Continuing (Mis) Education?

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, September 2011

Whether your state requires continuing education or not, any discussion about it presumes that the basic education provided in beauty schools produces licensed manicurists capable of working competently and safely. If this were true, why do so many licensed manicurists lack basic skills and fail to follow heath and safety regulations? And if it's not true, what will a few hours of continuing education accomplish after hundreds of hours spent in beauty school? California, Oregon and Washington do not currently require continuing education, but in states that do like Ohio and Texas, are manicurists more informed and consumers safer?

Our careers as nail professionals begin with beauty school, where we can spend as few as 200 hours (Ohio) or as many as 600 hours (Oregon, Texas and Washington) to qualify for the licensing examination. These variations in time confirm the fundamental problem with time-based curriculums: the quantity of time is valued more than the quality of the instruction and the competency of the student. To suggest that beauty school students spend all their time in technical instruction and/or providing services (practical operation) defies reality. Beauty schools rarely devote more than 90 minutes to direct instruction during the day, nor can they possibly supply enough clients to keep students busy.

Some states have considered increasing the hours required in hopes of improving compliance and consumer safety. For example, California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology recently proposed an increase from 400 to 500 hours. As an expert educator, licensed salon owner and manicurist, I strongly opposed this proposal. Requiring more hours would likely discourage individuals from becoming students, produce a significant financial burden on those who do and unnecessarily delay their entry into this profession, without ANY guarantee of increased competence or consumer safety. Given the time already wasted in existing curriculums, why would school instructors need more time? Students could learn how to properly disinfect equipment, including what can and cannot be disinfected, in 60 minutes or less. The failure of licensees to follow health and safety regulations after they leave school suggests that either they didn’t learn what to do or weren’t convinced that it wasn’t optional.

As long as "nail care" is considered distinct from "health and safety,” students will dismiss the latter as unimportant when in fact it should inform everything they do. These are NOT separate subjects; beauty schools should teach nail care procedures based on acceptable health and safety practices. To be very simplistic, "nail care" is what licensed manicurists do, and "health and safety" is how it must be done. A well-designed manicuring curriculum must be based on scientifically accurate information and promote best practices, not perpetuate misinformation and low standards. I consider the competent performance of the following tasks fundamental to manicuring, regardless of "trends:"

• shaping the nails (trimming, filing and buffing);
• conditioning the skin surrounding the nail (eponychium, not "cuticle");
• conditioning the skin of the hands and feet (exfoliating, moisturizing and massaging);
• smoothing (not removing) calluses;
• applying and removing polish;
• applying and removing artificial nails, including natural nail repairs;
• and most important, doing all of the above in a manner that protects the health and safety of consumers and the licensee.

Manicurists who have not been trained properly are more likely to deviate from accepted standards of practice, like performing pedicures on clients with questionable health conditions. While students, they likely worked on many elderly and/or unhealthy clients who should have been refused service and referred to a medical professional. It's unfortunate, and potentially very dangerous, that the most inexperienced practice on the most vulnerable with little or no direct supervision. Manicuring students need to understand the scope of practice of their future license, and how to determine who can safely receive nail services. Students should realize that making money is not worth risking a client’s health or losing their license.

In my experience as an expert witness, I’ve observed that many consumer complaints involve pedicures, but another common problem is the improper use of drills/electric files. In California, using a drill is not prohibited, but it’s not included in the manicuring curriculum or licensing examination either. If it were included, the thought of students practicing on clients without the proper training or supervision makes me wince! Given how many complaints arise from drill damage, this may be one of those instances where special certification through continuing education should be required, like in Colorado.

The exceptionally poor work done by some manicurists undermines our professionalism and poses a serious risk to consumers.The average consumer mistakenly believes that a manicuring license proves technical competence. Why do states allow incompetent individuals to obtain licenses? Has the focus on “safety” obscured the benefits of requiring licensees to demonstrate quality work? If we continue to accept mediocrity as our standard of practice, we will continue to produce an incompetent workforce incapable of meeting the demands and expectations of consumers.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Making Technology Work for You

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, August 2011

While writing this article on my laptop, I’m willing to acknowledge that technology makes it possible. If I had to hand write, it just wouldn’t happen. I have neither the patience or time necessary to draft and edit using only pen and paper. And my handwriting isn’t all that legible anyways; there are times when even I cannot read my own notes. My typing skills aren’t much better than my hand writing, but at least I can read what I’ve typed.

The work of a licensed manicurist does not require any particular technology skills, but those skills are very relevant to the work of a salon owner. My responsibilities would be overwhelming if it weren’t for technology. There’s so much to do that I can rationalize my dependence on technology as productive rather than addictive. I manage my business using a smartphone, a laptop and desktop computers, printer/fax machine, internet access and numerous applications. All this technology gives me the control and functionality I need to:

• Track finances
• Pay bills
• Report taxes
• Communicate through email, texting, and phone calls
• Design marketing materials
• Plan travel to shows and other industry events
• Promote our salon and services
• Research new products, techniques and sources
• Order supplies
• Network with other businesses
• Write content for articles, blog, etc.
• Maintain a website
• Develop and deliver presentations
• Keep client and employee records
• Schedule clients
• Control inventory
• Sell products online
• Process credit card transactions
• Donate to charitable organizations
• Analyze performance reports

In my twenty years in the nail industry, technology has proven itself the best investment I’ve ever made in my business. While not infallible, overall it’s more reliable than most people I know, including myself. Choosing which technology to invest in, and how much time to spend using it, depends on your needs. Many years ago, while still working alone, I chose to make what most manicurists in my position would consider an unnecessary and expensive purchase, salon management software. After all, most salons at the time used large appointment books and pencils (and lots of erasers) to schedule clients. I don’t doubt that many salons till do, despite the obvious limitations. Even without any immediate plans to work with or employ other manicurists, I understood that I needed the same technology that larger, more successful salons use, and it was more affordable than I expected.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that salon management software transformed my business. Clients recognized that their money was being reinvested to improve their salon experience. The efficiency of the scheduling process was the most obvious improvement. No more counting every four pages to schedule a monthly standing, or hand-writing appointment cards. The software does just about everything (email appointment reminders, online scheduling, integrated credit card processing, gift card tracking, automatic remote data storage, etc.) except self check-out. Years later, as my business grows and the software evolves, I appreciate the technology even more.

Not every investment in technology has been worthwhile. When I designed my current salon, I had satellite radio receivers installed at each station so clients could listen privately wearing headphones. Music played throughout the salon on an additional receiver. What a waste of money! Clients wanted to interact us, not isolate themselves. So I ditched the service as soon as my contract expired and have been much more satisfied using Pandora on my computer. Sometimes simpler is better.

A simple and often underutilized technology, voicemail has replaced a receptionist in my salon. We don’t answer the salon phone while providing services because our clients deserve our full attention. However, just hearing a phone ring makes some people anxious, even when it’s not theirs. Last holiday season, I silenced the ringer to reduce disruptions. Not only did our clients seem more relaxed, we were too so the ringer has stayed off. We can discretely retrieve and respond to voicemail messages between clients. Existing clients know its best to schedule in advance and notify us of any changes via email. But potential clients don’t know any better, so a detailed outgoing message informs callers that we don’t answer the phone while providing services, and that more information about our salon and services can be found on our website.

Speaking of our website, it eliminates the need for any other advertising, as far as I’m concerned. Twenty years ago, I was paying the phone company for an ad in the Yellow Pages. Every year, I was encouraged to purchase a larger one, like it was some kind of contest. Thanks to technology, I haven’t paid for print advertising in more than 15 years. A well-designed and regularly updated website is the most cost-effective way to reach potential clients. If you don’t already have one for your salon, get one, but do yourself a favor, and have yours professionally done. Like most technology, you don’t need to understand how it works, just how to make it work for you.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Clients Behaving Badly

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, July 2011

One of my most popular classes, “Clients Behaving Badly” begins with a simple, but powerful, statement: Bad clients are not worth having. If this class were an interactive discussion about the worst clients ever (read: bitch session), this statement would be considered a logical conclusion. However, the class does not focus on bad clients. Despite the title, I share strategies on building a clientele based on the premise that bad clients are not worth having. Clients form the foundation of your salon business; the stronger the foundation, the stronger your business.

Rather than entreat you, as many would, to provide better customer service, I encourage you to provide quality services to better customers. There are far more consumers/customers/potential clients than beauty professionals, and this gives us a tremendous advantage. That advantage is the power of choice. Choosing who to serve and who to refuse/refer elsewhere may seem incompatible with providing good customer service. But what’s truly incompatible is the misguided notion that we’re somehow obligated to serve/please everyone. No one can demand service from you, though some may treat you as if they could. That’s as absurd as the notion that the customer is always right. Your value as a beauty professional lies in your expertise; clients pay you for being right. When having the clients you want makes giving them what they want that much easier, why not actively pursue the ideal clients for your salon business?

“The purpose of a business is to create a mutually beneficial relationship between itself and those that it serves.” (John Woods). Many beauty professionals consider client relationships one of the most rewarding, yet most challenging, aspects of their work. Every client is a relationship; some will flame out within their first and only appointment, while others may last through hundreds of appointments over decades. It’s not reasonable to expect that every person who contacts your business will become one of your best clients. (Likewise, not every person you meet will become your best friend.) Communicating what your salon offers to and expects from clients encourages compatible potential clients to contact you, while discouraging others from wasting your time.

Building relationships requires effort and resources that should not be wasted on those who don’t respect you as a beauty professional. When reflecting on my own clientele, I keep this in mind: “I don’t build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build.” (Ayn Rand). The following statement, posted several years ago to my salon website, summarizes my approach to client relationships:

We believe that receiving a salon service should be a safe and pleasant experience for the consumer. Conversely, we believe that the beauty professional providing the service also deserves a safe and pleasant experience. Our salon does not suit every consumer, nor does every consumer suit us. To be blunt, we will refuse service to those who do not.

After 17 years of providing nail services, we have more than enough experience to know who best suits us. Our ideal client exhibits these qualities:

• insists on trained and licensed professionals;
• respects our time;
• expects a clean, organized salon environment;
• appreciates quality more than convenience;
• enjoys our salon experience;
• schedules in advance;
• values our professional opinions;
• encourages our efforts to improve our skills;
• supports our commitment to the beauty industry;
• and refers family and friends.

Within an industry that treats consumers and professionals as disposable, Precision Nails thrives because we respect ourselves and value our clients, particularly our Preferred Clients (those with standing appointments).

As expected, this statement generated some insightful discussions and prompted some (less than ideal) clients to seek services elsewhere. Mission accomplished.

When clients behave badly, it’s time to question your judgment and evaluate your contribution to the problem. The reason why clients behave badly is very simple - because you let them. You continue to schedule them even as they arrive late or miss appointments entirely, criticize your work, complain about the price, etc. What’s the incentive for good behavior when you keep rewarding bad behavior? Serving your clients should make you feel good about yourself, professionally and personally. I sincerely hope that you wouldn’t tolerate an unhealthy professional relationship anymore than you’d tolerate an unhealthy personal relationship. You deserve better, but unless you’re willing to act, you’re not likely to get it.

My best advice for losing bad clients? Simultaneously change your schedule and raise your prices (even minor changes will do). If you haven’t already done so, develop salon policies and procedures and be prepared to enforce consequences. Give your clients at least a month’s notice that you’ll be canceling all future appointments to rebuild your new schedule. Reward your best clients by giving them priority as you fill your new schedule. Do NOT schedule bad clients; when they realize that you’re no longer willing to tolerate their behavior, they’ll go elsewhere. Who you choose to serve, and when, is your business, literally.


By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.