Thursday, May 22, 2014

I get Sucked In by the Upsell

Honestly, I've been distracted from blogging lately. I keep thinking I'll get to it. The fact is, I have nothing profound to say, and I feel kind of silly even writing this post, but here goes.

Every week my husband watches the kids (he does NOT babysit), so I can get a few hours to myself. What I do with this time varies wildly from yoga to reading at the library to grocery shopping without little people to perusing the craft store shelves and wishing I had more money to craft with. Occasionally I splurge with a massage or something similar. Last night I splurged on a pedicure.

I ran by Joann's to get some fabric to start making one-yard aprons, and afterward I noticed a nail place just down the strip mall. Hmm...I looked at my toes and thought, yeah, I could use that. I walk down there and notice their door says they close at 7pm. It's 7:15. Well, shoot. I turn to walk away, but two enthusiastic nail ladies wave me in. There are people still in the store, so they are willing to take on another customer.

Somehow the woman knows I want a pedicure from the moment I walk in. Not sure if she's psychic or just happened to see my chipped nail polish and scraggly toenails from that far away. Maybe it's a lucky guess. Pedicures are $27. Okay, sounds good.

I love pedicures. I sit in the massage chair, read a magazine and let someone else take care of me for once. I try to avoid too much conversation, because frankly, I don't care. I want to just sit here and enjoy the silence and people watching. Interestingly, there was a couple (man and woman) across the aisle from me also getting pedicures. Both looked like Hell's Angels. Definitely not your stereotypical pedicure clients. Made me think twice about the judgments I make based on people's looks. See even getting a pedicure I can analyze myself and see ways to improve.

The lady asked if I wanted the gel pedicure. Had I heard of that?
Yes, but I really don't...
It lasts over a month long!
Well, that's interesting. I am obviously too busy to keep up my toes myself. Okay, how much?
$15 more.
Well, that's not too bad. Okay.

In walks a mom and her daughter. It is now after 8 and they were supposed to close at 7. They have two kid sized pedicure chairs, one looks like a throne and one looks like a cartoon bear. Weird. Whatever. Oh, no. The daughters feet are too big for the kid-sized throne. Her mom says, "She has lady sized feet." I smile and remember my own size 9s in 6th grade. Us poor girls with "good foundations" as my mother called them. Daughter slinks into the regular seat and focuses on texting on her phone.

Personally I find the mother/daughter spa experience kind of strange. I can not imagine me doing that with my mom when I was that age. I would've been mortified. And my mom was way too frugal/plain to go in for that. I think it's a sign of the times that this is much more acceptable as a way to bond today. Either way, the daughter barely looked up from her phone the whole time. Not much bonding going on there, unfortunately. As someone whose mom died too early, this situation pains me. It reminds me of all the times I chose to not take full advantage of my mother when she was alive.

Back to my toes. Do I want the regular pedicure or deluxe?
Definitely regular. Trying to stay focused here. I struggle when people want to add things on.
Have you ever waxed your eyebrows?
Wait, what? That caught me off guard. Um, yeah.
I can do it if you want.
Um, I don't really have the time today.
Are you scared?
No, had it done before. Not scared.
Where are you going after here?
Shoot, caught in a lie. To the grocery store and then home. Got to get back to the babysitter.
It only takes 5 minutes.
Fine, okay.
I can do your lip too.
Wait, what?
Real quick, you'll look fabulous.
See, this is what happens when an emotionally vulnerable stay-at-home mom who hasn't showered in two days gets her nails done! I should never have come in here. Fine, whatever.

By the time it's all said and done. My $27 pedicure cost me $65. Am I a sucker or what?

Regular pedicure $27
Upsell to Gel $15
Eyebrow wax $12
Lip wax $5
Tip $6

Ugh. And this is the real reason I don't do spa experiences more often. I get sucked in by the upsell. If I had stayed any longer I would've ended up with a gel manicure as well, I'm sure. I practically ran out of that place as she smiled and said, "Come back soon!"

On the plus side: My toe nails look awesome!

All it cost was $65.00 and my dignity.