Saturday, October 9, 2010

What is a Discount Salon?

Okay, I’ve already told you “MY” definition of what a NSS (Non-Standard Salon) is, now I want to touch on what a Discount Salon is. Discount Salons CAN fall into the category of NSS as well, but some of them don’t.

A true Discount Salon is actually using legal product, providing a service in a clean and safe environment all while operating under the proper licensing. They do not require appointments and their goal is to provide as many services as they can fit into their workday. Even though they charge less, they make money due to the volume of people that they do.

There are a number of things that are a downfall to a consumer that patronizes a Discount Salon. First, they are herded like cattle. Sometimes they are passed from technician to technician, each performing a certain part of the service. There is usually no personal interaction. The nails are usually okay, nothing that will take your breath away, since they are being done really quick, they usually look like a “Chicklet”. Or a duck’s behind because they flare out so bad at the end.

Most Discount Salon really aren’t that inexpensive either. They usually charge you ala carte. They charge you extra to shorten your nails, if you want a shiny top coat, if you want air brushing, if you want glitter top coat. You usually will not be able to get colored acrylic or glitter acrylic in a Discount Salon either. Their goal is quick and fast, using the least amount of product that is inexpensive to them.

Now, combine a NSS salon and Discount and you have a disaster waiting to happen. Quick, cheap, poorly done nails added with no sanitation or disinfection, rings of fire on the nail bed from the shredding of your natural nail with their DREMEL tool because they don’t know that it is a WOODWORKING tool and they don’t know how to use it properly. Add all that up. Is it really worth that $20 set of nails, a $12 fill or a $16 pedicure?

When you come to a salon like The Purple Pinkie, you WILL pay more, however, you are paying for the following:

A clean and safe environment
A friendly staff that will talk to you and wants to get to know you
A staff and salon that is properly licensed and proudly displays those licenses
A staff that is properly trained and attends continuing education classes regularly
A staff that attends major beauty shows to stay on top of the trends
A staff that will answer ANY question about any procedure or product that we use
A staff that is trained how to use an electric file safely and properly
Tools and pedicure tubs that are properly sanitized and disinfected
Products that are of good quality and legal to use
Nails that are applied so that they are strong, but flatter your hands
Colored acrylics and glitters and art like you can’t imagine

Aren’t you worth all of that? We think you are!

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