| Clients notice more than you think! Dirty deeds can raise their worst fears about sanitary practices in your salon. |
The Nail Salon Diaries...
Now don't get me wrong, I have had more AMAZING experiences at local Long Island salons than bad ones... but these experiences in 2012 had me on the"NEVER TO RETURN, EVER" list for these local salon offences. Some even got a YELP review to warn others.
Woodbury, NY
I witnessed the manager of a swanky nail salon perform a manicure, then put the USED cuticle nipper, nail clipper and nail curette back into an easy seal pouch marked "Sterilized Tools Pouch". This was aftershe blew on the instruments to remove the nail clippings & dead cuticle out of them - they were not properly sanitized! She then placed the pouch into the basket for use on the next client. I HAD to say something - I was appalled! When I confronted her, she insisted I did not see things correctly and became very rude. It was awkward and disturbing.
Plainview, NY
Observed a mature nail tech filing the callouses off her feet, in between appointments - right at her nail station! Callous dust was flying all over her station and nail table, not to mention the salon. A co-worker whispered something to her so she turned on her Sunflower Dust collector and continued filing away. She immediately put the colossal rasp down when her appointment walked in... she didn't even wash her hands!
Syosset, NY
Stopped into local nail salon for a quick manicure early one morning. The nail tech opened her Ultronics Disinfecting Ultra-Tray to grab her nipper and I noticed the nipper was packed with skin & cuticle from previous clients. I asked her to please sanitize it before using it on me. She lifted the self draining basket and swished the nipper in a thick, filthy "cuticle soup" of disinfectant. The tray had 1/2 an inch of skin waste floating around in it... yuck! Change out your disinfectant! No client wants to see that!
Hicksville, NY
Witnessed two nail techs empty their lunch remains into the pedicure tub of a Pedi Spa. They then proceeded to clean the food remains from their Tupperware containers using the pedicure basin like a sink. Without disinfecting it - they filled it up for a pedicure 10 minutes later when a walk-in stopped in.
So maybe I am just old fashioned... but I am a stickler for professionalism, and for peace of mind. When I go for any service at a salon I am looking for total relaxation. Acts of indiscretion like the above may not necessarily give you MRSA - but they are disturbing enough to make you not want to risk it. My train of though is usually, "If they will do that in front of clients, what are they doing when no one is around?" I assume the same lax standards are taking place and potentially turning my nail appointment into a health risk. Clients are hard to get and easy to lose. Don't jeopardize your business with shortcuts... you never know who is watching!