Utah-based nail tech Shel Cole (@myfavfoodispasta), a small business owner, took to TikTok to talk about the importance of setting firm boundaries with clients. Her story was about a former client who seemed really sweet when they first connected over Instagram for a pedicure. They “hit it off,” so Cole believed she had gained a regular. Now, her experience, shared in two parts, has racked up over 8 million views and 3.5 million, respectively.
The trouble began at her second appointment. The client arrived concerned about an ingrown toenail after she cut her nails too short. According to Cole, the client asked her to remove it, though she explained it wasn’t something she could legally do. She stated that she was still a student at the time, so her instructor stepped in to confirm, but the client kept pushing, even messaging privately to see if she would perform the procedure.
The client did eventually get the problem handled by a doctor, but after the next appointment for a full set of nails, the client asked if she could settle the bill the next day. Cole admits that being a people pleaser got her to agree, but it kicked off a pattern. The client later complained about the length of her nails, despite approving them, and asked Cole to file them down for free. The next time, it happened again, and she even tried to get Cole to make a house call after hours to fix it.
Not long after, Cole stated that she started her own business
This new business, according to Cole, came with stricter policies, including mandatory same-day payment. In her second post, Cole shared that after multiple conversations about paying for services, the client once attempted to pay for a $50 service by sending $40 via Venmo, saying she would pay the rest later. When Cole insisted on the full amount, the client tried to offer a meal in exchange for the service instead of cash.
When Cole gingerly allowed her back for one last appointment, there was no conversation about delaying payment, which Cole said left her relieved, “I had a sense of hope.” However, the client then arrived 30 minutes late. She also brought along an inappropriate complaint letter against her from a former employer, and even offered to take off an item of clothing to give to Cole right there in the salon.
@myfavfoodispasta No hate to anyone involved, this is just a wild experience from when I was still figuring out policies, pricing, and boundaries as a new nail tech. A reminder that nails are a luxury service and small businesses rely on being paid for their work. #nailclient #storytime #crazystory #crazyclient #nailtech
♬ original sound – Shel Cole
Thankfully, at the end of the appointment, before Cole needed to say anything, the client told her she would be taking a break from doing her nails. She told Cole that, “She was just struggling with money, and her and her husband were trying to have a baby, and she just needed to save money wherever she could. And I told her I completely understood. I was really relieved that things did not end on weird or bad terms.”
For Cole, the final straw came when the client reached out on Instagram, hoping Cole would use her previous experience as a medical assistant to diagnose a spot on her body. When Cole refused and directed her to a dermatologist, the client sent a video. Cole said, “I clicked on it, and I clicked right off, and I clicked block, because in the video, she was in the bathtub, not really doing a good job at covering herself.”
Commenters on TikTok seemed to have clocked the absurdity of the situation, with one user summing up the dynamic perfectly, noting, “to you, you were her nail tech… but to her [you] were her best friend, nail tech, podiatrist, bank loaner, & dermatologist 😅” Another user questioned the client’s financial priorities, asking, “If ur that broke. Why are u getting ur nails done..” ShortyAnne 🇨🇦 commented, “Nail tech here. You were waaayyyy to[o] patient 😅😅”
@myfavfoodispasta No hate to anyone involved, this is just a wild experience from when I was still figuring out policies, pricing, and boundaries as a new nail tech. A reminder that nails are a luxury service and small businesses rely on being paid for their work. #nailclient #storytime #crazystory #crazyclient #nailtech
♬ original sound – Shel Cole
Cole had a poignant takeaway from the experience: “The whole situation really taught me that being kind and being a pushover are not the same thing. You can be professional and you can be kind, and you can still have boundaries. If you are a new nail tech, please learn from my mistakes. If someone is pushing your time or your money boundaries, please protect your energy, trust your gut, and protect your business.”
TikTokers in customer service, like Cole, and strangely enough, bartenders, seem to frequently meet customers who push boundaries. Jay took to TikTok to share the story of a woman who just left her baby on the table and left to use the restroom. Jenna shared one of a group of diners who refused to leave after she finished serving them and insisted on staying after she left.
