how i got scammed as a nail tech
for context i have been a nail tech for about 2 years i started my business in 2024 when i was 18 and im 20 now .. throughout these years of managing my own business i have came across different types of people and yes i have been taken advantage of many times but yesterday one was the worse one as i felt that this person was deliberately trying to make things difficult for me .
i do not usually dox people or do this but i feel that i should warn the other nail/lash techs about this person for context:
she booked a slot quite last minute for today and i accepted she also showed her inspo pic as a set that i had done quite long ago i told her i could do it and quoted the set to be $60 and hence accepted her deposit of $10 to book
she came in and showed me her nails which were quite damaged from her doing her own nails at home. she didn't remove her previous set properly so i had to do it for her and i also did hard gel overlay for her to strengthen her nails and she was quite particular about the shape of her nails which she wanted to be quite pointy she ended up filing them roughly before i did the colours and design
up till the design part she was okay until i started mixing the green colour for her design i told her i didn't have the same green and asked her multiple times if it was okay she didn't give a straight answer and just let me continue so i assumed everything is okay TAKE NOTE THAT SHE HAD ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES to voice out that she wanted to change the colours before i top coated everything.
at the end right before payment she told me she didn't want to pay $60 for this set as she didn't get what she wanted which was the same green i regret not taking a picture but i did the design exactly the same as her inspo pic and she also requested to change a few elements.. she then proceeded to threaten to post a bad review on lemon8 to say that i didn't give her what she wanted . i gave up and asked her to leave without asking her to pay the reminaining amount which was $60
(since her nails required hard gel there was additional $10) now im not sure what she wanted out of this argument but i didn't have the energy and just asked her to leave. in the end i only got the $ 10 deposit that she had given me. i felt accused and angry as she had so many chances to tell me she wasn't happy but purposely only told me at the end of the appointment which i feel she just did it on purpose. shes also a working adult btw and she told me she came from work so if she has adult money why is she scamming home based businesses? i hope that other lash/nail techs that encounter her will fight back unlike me because im not a confrontational person and in situations like this before these people usually pay upfront and try to get a refund after the appointment sometimes i give in sometimes i fight back but yesterday she was getting really aggressive about not liking her nails that i spend my time and effort on and i really didn't have it in me to BEG HER for money . and yes she happily left after i told her to leave. she blocked me too right after . this makes it all seem that she did it on purpose to get her nails done for $10. lol
i hope that people dont do this to us small homebased businesses... we may not need to pay rent but we give up a small space in our home and our time and effort to provide the best service for our customers and only get these kind of people in return. i feel its not fair for us.. that are just trying to get by and earn a living.. and my business is not doing quite well recently too. this was just a huge blow to me emotionally..
im glad i have this platform here to protect myself too and voice out..
Working as a nail tech in a home-based setting can be incredibly rewarding but also fraught with challenges, especially when dealing with clients who may not respect the time, effort, and skill involved in nail services. From my own experience, having a client who booked last minute and seemed indecisive about colors made the appointment stressful. I offered transparency by informing her multiple times that I didn't have the exact green she wanted, hoping she would clearly communicate her preferences. Unfortunately, she waited until after the design was completed to express dissatisfaction and refused to pay the full amount. This situation highlighted a common scam that small business owners face: clients taking advantage of flexible booking and payment arrangements to get free or highly discounted services. To protect yourself, I learned it's crucial to enforce clear payment policies, such as requiring deposits upfront (which I did), and consider taking full payment before starting complex services. It also helps to document client requests thoroughly and take photos of completed work immediately to use as proof if disputes arise. Emotionally, incidents like this can be demoralizing, especially when you invest your creativity and care into making clients happy. But sharing these stories helps build community awareness and support. For anyone running a home-based nail or lash business, I recommend creating a standard service agreement outlining cancellation policies, payment expectations, and your right to refuse service if clients become aggressive or disrespectful. Finally, while confrontation is difficult for many, standing firm and protecting your business is vital. If a client threatens to post false negative reviews, respond professionally and factually, and report any abusive behavior to the platform you use, like Lemon8. You're providing a valuable service, and setting firm boundaries ensures you can continue doing what you love without being taken advantage of.
oh my god I’m raging just reading this… girl you gotta do something about this