Dear Shari,
What is the best way to handle cell phone abuse during a nail service? Some clients are on their cell phones four to six times during their service. It not only slows me down, but leaves room for contamination of the nail surface.
Sincerely, Put On Hold
Dear Put On Hold: In my salon I allow cell phone use. I am not going to ask a customer to turn off her cell phone and miss an important business call or a call from her child’s school. I find that clients are courteous and can hold the phone in many creative ways to allow me to complete my job. But my salon is busy and loud. We service people in the business community and I would lose business if I limited their ability to keep in touch.
As far as contamination goes, you’re right, it could happen, but as long as the customer is careful you should be OK. On a personal note, I am offended when a customer yaks on the phone and doesn’t even acknowledge that I am sitting knee to knee with her holding her hand. That behavior says: “Do my nails and don’t talk to me.”
But if you have a salon where you are creating a relaxing atmosphere, cell phone use could be a problem so a policy needs to be established. When developing a policy make sure it is fair to both your customers and employees. And be sure that employees are enforcing the company’s policy and not their own. If you have one tech who allows cell phone use you will just make everyone mad, and then no one will take your policy seriously. To be effective, your policy needs to be posted, explained in person, or even printed on your appointment cards. It is not good customer service to tell a customer abut a policy only after they’ve broken the rules. That will only lead to negativity and embarrassment. — Shari