Nail Salon Wisdom: Customer Expectations and How To Realistically Exceed Them + Lovely New York Fountain

Yup, it can be done. My manicurist did!

I had a lightbulb moment while getting my usual mani pedi at a new local nail salon– my favorite place closed so I’ve been trying to find a spot that I like just as much. Unfortunately, until now my customer expectations have been hard to match.

If you know me, I have really crumby nails, always have always will — and just like that a nail salon wisdom popped into my head that you can use in running your business.

So let’s talk about exceeding realistic customer expectations.

Watch my Live Video: How my manicurist exceeded my expectations with ballerina pink nails!

Sometimes you make expectations and I know a lot of times especially in the service business, somebody comes along and they really wanna sell you something. “Oh I will make you a million dollars!” “I will make you magnificent!” OR I will make you whatever you wanna hear.

It may be easy to pump up the hyperbole and some business coaches may even preach that, but…

You can make realistic expectations of doing something or promising something that the result will be infinitely better than the beginning.

IF… YOU DO ALL THE WORK!

Same thing when do something no matter what it is you can get out more than you put in by putting in more effort, by putting in more time and by actually doing the work to realistically exceed expectations while still keeping expectations at an achievable level because a lot of people tend to over promise.

When you overpromise and you can’t deliver, people will eventually:

  • end up feeling disappointed
  • won’t do business with you ever again

The trick is to exceed expectations and still be realistic.

So here it was in the nail salon right by my house that the manicurist said, “I will make your nails very pretty. You’re gonna leave and have pretty, pretty nails!”

I looked at her and said, “Well, prettier!”

I know I will never have pretty nails. I can have a nice, clean, polished manicure but not exactly “pretty” nails — it’s just something that’s not naturally part of me. I mean I just I don’t have good nails…

BUT I can make them the best that I can and they will look prettier or even be like wow (for me)!

And it got me thinking when she gave me the ballerina pink polish which is very unusual for me but soooo nice that it’s clearly the point of it.

The point being that you can have better expectations, realistic expectations and exceed them where she did go the extra mile today and gave me the ballerina pink rather than just clear. And she did clean up my cuticles and file them to a nicer shape! I will never be a hand model but that doesn’t mean I will totally give up on my hands and my nails.

It’s the same thing with your business.

It’s a two-part thing when you’re making promises to other people and your business, you want to promise them something that’s realistic — that you can actually be able to provide the result and exceed it within realistic limits.

Bonus Photo / Video Tip:

If you watched the video, you saw the really beautiful fountain in this park in New York where I’m at. That little bit of composition helps achieve a great perspective so that it doesn’t look like the fountain was growing out of my head… take a look.

Also, when you’re doing a live video or photos for social media or your headshot, place yourself in a way that it’s realistic and looks authentic. Grab your free copy of  HowToLookGreatInPhotos and learn how to take those amazing headshots that even you can say that you exceeded your own expectations!

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