How to "Break Up" with My Nail Tech without Hurting Her Feelings?

I have been going to the same nail salon every two weeks for the past four years. Recently, the owner lost the salon to his ex-wife in their divorce and the tension in the salon is almost palpable. Many of the nail techs have left to go to other salons but my nail tech has chosen to stay. I was secretly hoping she would leave, thereby allowing me to change salons without feeling any guilt. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> It's not that she does a terrible job...just that I feel she only puts forth the minimum of effort when doing my manicure and pedicure. I always tip 30% so I know it's not that. The last time I went, I messed up my toenail polish on the way out of the salon. This was a Friday morning and by Sunday, it was bugging me so I made an appointment at another salon to get it fixed, since my nail tech is off on Sundays. I also decided to change the polish on my fingernails to something a little more "springy." Well, I didn't realize what I'd been missing until I got a pedicure and a manicure from someone else. Although she didn't take any more time, she was gentler with me and the polish just looks nicer. How can I "break up" with my long-time nail tech without hurting her feelings? I have a standing appointment every other Friday morning. How can I text her and tell her I'm not coming back without a really good reason? She's basically a nice person...I'm just ready for a change.

It's nice that you're thinking of this. There are many people out there who jump from tech to tech and cancel with short notice with no thought. But realistically, this person is providing a service. You recognize that you are happier getting that service from another provider. You entirely have that right.

If you don't want to let this person off easy with a lie along the lines of "I'm cancelling my regular appointment as I'm looking to save some money and am interested in not traveling so far from home", you could absolutely be honest about the reason. I understand how "I'm cancelling my standing appointment." The End. could be very confusing and upsetting for someone. An honest and direct more detailed answer might hurt her feelings in the short run but she might benefit from it in the future, as it will give her the opportunity to learn. Something along the lines of "Last weekend I needed to fix some damage I had caused to my nails and as you aren't available on the weekend, I went to a closer place. I was really happy with/pleasantly surprised by the quality of service there and found they were gentler on my nails. I'm sad to cancel as we've developed a really nice rapport that I've enjoyed, and I appreciate that; but I'm cancelling my standing appointment for now." Optionally you could also mention the environment post-divorce as a factor in your decision, since it sounds like it might be one. Naturally, this kind of farewell does open up the possibility that she will ask you to give her another chance now that she knows you were finding the treatment 'not as gentle' and you recognize your nails could look better. You would have to be prepared for that. But giving her the information will give her the opportunity in the future to ask how people are enjoying their service and whether there are any things that could be improved, something it is always good practice to do when providing a service. It might motivate her to improve her technique or seek more training in gentle preparation. Clearly, some people, including you, will not know there is better out there and might have been perfectly happy with her service until they tried something else, so sometimes having people leave, even when you ask continually for feedback, is unavoidable. Feelings will be somewhat hurt no matter what you do. The average person who provides any service and loses a client will be disappointed - they lose income and a professional relationship with you. That is the reality. I think the ideal thing is to be brief and truthful but gentle, and focus on what you appreciated. If you want to avoid conflict, a very short cancellation with no further communication might be preferred.

Thank you SO MUCH for your response. This is exactly what I was looking for--a way to be honest but gentle at the same time. I do think I owe it to her professionally to be truthful and not just "disappear" even though that might be the easiest, least confrontational solution. Wish me luck! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Tell her you are taking a break and letting your nails rest. If she calls you just say I'm not going back to artificial nails but will call if you change your mind.

When your work environment sucks, your work sucks.  It's entirely possible that she's not doing a great job because the place sucks now, and she just doesn't care.  It might be easier to focus on the fact that you don't like the *salon* any more.

(I kind of accidentally broke up with my pedi tech -- and I think she was the salon's owner -- because she had to have a replacement for my last appointment due to a personal emergency, and that girl just scampered out of there after doing my toes and running my credit card before I had the chance to ask about another appointment.  I'm the kind of person who needs to make their next appointment when I'm leaving the current one, so it's been months -- maybe even over a year -- since I've gone back there.)