I was giving an elderly client a pedicure and she leaned back too far in the chair, causing it to give way. The chair knocked over a partition which divided the pedicure area from the rest of the salon. The partition knocked over a free-standing bird cage, causing the birds to escape in terror. The bird cage then knocked over the coat rack, which knocked over a rack of polishes, sending them crashing to the floor. Several bottles of polish were broken and mixed with scattered bird seed on the floor. When the feathers settled, I looked at my client in disbelief as she asked, “Did I do that?”
Jana Adamson
The Nail Nest (East Earl, Pa.)
I was working in an exclusive, three-level salon. One day I was on the second level showing a client our jewelry case. She asked to see something else, so I proceeded to step backwards and missed four stairs, landing right on my rear. That’s not the worst of it. As I sat on the floor not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I looked to my left and there was this gorgeous guy getting his hair cut, looking right at me and laughing. To top it all off, my boss yells out across the salon, “Don’t wear heels here again.” (This wasn’t my first fall.) To say the least, I was very embarrassed.
Chrissy Plunkett
The Nail Artist at Pro Fitness (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
The most embarrassing moment of my career [so far] happened shortly after I began working at a very high-profile day spa. I was still feeling unsettled in my new position when I was asked to give the owner’s girlfriend a pedicure. We were really enjoying ourselves during the service, when without warning, she dropped her head, her body went into a roll, she swiveled out of the high-platform chair, then fell to the ground. Her feet kicked the water out of the tub in a splashing wave, causing my products and tools to fly everywhere. Her head was bleeding as she lay unconscious on the floor. I thought I killed her. I propelled my stool in reverse and started yelling, “911! 911!” It seemed as though everyone in the day spa was crowded around us, then the paramedics arrived. It turns out my client had an epileptic seizure, but fortunately was not badly hurt. Even though this was a traumatic experience, I was extremely embarrassed and I was literally shaking the entire day.
Golden Shears Hair, Nails & More (Runnemede, N.J.)
My most embarrassing moment in the salon when I was waxing a client. The temperature in the salon was very cold, and when I was ready to pull the wax off her eyebrow, only the cloth came off; the wax still remained on her brow. I was very nervous and scared. Ever since then, I no longer wax eyebrows.
Belkis Peralta
Belkis International Salon (New Brunswick, N.J.)