In our first field visit, Stella and I explored both the residential and commercial side of Bayside, Queens. In my first essay, I described our experience in Pesso’s Italian Ices, an ice cream shop located in the residential area. In this following essay, I will talk about a nail salon that we visited in the commercial area of Bayside.
After having a successful conversation at Pesso’s, we drove down to Francis Lewis Boulevard, a road filled with many different types of restaurants, coffee shops, sporting goods stores, dance studios, gyms, and even a junior high school. But as we walked up, I noticed that in only one short block, there was a total of four nail salons! We decided to go into one that had a scarlet red awning with a large print of “Johnny’s Nails” displayed on the front window. The first thing that I noticed as soon as I opened the door was the smell. It was like a strong mixture of bleach, acetone (a solvent that removes nail polish), and plastic dust. After, what caught my eye was an entire wall dedicated to all sorts of nail polish. It was neatly organized by color and I couldn’t believe that there exist that many colors of nail polish! There were girls and women on the left side of the store who were getting manicures and others on the right side sitting on massage chairs and getting pedicures. All of the workers seemed substantially busy taking care of their customers, but we decided to give it a shot anyways. In accordance with our expectations, they asked us to call them later and set up a mutually convenient time to come back.
So this past weekend, Stella and I traveled back to the lovely Bayside neighborhood and spoke with the owner of Johnny’s Nails (who wishes to remain anonymous). She is originally from Vietnam and moved here when she was about five years old. In fact, she was one of the Vietnamese “boat people” who tried to escape from political and economic conflicts after the Vietnam War. She now resides in Fresh Meadows and has lived there for more than ten years. It was really interesting to find out that she was also a fellow CUNY student. While studying business at Baruch College, she worked part-time in a nail salon to help pay her college tuition. She also said, “After graduating, I’ve always wanted to have my own business, and I already knew how to design nails.” Chuckling, she added to say, “It’s easier to open a nail salon because you don’t really need a lot of money.” But even before Johnny’s Nails, she opened up a business on Union Turnpike near her home. Unfortunately, her salon was slow there, so she came to Bayside. In the end, her dream to create her own business came true and she has successfully managed Johnny’s Nails for the past ten years.
When asked how she deals with the fact that there are three other nail salons on the same block, she replied, “I love competition. There is no way to grow without it because it makes you think out of the box and try to be more creative to get more people to come in.” For instance, she recently opened up an eyelash/body and cosmetic tattoo/facial/body massage salon called Sweet Lashes right next door. She used to have these services in Johnny’s Nails, but it was “too busy and hectic” and there was extra space – so she took it.
One of the most important reasons why she is so successful is that she cares for her customers, whether they are regulars or spontaneous drop-ins. The owner remembers everything about her customers, especially their names after their first visits. She focuses on “the material and service experience” because those are most relevant to the customers. Her innovation process is human-centered, which is why she consistently upgrades to the newest technology and nail polish and adapts to the latest nail trends. She always does “something different, so [her] customers would be happier and not be bored of the same designs.” She actually recently attended a tattoo school and became a certified tattoo artist in order to add that service to her new business next door. In the end, she never knew that she would be a great artist, but she loves art and “want[s] to continue to learn more.” Due to her devotion to good service, most of her customers are regulars. In fact, about 80% of them are. What she does is she gives out gifts twice a year, a Christmas and anniversary gift. She does so in order to “show [her] appreciation for their loyalty.” And in return, these customers recommend to their friends and family members her salon. She even connects to people who are not her customers by contacting nearby schools and offering her service as prizes in the school raffles. By offering discounts to the students and their families, she gains more business.
Not only is the owner innovative, but also quirky and exuberant. She said, “Some people say that I’m loud and annoying, but you have to get to know me. If you come here to only relax, it’s not for you. But if you want entertainment, you’ll be very happy here because I’m very noisy!” She told me that she sometimes even rips out her guitar and sings to her customers!
When asked about the neighborhood, the owner replied that she chose Bayside because “the people are very friendly, for the most part.” It is also very diverse; people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures come to her shop. She loves what she does because she gets to “interact with people from other areas around Queens and even Long Island and Staten Island.” However, the customers can sometimes be very demanding. For example, they can be extremely picky with the designs that they want, but she explained how they can become loyal customers “if you gain their trust once you show your care.”
One obstacle to doing her business is the safety regulations because especially in nail salons, people could get sick and conditions may not be safe. There was even a New York Times article that describes how the health inspectors are targeting nail salons because some of the chemicals that nail technicians use could cause cancer. But the owner is very on top of this. By using disposable files, buffers, plastics, etc., she ensures that her customers’ health are being cared for. As she put it, “customers are always first.”
By bridging her bubbly personality and expertise in business, beauty, and art, the owner of Johnny’s Nails – with the work and support of her employees – is successful in achieving her dream, and being great at it. If you ever want to get beautifully polished nails and have the best customer service, Johnny’s Nails is the place for you.
(She wished to not have pictures of the interior taken, but below is one of the storefront)
