Client Takes Advantage of Local Nail Salon
Over my lunch hour today, I went to a local nail salon, that I've been going to for awhile, and I witnessed something that many of us probably see at retail places all over. But this one, I thought was particularly entitled.
I was sitting there listening to this, and granted, I caught everything that happened after the appt, not prior or when the client arrived at the salon. But this seems to be the situation:
This client had received a service of just a gel manicure about 4 weeks ago. At that time, she was unhappy with the result. I'm not sure why... I mean, how do you mess that up? But anyway, she wasn't happy and the salon owners said that they would give her a redo for free. Now, we have all had things not go our way for whatever reason in a retail business, right? A redo, or a refund, or whatever, means that the service, or product will be redone at no charge... as long as it's the same service or product, right? I think that everyone kind of knows this. If you get an upgrade, you have to pay the difference. But anyhoo...
The client decided that she would like artificial nails (upgrade) instead of just the gel manicure. The salon obliged. Now, the client didn't ask what the charge was, and the salon didn't say anything about the extra charge... mistake on both parts, yes.
When the clients new artificial nails are fully intact, she gets up and walks out (I did witness all of this from now on...). The salon owner and one nail tech go outside, she was right out the door, and ask her to pay for her service. She responds that it was a "free appointment". They explain the up-charge to her because she got more than what her "redo" was. The client says that she wasn't told that. and "why would she get something again that she didn't like the first time??" The service she received was about $30 more than the original service she had received, and that was all they were charging her. She didn't agree, and stated that "she didn't even bring her wallet along". Honestly, who drives somewhere with no wallet ID, or anything else? We all looked at eachother kind of knowing that this person is lying. The salon owners asked her to leave her phone at collateral and go get her wallet. She refused, again stating that she has a "free appt", and she should have been told about the up-charge from the beginning.
She may have a point with the miscommunication, but honestly, no one buys the fact that she had no idea that getting something completely different was OK, and that she didn't know she'd need to pay. If you buy a pair of shoes at $30 and they don't work, but you return them for another color... that would be free. But if you buy a different pair of shoes and they are $20 more, everyone knows you would pay the extra $20 right?
We all looked at each other in the salon in agreement that this person was completely taking advantage of a situation. And secondly, why would you wait 4 weeks for a redo? If you aren't happy you come back for your redo the next day or the day after that. If you wait 4 weeks it couldn't have been that bad.
What do you think? Was she taking advantage of the salon, or was she justified?