Clients & Consultations · N-09 — The Lifted-Set Reply
What to say when a client's nails lift
“A client says her nails lifted after four days. I want to fix it without either of us feeling blamed.”
Help me answer a client whose set lifted or broke.
THEIR MESSAGE: [paste it exactly, no name — e.g., hey so 2 of my nails lifted already 😩 its only been 4 days. the middle one on my right hand is like half off. can u fix??]
THE SET: [service, when, price — e.g., builder gel overlay on her natural nails, done 4 days ago, $65]
MY FIX POLICY: [your real policy, word for word — e.g., free repair within 7 days for lifting or breaks, as long as the client hasn't glued or picked at it. After 7 days, $5 per nail.]
WHAT I KNOW: [anything relevant, including your own side — e.g., at the appointment she said she'd just started a restaurant job washing dishes. I did my usual prep.]
MY OPEN SLOTS: [two or three real times — e.g., Thursday 5pm or Saturday 11am]
Do it in this order.
1. WHAT THEY SAID vs WHAT THEY NEED. One line each.
2. IS IT COVERED? Check it against my fix policy only: covered, not covered, or unclear.
If unclear, the one thing I need to ask.
3. THE REPLY. Offer the fix first, before anything else. No blame either way — don't
suggest it's their fault, don't apologise as if it's mine. Offer my open slots. Add one
line asking them not to glue or pick at it before the appointment ONLY if my policy
mentions that. Under 80 words. Sound like a person texting. At most one emoji.
4. FOR ME, NOT THEM: three questions to ask at the fix appointment that would help me
work out why it lifted. Questions only — don't state causes of lifting as facts, and
don't guess at a cause in anything the client will read.
Rules: never invent a policy, a price or a time I didn't give you. If their message
mentions pain, redness, swelling, heat, or anything under the nail, don't name a
condition — the reply says I'd like to see it in person, and that if it hurts they
should get it checked by a doctor or pharmacist.
What it produced
Run on Jade's real inputs
Their message: hey so 2 of my nails lifted already 😩 its only been 4 days. the middle one on my right hand is like half off. can u fix??
The set: builder gel overlay on her natural nails, done 4 days ago, $65
My fix policy: free repair within 7 days for lifting or breaks, as long as the client hasn’t glued or picked at it. After 7 days, $5 per nail.
What I know: at the appointment she said she’d just started a restaurant job washing dishes. I did my usual prep.
My open slots: Thursday 5pm or Saturday 11am
1. WHAT THEY SAID vs WHAT THEY NEED
- Said: Two nails lifted after 4 days, and the right middle one is half off. Can you fix it?
- Need: A quick repair booking, and a way to protect the half-off nail until then.
2. IS IT COVERED? Unclear, but likely covered. At 4 days she’s inside your 7-day window. The only open condition is the glue/picking clause.
- The one thing to find out: Has she glued or picked at either nail? You could ask her directly, but checking the nails at the appointment avoids sounding like blame over text.
3. THE REPLY
Oh no! Yes, I can fix those for you, you’re still within your 7-day repair window. I’ve got Thursday at 5pm or Saturday at 11am, which works better? Until then, try not to glue or pick at them, especially the half-off one, so I can repair it properly 💅
4. FOR YOU, NOT HER: questions for the fix appointment
- Do you wear gloves while washing dishes, and roughly how long are your hands in water on a shift?
- When did you first notice each nail lifting, and do you remember what you were doing at the time?
- Have you put anything on your hands since the appointment, like cuticle oil, lotion, hand sanitiser or cleaning products?
Put your own side in WHAT I KNOW too: your prep, their new job. The model keeps it out of the reply, but it’s what makes the three questions for the appointment worth asking.
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