I'm really upset. Actually, to be honest, I have calmed down since I was first involved in the situation however remembering all that happened conjours up some grrr-type feelings. I figured warning others of the possibility that they could put themselves in the same situation would be doing myself and others justice. Here it goes:
A week or so ago I decided to treak myself and my naturally fabulous hands & feet ( thanks mom) to a refreshing mani pedi. They werent looking like their usually fantastic selves and so needed so major TLC. Thus the nail shop visit. I typically go to the nail shop when I get my eyebrows and 'debi joe' done (I'll let you wonder what that is) and that day was no exception. So on my way out of the Indian threading place, I went directly next door to nail shop. Looking back, I should have seen the warning signs of an impending annoyance coming my way, but the bliss i was still in from the afore mentioned luxury was clouding my already prescription-based vision. I missed all the signs. I step in and casually let one of the hasty manicurist know that I would like a spa mani pedi (spa meaning that I would like the hi-tech massage chairs; a standard nowadays). She nods, and continues to go about scrubbing someones heels that appear to be in the same condition as my own. Trust me, I can just in time before it got bad. Alot of foreign chatter starts to commence for several minutes with half the nail shop speaking in some Asian dialect, which none of its patrons, including myself, understand at all. I go to pick out a nail color; my slight obsession with dark reds continues, and so I dont spend more than a minute picking out something very similar to what is already chipping on my digits. Sad, but Im a bit predictable. Anyways, I sit and without being let aware of my waiting status, continue to sit for over 10 minutes, just waiting for someone to tell me whats going on. Im not an impatient person, but I do think it would be nice to be let in on how long I should anticipate waiting. To me, not that much to ask for. To me. Still the foreign talk continues. Finally, almost 20 minutes after arriving I am sat in a spa chair with the blue-mint water beckoning my toesies already running. Ugh - way too cold. I turn to tell the lady and ask for hot water to balance out the frost; shes gone. I actually dont even see her at all. Vanished. Grr. So, with everyone else very busy, I sit with a cold half foot on the foot rest waiting (again) for someone to service me. About 5 minutes later, a lady realizes the water in the spa foot tub is about to overflow and comes over to turn it off and stares at me like "Why arent your feet in the water?". And with the universal language all women speak fluently with our body language and attitude, I stare right back like "Duh - the water is cold". Grr.
Fast forward to the simultaneous mani pedi work: When you get a mani pedi in the spa chair, you are being cheated. Point blank conned out of the full experience because they attempt to 'save you time' by doing both at the same time. HELLO - if i was looking to be rushed i would not have come to get my nails done. So exactly this happened with me: Both hands and feet were being done at the same time, one more half-ass than the other, but equal in annoying the crap out of me. On my feet the lady was barely scrubbing, barely clipping and not at all paying attention. On my hands she wasent even looking at my nails as she filed away, to my dismay, making my nails shorter than desired. Grrr. I call to both their attention that I am feeling very rushed and might as well be halfway out the door at the ridiculous speed they are working at. They simply nod. And the unknown dialect picks up big time. They are talking across the room, to each other, to other women working - its like a hen house. Naturally, I am very curious as to what they are talking about and can only assume that my recent plea for a 'spa' experience has sparked the freeway of conversation. My feet are given a quick once over of the usually 5+ minute massage, and my hands are tugged and dropped as they are simply lubricated with some cheap lotion - she doesnt even take the time to rub it in. I can actually see lotion just sitting on my arm. After trying very unsuccessfully to convince me to get a 'flower' design on my toes (aka an extra $5-10 charge on an iffy red dot with a rhinestone), she gives me a scowl as I insist on 2 clear coats of the shiny top coat. It prevents chipping; why wouldnt I want 2 instead of the measly 1? I ask the same of the hand lady as she is finishing up. So I am sitting there, freshly painted and desperately trying to enjoy the end of my quickie, when my feet are propped on this ledge. Why, when I am trying to dry, is my lower body being moved? ?I look down and the feet lady has come back with a gray dingy towel to clean the foot basin, which only involved running hot water and wiping it down with this awful towel. No cleaners. No products or fungus killing solutions - just the almighty power of plain 'ole OC tap water. I cringed so hard i felt myself actually grinding my teeth; my feet were just in that tub and if thats how she cleaned, I had just shared my foot juice with any and every woman that has gotten their toes done in that chair. I felt like my feet went through a one night stand and were now feeling the dirty guilty after thoughts. With a smile on her face, a totally separate third-person gave me my ticket for what I owed: $35, without tip (HA). I dug into my wallet, reached 2 $20's, got my change and fled that nail shop as if i had just seen a robbery and the gun man was letting everyone free. I didnt look back until I was already in my car.
The moral of the story: thanks mom for my naturally fabulous hands because they will NOT be seeing a nail shop this side of OC for...uh...ever!
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