In Chicago, Lin Ying has been running a nail salon for six or seven years. After 60, she entered the industry late, first working as an apprentice in a nail shop, rising from a small job to a big job, and then opening her own shop.
New immigrants like her have bolstered the American nail industry, which employs mostly Asians, mostly Vietnamese and Chinese. Lin Ying told Jiupai News that Chinese to open a store, they usually choose to open a nail shop, restaurant or massage parlor because these industries are relatively easy to operate.
The following is Lin Ying's story.
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[1] Manicurists' income is mainly based on commissions
I started my apprenticeship in a nail salon in 2016 and then opened my own shop. I started with poor English, communication was difficult, guests were sometimes not satisfied with the manicure, needed to be redone or improved, and were criticized by the boss. I gradually overcame these difficulties and became more confident and skilled.
In the United States, nail salons are mainly opened by Chinese and Vietnamese. It takes three to four years to go from a small, middle-to-medium to large job. The work is more complex and advanced, so the price will be higher, and more skills will be required, such as applying nail sheets, setting diamonds, and drawing.
The age range of clerks is wide, from their twenties to their fifties and sixties. Employees in their fifties and sixties are because their children are here, and they don't have much choice for employment, either to do catering or to go to massage parlors.
There are also shop assistants because they love to be in the industry. I have employees who graduated from the United States with bachelor's degrees, some of whom studied computer science and accounting, and they can go to the office to work as white-collar workers, but the monthly salary of white-collar workers is not necessarily as high as that of nail art, and they are not free. As far as I know, the monthly salary of a salesman in a bank is three or four thousand, and he also has to rely on business commissions.
When there are no customers at the nail salon, employees can chat, play on their phones, make phone calls, and even take breaks. In contrast, white-collar jobs require sitting on time and not playing with their phones for too long or dozing off.
There is not much turnover of employees in the store. The employee with a bachelor's degree has been working in the industry for three or four years, and she has started a family, relatively free in a nail salon, suitable for children. The daily working hours start roughly at 10:30 or 12 a.m. and end at 6 or 8 p.m., generally 8 hours.
Regardless of their education and age, as long as they are quick to get started, can communicate English with guests, and are interested in nail art, I welcome them to join. When employees who have graduated from a bachelor's degree apply, I will not consider their stability, as long as they come to work, they will be paid, and they can leave at any time if they don't want to do it.
Manicurists earn mainly on commissions, and if I don't reach a certain income in a day, I will pay a base salary of $80, above which there will be no base salary.
The monthly salary of small workers is three or four thousand US dollars, and the monthly salary of large workers can reach more than 10,000 US dollars when the business is good in the summer, and at least 78,000 in the off-season. In the nail industry, the average employee can get six or seven thousand dollars, which is a good salary in the United States.
In my nail shop, it is generally 30 knives to do a solid color manicure, and diamond-encrusted and patched nail art is the most expensive, more than 200 knives. The number of clerks is 5-8, part-time or full-time, depending on the state of the business, when the business is bad, the number of employees will be reduced, because there is no business, they have no work to do.
The clerks work 5 days a week and take turns resting. If there are a large number of employees, they will take two days off; If the quantity is small, take a day off. When guests come to the store, they are served in turn, and there is no fixed order. Employees need to follow the rules and not grab guests at will.
Manicure. Photo courtesy of interviewee
[2] Some employees are unable to continue working due to allergies
In this industry, employees will definitely have some allergies, and some may get rhinitis or be allergic to certain nail products. If the allergy is severe, the employee may not be able to continue working in the industry; And if it's not serious, it will get better after a day or two of rest.
Some people may find out about their allergies to certain substances months later, while others may find themselves unable to adapt to the job after only a year or a few days.
To be promoted from a small job to a large job, it is necessary to examine the level of technology. The speed of promotion depends on individual ability and speed of onboarding. Smart, bold, attentive people are up to the job and produce nails that are effective and lasting. If it fades in a few days, the guest will definitely not be satisfied.
The promotion requirement from middle worker to big worker is to be able to have a higher technical level in various styles and patterns, including painting, making nail pieces and making models. The scope of work of Dagong is extensive, and various styles can be created according to the requirements and pictures of customers.
Advancement to the top engineer requires a thorough grasp of various techniques and the ability to create according to the requirements of customers. For some complex styles, Zhonggong may not be able to do it, and a more advanced technical level is required.
As long as you have strong learning ability and excellent skills, regardless of age, it is possible to move up quickly.
When a guest is not satisfied, I will try my best to solve it, such as providing redo or discounts, etc., and generally there will be no malicious disputes.
In the U.S., it's common for customers to tip, and for nail salon employees, tipping is also a part of the income. Some guests will tip $20 to $30, but some may give only a few bucks. You can't take the initiative to ask guests to tip, and you can't make trouble because guests don't tip. Because of the excellent technology, my store has also accumulated a lot of regular customers, who will call in advance to make reservations.
When business was good, employees earned four to five hundred dollars a day, especially when they met generous customers. The guests are still mainly Americans, including whites and blacks, and there are fewer Chinese guests because Chinese have less demand for nail art, and we also know that long-term nail art is harmful to health.
But some eighty or ninety-year-old white old ladies have developed the habit of doing nail art and will frequent it, and there are men in their thirties and forties, who prefer to do foot manicures instead of fingernails. They may trim their toenails, do foot treatments, etc., and prefer to wear black-gray nail polish rather than bright-colored ones. Old ladies tend to choose styles that are durable and cheaper.
(The interviewee in the article is a pseudonym)
Jiupai News Reporter Li Zengzhuo
Please contact the reporter WeChat: linghaojizhe
[Source: Jiupai News]
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