I’m Not Blondie……..

My name is not Blondie and you may NOT call me anytime.  You may call me during normal business hours.  I am still a little cranky, due to lack of sleep, due to an inconsiderate client calling my cell phone at 4:30 am on SUNDAY morning!

Imagine being awakened by a ringing cell phone at that hour on a Sunday morning, your first thought is “Who died?”  I run to my cell phone in the kitchen and see it is Patty PainInTheAss, a newer client.  SERIOUSLY??!??

Okay, Patty is one of “those” clients, a new one who is someone else’s Pain In The Ass aka PITA, who is now MY PITA.  I acquired her in July.  Sometime between now and then, I must have called her from my cell phone and she must have saved it.

We are closed Sunday and Monday.  What would make you think that it is appropriate to call someone on their personal cell phone on their day off?  What would make you think it’s appropriate to call at 4:30 in the morning on a Sunday?  Really?

Well, when Patty got my voicemail, I am sure she got the message loud and clear because it clearly states that you should only leave personal messages, if you leave salon messages, they WILL NOT be returned until they are left on the salon phone line.  Period.  I haven’t checked the salon messages yet, because IT’S STILL MY DAY OFF!

Now, Patty may have butt dialed me, I don’t know, but knowing Patty and the PITA that she is, she probably WAS calling.  See, Patty is a true PITA.  She breaks nails constantly.  She comes in with half of her cuticle area missing most of the time.  Patty tries to go 3-4 weeks between fills because she is cheap.  She doesn’t realize that she ends up paying more by going that long, because she ends up paying for multiple repairs.

Saturday, I was booked from 9 until 7, yes I am a glutton for punishment.  I had no breathing room in my schedule, as usual.  Patty came bounding in the door at noon and expected me to fix four nails that are approximately five days old.  Now these aren’t just a pink nail with polish, these nails have colored acrylic, glitter and extensive designs on them.  I explained to her that I don’t have time to do them that day and that the earliest I could do them is next Friday and since it is FOUR nails, it will be a fill, not a repair appointment.  She exclaimed “But this one is about to fall off!”  After repeating myself again and her repeating herself again I finally exclaimed “Well, then either rip it off or put a band-aid on it, because Friday is the best I can do unless I get a cancellation.”

Why do clients think they can come into the salon and demand to be repaired right this very second?  My schedule does not allow for repairs and for the most part, I don’t need to schedule repairs.  My clients usually don’t need them.  Yes a few break the occasional nail, but Patty, is a whole other ball game.  She is a train wreck, plain and simple.  Sorry, Patty, I will NOT extend my already long day to accommodate you, just because you don’t know how to take care of your nails.

So, either Patty butt dialed me on Sunday morning, or she called that early just so that she could leave me a message to cancel on Friday because she is going to become someone else’s PITA and didn’t want to tell me directly.  Personally, I hope it is the second option, since I would do the “Happy Dance of Joy” if she became someone else’s problem.  I am sick and tired of creating beautiful nails, with original artwork on them and having her trash them in sometimes four or less days, then expecting me to drop everything and repair them.

One thing’s for certain, if she calls my cell phone at that time again, on my day off, she is getting fired.  You don’t own me.  I am not your “Staff”.  I can and will refuse service to anyone at anytime.  I will put someone in my chair, in her spot, who respects my work and takes care of it.  See, my name is NANCY, not BLONDIE and NO, you CAN’T call me anytime, call me during normal business hours!

--Nancy