Rip You Off of your Time
It just sounds too good to be true that you can get a mani/pedi in 30 mins. You think WOW I can really get my nails done on my lunch break and have enough time to even eat lunch. Not quite so fast manicure maven, it is IMPOSSIBLE!
If the salon you are going to takes walk-ins as a regular part of their day you may very well be waiting for the nail technician several times during your 30 minute mani/pedi experience, this will drag it out to approximately 60 – 90 minutes.
Nail salons that take only a few appointments and walk-ins regularly are going to do several clients at one time. When you walk in if there is an empty pedicure station, they will ask you to take a seat and fill the bowl with water and soak your feet. Fifteen minutes goes by, and a few Facebook searches by you later, you realize you’ve just been soaking your feet. The purpose of the warm water is to just clean your feet; which only takes a couple minutes, not 15 minutes, don’t over soak. If you over soak your natural nail will plump up and hours later the plumpness will go down and the polish will chip faster.
Finally, two nail technicians jump up and start filing on your toes and fingers. They walk away saying they will be right back, and they go to do someone else’s nails. She/He pops back only to put a paraffin bag on your feet and hands and disappears again.
Finally, the polish is applied and you realize that your $40 - 30 minute mani/pedi took one hour and 30 minutes and the upcharges the service went up to $60. However, the big rip off here that you never noticed is that the nail technicians cut corners and never did a full manicure or pedicure. They just did a polish change with paraffin, lotion and gel polish. BUT you were charged for a full service with an upgrade.
There are 20 steps to a basic manicure and 21 steps a basic pedicure. No way can that many steps be accomplished in 20 minutes. But you were charged for a full service of a manicure and pedicure. However, in the 20 minute time frame they only did a polish change, paraffin and lotion. A polish change on either toes or fingers is 9 steps and can easily be accomplished in 20 – 30 minutes. Please don’t be ripped off by paying for a full service when you are only receiving a polish change.
Please ask questions before your next mani/pedi. If you don’t think that sanitary and good business practices are happening in your nail salon PLEASE inform the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR of Virginia) at:
(804) 367-8504
www.DPOR.virginia.gov click on the tab to the left: File a Complaint, fill out the complaint form;
or write to:
Regulatory Programs and Compliance Section Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400 Richmond, Virginia 23233-1463
MENTION THIS POST WHEN YOU COME INTO TOP COAT NAIL SPA AND RECEIVE 20% OFF YOUR FIRST MANI/PEDI. (new clients only)