Publisher's Note: Develop Outstanding Customer Service

A significant if not remarkable facet of American life is resurfacing ... that being the demand for quality service; a growing acceptance, as one salon owner describes it, of the “fact” that price is unimportant if the service comes with it.

The import of this is enormous for the nail salon and for technicians in general. Given the possibility that nail care in general is of good quality, and that prices are fairly consistent from one shop to another, it is then the technician's service that determines if a client returns to the salon.

Service in itself may seem a bit intangible, but it is in fact the way we look at business and how we relate to our customers. As a nail technician, you are making a contribution to the welfare of others, providing a useful labor that does not produce a tangible commodity. So what is it that makes your clients continue to frequent your salon? Your ability to make them feel comfortable, to cater to their needs, to provide a service that tells them in effect, “I appreciate your patronage.”

In this month's cover story, written by editor Heidi Fron, we provide some insights into how other technicians and salon owners’ deal with their clients, and what they do to leave a lasting impression. These are points and suggestions for excellent service, and should encourage a review of your current style. But the basics of good service need to be emphasized as well: In the nail industry, as with others, it is the way you look, dress and act when that client is sitting in front of you, paying for your services.

Your consistently professional appearance conveys much of your service style.

Comments, for example, from patrons who regularly frequent nail and beauty salons warn that dress may be the most important, specifically blouses and tops that reveal a little too much cleavage. “When I'm having my nails done,” remarked one woman, “the last thing I want to see is a jiggling manicurist.”

The point, though exaggerated, is well taken:

The client is paying for your services. Cater to her needs in deeds, actions and appearances and you reinforce a lasting impression that determines, in great part, where she goes for nail care.