The other day I was talking to a tech who had moved over to the salon ownership side of the business, and I asked her when was the last time she did a full day’s work back behind the manicuring table. After telling me she had recently filled in for a friend at another salon, she divulged that it was a bit draining for her because she had forgotten how much energy it can take to listen to clients talk about their lives.

I had never thought of this before, but she told me about how important a manicure can become to clients. For some, getting a backfill every two weeks isn’t just to get pampered and upkeep great looking nails, it’s to let off some steam by talking about what has been going on in their lives. And the tech said it can sometimes be emotionally challenging.

The one thing that separates a manicure service from a haircut or a massage is that the service is done face to face. The client and tech are looking at each other as opposed to looking through a mirror or not making eye contact at all. And the tech and client are also physically touching during the service as well. For some clients, this can become a rather personal experience where they feel comfortable opening up about things that weigh heavily on their minds.

This conversation gave me a new appreciation for nail techs. I think the nail tech profession is easily downplayed as trivial to a lot of people outside the industry, but I see just how big a part nail techs can play in some clients’ lives. I can only imagine all the relationships that have formed between tech and client, and how important each has been to the other, whether they ever know it or not. Do you have a personal story to recount with one of your clients? Leave it below in the feedback section.

— Tim Crowley