clients about how we take our chairs apart and how we clean them,” Chung says. “We basically tell them “this is what we do, how we do it, and this is how many times a day we do it.”

A PARTY PLACE: One of Posh’s specialties is its party service, especially the salon’s birthday parties for 8 to 12 year old girls. “I love kids, and I want this to be special for the kids when they come in, “ Chung says. “ I want the kids to feel like they’re clients too.” The party attendees each enjoy their own simple manicure and pedicure that uses a polish color design they picked out and are educated about nail care by the Posh staff. “My hope is that they’ll remember it forever,” Chung says.

Posh birthday parties require a six person minimum, by usually about 10 or 12 girls attend. Posh provides party favors and refreshments.

Posh also offers bridal and bachelorette parties. “We provide refreshments, but the group can bring in whatever else they want,” Chung says. “One brought in a karaoke machine for singing and dancing. And on bridal party actually brought their own margaritas.”

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION: Chung says her flexibility makes her salon stand out from an employee’s perspective. The salon offers employees (Posh has no both renters) flexible hours and is cooperative with vacation requests. Employees also receive discounts on product and free services. Plus Posh provides them with all the necessary equipment and implements.

Posh encourages its tech to take advantage of training opportunities and pay for techs to attend tradeshows. The staff often attends them as a group.

Chung is focused on growing her business, and though she does dream of eventually expanding Posh, she’s not in a hurry. “I’m just so happy with what I have right now,” Chung says.