KCLAnderson (Karen) August 27th, 2010 at 13:46

When I saw the headline I couldn’t imagine why she was being overcharged…my first thought, seriously, was “are her nails bigger too?”

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Josie Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 1:48 pm

That was my same reaction as well. I’m thinking, “What? Extra nail polish?”

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misszippy August 27th, 2010 at 14:43

Wow–that’s amazing. I cannot give over it! I really feel for that poor customer.

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Deb August 27th, 2010 at 15:10

I can’t believe those chairs have a 200lb weight limit. Salon chairs are huge and sturdy!! I have several opinions about this.

I think they were wrong to sneak in adding that extra charge.

If they are going to have a surcharge then they should post the policy in a prominent position so all the patrons can see the policy and have the option of leaving. I also think they should use a bit of common courtesy with the patrons when addressing this issue and do so in a quite private manner not out loud for everyone to hear. If you’ve ever been to a nail salon you KNOW they do not usually speak anything in a quite private manner.

I think it would be better to just adjust their overall pricing to accommodate chair repair. It’s not just the overweight patron that puts stress and wear on salon chairs.

I’m an x-ray technologist and my table has a 250lb weight limit. You wouldn’t think it would be a problem in a pediatric facility like mine but I have had to turn patients away. Patients under age 18 that exceeded my table’s weight limit had to be sent to a different facility for their exams. With my situation is a matter of patient safety.

In this manner this salon has the option of posting a notice that they due to the weight limit of the chairs they cannot serve patrons over X lbs.

No one over that limit is going to be happy but it’s a better option than sneaking in a surcharge for the overweight patron.

I just did a quick Google search and the chairs that came up have a listed 320 lb weight limit.

This salon is scamming.

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patti Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:25 am

@Deb, love your comment the guy is a jerk

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Cassie August 27th, 2010 at 18:32

this is awful and complete discrimination.. if she in fact has had customers who are heavy get a stronger share that can handle a higher weight capacity.. she’s running a business and should cater to her clientele.. wow, unbelievable that stories that exist out there..

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444 August 27th, 2010 at 21:07

Wow. I have not read the other comments, but my knee-jerk reaction is that the $5 charge is unfair. If customer demographics have changed, (more overweight people than in the past, an average customer weight large enough to require repair or replacement of chairs), then the business owner should consider that a “cost of doing business.”

I do not believe that singling out individual customers based on their weight and charging them all for damage incurred or expenses that are raised by the collective average weight of the group is something I would do as a business owner.

Just think of the alienation and the humiliation and the emotional pain caused to a customer charged extra because of her weight (by the way, did the shop owner weigh her or ask for her exact weight?) If I were that customer I would feel MOST unwelcome there and would not return to that shop.

What a spoiled whiner that shop owner is. She deserves to go out of business, and I hope she does, considering her total failure in customer relations. Now, I usually come down on the side of obese people paying for two seats if they need two seats on an airplane, even paying extra health premiums if their health problem (obesity) is predictive of higher costs… but this shop owner was plain old wrong, in my opinion, by trying to collect a surcharge from those who ALLEGEDLY (and only as a member of a group, not necessarily with individual culpability) caused her to incur higher business expenses.

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patti Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:37 am

@444, fantastic comment. Discrimination,of any kind is wrong the idea that through use and maltreatment of salon furniture it does suffer damage. To blame the heavy customer ,obese customer for his lack of planning is typical. It is always them that ruin his business. He loves to take the money…

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Reinaldo August 28th, 2010 at 1:14

No words. Well, maybe a few. To the store owner: buy more sturdy seats! You really don’t say where this happened, but my guess this happened in your country. Now, I do enjoy jokes like “more fat than… Americans” in the right context (mexicans or latin as myself=lazy (or very good lovers, wink wink), French=smelly, Americans=fat) if is the right context. I know, it’s not politically correct, but we all giggle at those (at least, as long as we are not the minority made fun of).

But you must know your clients. Like the 444′s comment, know how much your seats can handle. If you must refuse a client, tell him/her why you can’t do the job. It would be harsh, but at least you’re not bullshitting them with an extra 5 bucks charge afterwards. And do tell them before you attend them, not make an extra suprise charge.
That being said, I don’t think this costumer cried because of the extra bucks. It was reality throwed at his/her face. The reminder of the fact of being overweighted. The fear that something like this might happen sometime, actually happened. The reality check.

Boy, we need to help this people. Just.. keep blogging. Some might get across some good info. It saddens me, but what can we do? Set the example. What else can we do?

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Tamara August 28th, 2010 at 10:30

Ooh, I just had a vision of a new business model for that shop owner: a hip new nail salon where everyone sits Japanese style on the floor. Yeah. There would be those really low tables and people would get cushions to tuck under their knees while they get their manis. She could serve green tea and make the decor all zen too–not only would it foster an environment of quiet meditation, but she wouldn’t have to buy Western-style chairs ever again!

Of course, I’m sure she’d still charge extra because overweight people flatten the cushions out faster.

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merri August 30th, 2010 at 19:41

Hmm. That is a good question. I suppose if she actually broke the chair, then she would probably have to be charged… but it seems like theyre just adding on their own ‘fat tax’ for in case, when the chairs wear out. I understand those chairs are really expensive..i kind of think that maybe they should just refuse service in the first place..after all, most places (stores, restaurants, etc) in SF have signs saying we reserve the right to not serve anyone for any reason. I don’t remember seeing that in other places.. I think if I was the nail parlor owner, id eat the cost. OR, instead of adding $5 to fatter customer’s prices, add $1 to everyone’s. I would be SO embarrased to receive a fat tax on my bill, or to be refused service because of my weight. I’m not overweight, but if I were. Or, even if I were with an overweight friend or family member…I would be really mad at them if they did that to, for instance, my mother. So, I think I’m definitely against the overcharging. Now, if someone comes in with three hands or four feet, maybe they can get charged more (more nails!). And PS, 200? It seems like half the people nowadays are 200+ that limit seems low..

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steena September 1st, 2010 at 7:59

I don’t even know what to think or how to feel about that… This world is nuts. Absolutely nuts.

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