They rolled out the red carpet at Angelic Nails, part of The Total Image  salon. Here, I relax with (from left) Ruth Windsor and Georgie Bryan.

They rolled out the red carpet at Angelic Nails, part of The Total Image salon. Here, I relax with (from left) Ruth Windsor and Georgie Bryan.

“Dear Ms. Drummey,” the e-mail letter began, “on behalf of the pedicurist in Michigan, I apologize for the service that you and Ms. Skrocki received. Let me help put Michigan back in good standings.” So began one of the many “don’t give up on Michigan” letters I received in response to the “On the Road” column I wrote about my disappointing pedicure at an upscale salon in Michigan (February 2000). So this past March I visited again and am delighted to share with you my very positive and pleasant experiences with salons in the greater Detroit area.

Ruth Windsor booth rents in The Total Image salon in Garden City and calls her own business Angelic Nails. She prides herself on her pedicures, despite starting her career with a personal pledge, “I won’t do pedicures.” Her vow to keep away from feet was broken the first day of her professional career when her new salon owner booked her for two pedicures. And although she herself has never had a pedicure (note to Ruth: Have one!), she puts the kind of fine touches into it that reveal how much she knows about the “sole” of this business.

Determined that my own experience be worthy of writing home about, Ruth tended to every detail I complained about in my previous report. I said there was nowhere to put my purse when I sat for a pedicure; Ruth whisked away my gear, hung my coat, first checking if I needed anything from my purse. I was miffed about being served coffee in a disposable cup; Ruth set out a tray with china cups, a fruit plate, muffins, and chocolate. The former pedicurist gabbed with a coworker while barely massaging my feet; Ruth questioned me on my health before starting the message, asked whether I wanted to talk or listen to music, and paced herself on her observations of my own mood (naturally, I like to talk and had lots of questions for her). I got the full-blown reflexology massage, the dimmed lighting and soothing music, and her total attention. Ruth gushed about meeting me, but I think I was more proud to meet her. As I said to her that day, when I was relaxed from the tensions of several business meetings, a flight delay of six hours, and an overnight snowfall of seven inches, “This is what I love about my job.”

The second salon we visited (“we” being senior editor Hannah Lee and I) was the Premiere Salon located in the Hudson’s department store in Waterford. We’ll tell you more about that visit next month.

 

 

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