Today we’d like to introduce you to Phuong Nguyen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Phuong. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I migrated to the U.S in the year of 2000 through the help of my cousin. Three days after I got to this country, my cousin asked me to work for him at his nail shop. I took the offer even though I had never known anything about nails at the time. First of all, I learned how to paint the children’s nails, then I started to paint the adults’ nails after I got a little bit better. The job wasn’t hard, but it required a lot of patience and attention. Then, I started to learn how to do sculpture nails which is the hardest thing I have ever learned due to the characteristics of the acrylic. Every day, after school, I found myself practice putting the acrylic on my nails or on the plastic tips at the nail shop. Finally, after nine months of learning and practicing, I could complete a set of artificial nails which I felt satisfied.
I continued working as a nail tech while going to college. This job helps me to pay for books, gas, foods, and a portion of my tuition until the day I graduated from college. Before opening my own nail salon, I used to work as a customer service associate for Fedex. The experience I learned from this job was very useful for me in handling the customer service for my business, especially in difficult scenarios. Additionally, the knowledge of marketing I learned in school also helps me earn the local customers’ recognition. As the result, we have more businesses from the customers that found us online or from the recommendation of other customers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it has never been a smooth road for myself or my business. The first struggle that I encountered was making sure that all my employees are on the same page with me on the work ethic. To many nail techs, this is a just commission-based job, and finding a new place to work is not difficult for them. Therefore, they don’t want to be controlled too much by salon owners. For instance, most nail techs want flexible working schedules, or they can show customers that they are not happy when they have a difficult customer. However, as a business owner, I expect my employees have to come to work on time and be professional in communicating with all our customers. As the result, some techs might quit their job and I have to start seeking and hiring new employees. In this industry, this process keeps going over and over again.
The second issue that I still have had to encounter is the delivery of decent customer service to all our customers. In fact, I have to admit that it is hard to make everybody happy. Despite all the experience I learned from my previous job, I still sometimes have to receive complaints from customers. However, by embracing the idea of “customers are always right” and trying to minimize mistakes, I have overcome most of the problems of customer service and earned the loyalty of my customers. Additionally, I seriously accepted negative feedbacks from customers so that they can help me to serve customers better. Consequently, understanding what customers need and want creates a strong relationship between the salon’s clients and our staff.
Please tell us about Nails and More.
My business is known as Nails And More salon. We’re located in Lawrenceville, GA. The salon has been operated by my wife and I for almost 5 years. We offer all manicure, pedicure, and artificial nail services. We primarily serve local customers. In our community, we’re known for being up-to-date with new nail trends and able to create complicated 3D nail art. Additionally, our nail techs are known for their friendliness and professionalism.
Being professional in providing customer service makes me proud of my business. At Nails And More, customer service is our first priority. In other words, we put customer service on top of everything. This is the element that brings customers back to us after they tried us out. Occasionally, we have some hard-to-please clients, but they still show their appreciation toward our customer service at the end of the session.
What set us apart from our competitors is we will do everything we could just to make our customers feel happy when they visit us. From the moment a customer walks in the door, we show them our best hospitality; then, while they’re getting their nails done, we frequently check back with them to make sure everything is alright. Finally, we show our customers how much we appreciate their businesses.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have organized my business in a more systematic way. First, I would create an Organizational Chart and assign responsibilities for each individual in the company. This method will save me a lot of time. On the other hand, each employee will be able to do their jobs more effective. Then, I would carefully hire employees through interviews. Finally, I would create a large budget for marketing after I already completed the two previous steps. On top of everything, I would find a bigger place than the one we currently have so that it could accommodate more people when we are busy.
Contact Info:
- Address: Nails And More
3375 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Ste 107
Lawrenceville, GA 30044 - Website: www.nailsandmoresalon.com
- Phone: (770) 817 6245
- Email: nailsandmore.pm@gmail.com
- Instagram: @nailsandnoresalon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NailsNMoreSalon/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nails-and-more-salon-lawrenceville?osq=Nail+Salons
