I’ve been getting my toes done on a regular basis for years and I’ve always enjoyed the few minutes of pampering and my great taste in nail polish. Until last week when I received the pedicure from hell.
A few days ago, I had just finished exercising when I noticed that sneakers/exercise takes their toll on my Pedi!
As I headed for the shower I “told” my daughter that she and I were going for a little foot love and I would be ready ASAP.
I Should Have Run Out Of The Nail Salon!
Mistake Number 1: We were walk-ins and I should have run/not walked out of that place when I saw Grumpy Cat creeping toward me with a scowl on her face!
My daughter got the nice guy that had just moved here from California. His English was better than mine.
Grumpy Cat had the meanest expression on her face! I don’t know if it was hate at first sight when she glanced my way.
I don’t know if she was mad because she was very pregnant. Don’t know if she had been throwing up and didn’t feel well. I don’t know if she had just lost her best friend. I just don’t know.
She never spoke to me or acknowledged I was there.
She grunted (I think), grabbed my foot, and preceded to torture me!
First of all, she trimmed my toenails to the quick! I’ve never had that amount of flesh poking out from around my toenails since I was a newborn!
Then she went cuticle happy and trimmed like there was no tomorrow!
I said, very nicely, as I pulled my foot back, “That hurts.” She didn’t care. She was the grumpy cat!
When she grabbed the cheese grater and tore into my not-THAT-rough heels as if I was arch enemy #1, I literally screamed and yanked my foot away.
She yanked back and for a long moment there, we played tug-of-war with my foot!
Blood was streaming down my heel and I had tears in my eyes as I said in a raised-to-a-level-that-would-break-glass voice, “You are hurting me!”
By then my daughter was fed up and she bellowed at Grumpy Cat, “You are too rough. You are hurting her!”
Did she care? Did she stop the torture? No, she did not!
By then, other clients were sneaking a peek in our direction. And if you know me at all, you know that I don’t like to cause a scene.
But this pedicure from hell had taken a turn for the worse. I don’t do blood!
Obviously, Grumpy Cat didn’t give a hoot that she was torturing me.
I mean, really, are pedicures supposed to hurt like, well, you know? I think not. They never have before.
Forget The Mani – Let’s Get Out Of Here!
I was planning on getting a manicure after the”relaxing, soothing pedicure,” but I was so upset I canceled the mani.
I mean, would Grumpy Cat cut off the ends of a couple of my fingers just for the fun of it or maybe waterboard me?
And just when I thought I couldn’t take any more punishment, she grabs a bottle of something akin to pure alcohol and splashed it on the hole in my heel.
I went airborne! I felt like I was in the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as I hung suspended in mid-air!
She finally slapped a band-aid on my heel, gave me one more grumpy cat look and she was done.
She quickly painted my toenails and I limped over to the dryer.
By this point in time, I was livid. I was in pain. I was hungry and I was so over it all.
No Tip For You, Grumpy Cat With The Pedicure From Hell
It was the first time in my life that I didn’t leave a tip.
Grumpy Cat did not get extra for causing me pain. And she must have missed the memo that said I’m not into S&M!
The expression on her face never changed. She never apologized and she will never get the chance to torture me again. Period.
My daughter kept saying, “Talk to the manager.” Well, the manager was with a client and I didn’t want to bring the entire salon into my situation. Looking back, maybe I should have.
Once I escaped from the torture chamber a/k/a nail salon, it was lunchtime, so I fell headlong into a bowl of chips and salsa at our favorite Mexican restaurant and I washed it all down with . . . . water with lime! Gotcha!
When I got home I was still in pain. Later, when I related the sordid details to my husband, he said, “If you don’t call the manager, I will.”
At that point, I had to tell him (laughingly, I think) that he was not my dad and was not going to call the manager. I mean, I would look like a wuss and a tattletale!
So I manned (womaned?) up, picked up the phone, and promptly called the salon.
The manager said she was sorry, but didn’t appear overly concerned.
Oh, well, they’ve lost a customer and a normally great tipper! But they don’t care!
What would you have done?
56 comments
Can we talk about your ‘feet on fire pic’ LOL As a former nail technician, I would advise you to NEVER pay for a service that isn’t done properly. I woulda raised some hell in that salon and would’ve gotten free mani/pedis for the rest of the month and I ABSOLUTELY wouldn’t have paid one red cent!
Looking back (20/20 hindsight and all) I should have pitched a hissy fit! 🙂 It’s been over two weeks now and my heel is finally starting to heal!
Sounds like Grumpy Cat can get away with that behavior since she has a manager who really doesn’t do anything about it. That’s horrible! I hope you are telling all your local friends to stay far away from that place!
I will never go back and I’m spreading the word!
That sounds horrible! I don’t get many pedicures, but when I do, I also expect them to be relaxing! I can’t believe her expression didn’t change when you were bleeding. That’s horrible.
I probably would have done exactly what you did, but wished that I had insisted on talking to the manager in front of everyone, since that’s so unacceptable! If I had been another customer, I wouldn’t have gone back if I’d seen the manager not care when someone was bleeding.
Sometimes a bad Yelp review is all you can do.
Ha Ha Ha! I have had this experience. It is terrible. I also did not talk to the manager. It is frustrating to throw the pedicure money away for torture.
I guess they don’t teach “gentleness” at the school of nails! 🙂
I LOVE a pedicure but would have done the same thing you did….wanted to complain but didn’t, regretted that I actually paid for it, not leave a tip and for sure…GONE FOR MEXICAN AFTER! Nothing like a little (or a lot) of chips and salsa to make all things better! Come to Ft Worth…we can Pedi together…and have Mexcian!
I’m on my way! 🙂 Texas is the king of Tex Mex!
that is truly awful! I am so sorry you had to experience that. Now I don’t like to cause a scene either but the moment that I told her it hurt and she didn’t acknowledge me I would have gotten up out of the chair and dripped water all over the place while I waited for my daughter to finish. And then the manager would have wondered what was going on… then my services would have been comped. I bite my tongue a lot, but when I’m in pain…that was caused by you…oh you’re gonna hear it huney!!!
Looking back, I should have pitched a fit! It was unacceptable! I’ve thought about contacting the manager and telling her to read this post! 🙂
good idea!
I had that happen before too had to go to the dr cause My heel got infected. Now if they look like that before I tell them what happened and it better not happen again. I had one the other day she kept hitting my hand and said relax relax I looked at Kayla and said if she hits my hand again I’m going to have to hurt her!! Haha I think she understood my English very well and stopped hitting my hand. 🙂
I just wish I could find a salon that actually cared! I’ve had my fingernail cuticles bleed before, but never like this. It’s been two weeks and it’s still real tender. I’m praying it doesn’t get infected. I hate when they tell me to relax! I’m a Rutherford. This IS relaxed! 🙂
That is a hilariously awful story! I’ve had bad pedicures and grumpy technicians before, but never that bad. I can’t believe you were actually bleeding and she didn’t apologize. Ridiculous! Great story though!
It was either laugh or cry. I had to laugh because I had already almost cried!
I’m so sorry to hear this Alli. I’ve had a bad pedi or ten too.
I probably would have stopped her mid-pedi and requested someone else or just stopped then left. I think I would have requested someone else when I saw Ms. Grouchy coming my way.
I can think of so many things I should have done, Reginia! Hindsight and all that. 🙂
Okay, so the photos cracked me up, but omg, I don’t do blood, either. I might have just got up and walked out.
That’s what I should have done, but I can be such a wuss at some times and bold as a lion at other times. 🙂
I would’ve talked to a manager right then while at the nail salon. That is unacceptable. Also, with you bleeding you could end up catching some type of foot fungus.
I’ve thought about the foot fungus thing. I’m praying that I don’t get an infection of any kind! I’m still SMH! 🙂
Goodness gracious! Like you, I probably would have paid and not confronted the manager either. I don’t know why we pay for things we shouldn’t and don’t complain when we should!
I agree with you that you should never go back and not recommend it to anyone either!
Sorry you had such a horrible experience when it should have been wonderful and relaxing.
Looking back, I think about all the things I should have said and did, but I just hate to cause a scene. My husband was so upset that I didn’t demand justice. 🙂
OUCH!!! That hurt me just reading that, Alli. I’m sorry you went through that. My daughter had an experience getting nail tips put on. She kept telling them it was burning her, and yet they would stop for a minute and continue on. I wasn’t with her or else I would have spoken up. She is very shy and quiet, so she endured the torture. She won’t be going back to that salon, though. As far as your situation, I would have HAD to say something and hope they reduced the amount at least. I do understand your not saying anything more, though. We are too nice at times. I would definitely look for a new salon!
I’ve been praying that it wouldn’t get infected, because it was very painful for over a week afterwards. It’s just now starting to feel better, but I have to wear a bandaid at all times.
was she as bad as the grumpy cat?
Worse! 🙂
There are so many dangers of getting your nails done at salons, that you have to be careful.
Chances are that cheese grater she used isn’t legal in your state. It’s not legal here in GA.
Next time, walk away and don’t pay!
I need to check on that cheese grater because that salon used those razor looking things years ago and then they were deemed illegal.
OMG!! I hope your foot is better now!! This is awful 🙁 As much as I hate to cause a scene, I would have caused a scene. That AND told the manager to piss off. BLOOD?! OMG Alli that is so sad that when you told her she was hurting you, she didn’t care 🙁
http://neatly-packaged.com/
I know! And my foot is just now starting to feel normal. Enjoyed our little “chat” today! 🙂
I never go to a pedicure salon, never. Way to scared, and you prove that my fear is appropriate.
Maybe I should follow in your footsteps, Anna!
This is infuriating! How could that lady get away with that? I am so sorry about your experience and wish it had been so much better. I would have given that woman a piece of my mind—within reason. I hope you have a wonderful day!
At first I thought she might be new to this country and maybe didn’t understand English so I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. But then I found out that she has been here for years.
This is horrible! Like you, I probably wouldn’t have wanted to cause a scene and would have just left, never going to that salon again. I think it’s really terrible that the manager wasn’t so helpful when you did decide to call. I think they should have at least offered your money back.
They plainly did not care at all and they will never see my smiling face or my generous tips again. 🙂
Oh my goodness, Alli! What would I have done?! I would have stopped her the first time she cut one too close and asked for someone else the next time she cut one too close LOL You are far too nice! 🙂
I know! I was far, far too nice! 🙂 My heel is still very tender! 🙁
Oh, goodness! I have actually never had a pedicure, and this makes me a little terrified. I’ve had my nails done and I can only imagine that torture on my feet! Yikes! I would have definitely spoken to the manager, too, but unfortunately like you experienced sometimes that doesn’t do much!
It really did make me stop and think about it. In the past, pedicures have always been relaxing and soothing. 🙂
There is nothing more fearful then bleeding in a nail salon with all of the talk and past issues of diseases and infections!!! I would watch that cut and most definitely would NOT have paid for my pedi that day!!! I Love a mani and pedi at least once a month and always return to the same place and use the same person every time for reasons just like this!! I hope your foot gets to feeling better soon and if you would like to know where I go I will be more than happy to share with you!!
Barbara, it’s a salon that I’ve gone to many times in the distant past. At one time I had the tips and the gel nails, pink & white, etc. ( for over 15 years) and I went every 2 weeks. One day it ceased being fun and became a chore and I stopped cold turkey. But, I’ve been getting pedicures for years and have never had this happen before.
Alli,
I’ve never had a pedicure in my life. I don’t let anyone touch my feet unless they are in the medical profession. My feet and thin skin are very sensitive. The last time I had a manicure was for my sister’s wedding 18 years ago and my cuticles wouldn’t stop bleeding. My sisters, friends and family routinely go for mani/pedi’s. Most of the time there are no issues for them but when there are, it’s not fun. My sister-in-law once got toenail fungus from pedicures and the doctor told her to stop having them. My sister has had bad manicures that disfigured her thumbnail permanently. It’s hard to say whether I would have had a hissy fit but I would never go back again and I would make sure everyone I knew that they shouldn’t either.
Annamaria
My heel is still sore, Annamaria! It is getting better, but it’s been two weeks! I will never go back to that salon and I’m thinking twice about ever going to any nail salon.
Alli,
It’s hard to give up something you’ve enjoyed up until now but I don’t trust any nail salons. I hope your heel continues to get better more quickly.
Annamaria
I’m a really calm person but I would have raised a humongous stink in that place. I’m upset for you. I’m actually surpriSed that not one employee or manager came to see what was going on. From your story it sounds like there was enough going on that someone someone should have been alerted to the situation. I’m sorry that you experienced that. They wouldn’t have gotten one red cent from me and I would have talked to the manager immediately.
I’m sure they have so many customers that they don’t really care if I never go back! At least that’s the impression I got from the entire ordeal. Looking back, I wish I had caused a scene. 🙂
Oh wow, that sounds horrible! I definitely would have talked to the manager (though I might have called afterwards instead of talking at the salon, also). I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience 🙁
It gave me something to blog about, even though I had rather not gone through the pain. 🙂
So sorry to hear you had such an awful experience Alli!
I wouldn’t have paid for the service and I would have talked to the manager. You can still talk to the manager and ask for a refund.
You have an advantage, you are on social media and have a following, use it. Let others know the name of the business and the type of treatment you received. Also notify Better Business Bureau. This lady is unprofessional and does a disservice for any others who are in the business. She doesn’t need to do this to others too, especially when she hurts you and you make her aware of this as you did.
You are at risk of infection when the skin barrier is broken and it is probable considering all the people they use these instruments on, even though they are supposed to sterilize them. I’m sure you are not the only one she has treated like this.
By the way, love the sandals you’re wearing in the photo!
Thanks for the love on the sandals! My heel is finally healing! I mean – really, right?
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