So angry I had to post this about Citibella!

[orangecrab]

My friend and I had the most unpleasant first experience at Citibella last Friday (23 Sept). My friend was to be engaged the next day, so she was keen on having her nails done that day.

We were looking for a place to do manicure/pedicure and had called up several nail salons, eventually settling for Citibella at LOT 1 since there was a $48 package and it was near our homes. We had booked earlier for 2 persons at 3.30pm, but were told if we wanted to do it together, we should come in at 4pm. When we arrived at the outlet, there was already a customer on the pedicure chair seated right in the centre (there were 3 seats), so we were told one person had to do manicure at a table away from the seats while the other does the pedicure first.

We were disappointed of course. We had been looking forward to a girly catch-up cum manicure session and had waited for the 4pm slot, only to be seated separately. Since there is already a booking for 2 persons to do together, shouldn't you put the earlier customer at the corner chair? But that was still fine by us as we hoped that after our respective manicure/pedicure, the other customer would vacate the seat and we’d get to sit together.

So we sat in our respective places. I was supposed to do my pedicure first. The therapist who was servicing the customer beside me, (I forgot her name so let’s call her X) asked if I wanted to top up $10 for additional aromatherapy that will help prevent fungal infection etc. I didn’t want at first but she continued to go on about what it was good for. I didn’t have a good feeling about being pressured but I thought, I am always guilty about not treating my feet well, so why not. And immediately after I agreed, they wasted no time to pour the aromatherapy oil into my foot bath.

Suddenly, my friend called out to me, much dismayed. Apparently, just after the therapist started on her nails (WK), she told her she didn’t want to apply the nail polish, just buff and shine will do. WK told her that there would be an additional charge of $15.90.

I believed that she was mistaken so I told my therapist that I only wanted buff and shine. Her English was not fluent so therapist X translated for her and then nodded and said yes to me. There was no mention of an extra charge. So I asked if there would be. The two therapists were clueless and asked WK who confirmed the charges and even said that for buff and shine for toe nails, there would be an additional $20.

I was shocked and I definitely did not hide it. At ALL the salons we went to before (local and overseas), there had been no separate charges for this. Imagine our shock when we were told that there is additional $15.90 to do buff and shine for fingernails and another $20 for toenails. This is unheard of, and honestly, quite silly! Isn’t it easier and cheaper for the salon if we didn’t use any nail polish?

Unlike the other patrons, my friend and I came without any nail polish on our nails. No one had told us of these charges when we started. If there were to be a significant separate charge for it, shouldn’t we be asked if we wanted polish or buff/shine? But we weren’t asked at all. And because we had already started with our manicure / pedicure, we were felt trapped as we couldn’t walk away despite not agreeing with the charges.

The supervisor in charge, GLL, then made some calls and tried to ‘explain’ the policy.
The weak reasoning she came up with:
1. Because $48 was a promotion, we had to be charged extra for buff and shine. So I asked her, if I were to take up the Manicure and pedicure package at its original price of $60, and still requested for buff and shine, would I still be charged extra? Oh, it appeared I had asked a very high IQ question that none could answer so Ms GLL was stuck on the phone for ages trying to get hold of the management to get an answer.

2. She then asked me what sort of buff and shine was it that I required as they had different types. I replied sarcastically that the one I want is a basic one that could be done with the buff and shine stick that I can buy from Watsons or Sasa but which I wanted it done there because obviously I am paying for a package, I should be getting a complete package! That sent her back to the counter to check with the management AGAIN!

3. She returned and told me that if I insisted on having my toenails buffed and shine, I could just do the pedicure which would cost me $49.90. Now isn’t that a stupid question? If I can get my manicure and pedicure done at $48, why would I want to settle for just a pedicure?
Honestly, as a supervisor, she didn’t do much to appease her irate customers. Therapist X who was attending to an Indian lady beside me was actually the one who explained to me and tried to make me feel better with her polite professionalism and smile.

So grudgingly I stayed to have my manicure done there too. I was angry and obviously felt cheated.
I should also mention that the reason we cannot apply nail polish is due to religious restrictions. So my friend had no choice but to take the additional charge for buff and shine, hoping it would look good for her engagement the next day.

So imagine her disappointment when after WK was done with her nails, there was nothing shiny about them at ALL! She spent over $45.80 for my nails to look exactly like they were an hour before (She refused to take the package and settled for a classic manicure ($29.90) + buff and shine ($15.90)). Really really not worth the money!

Immediately after that, she made an appointment at another nail salon nearby to do a quick fix. For a $15 express mani, the other salon re-did her nails, and even cut them without needing to ask (WK merely filed), and buffed and shined for her AT NO EXTRA COST! For $15 at a tiny nail salon, she got my shiny nails plus much better service experience than at this supposed big chain Citibella.

NEVER again will we patronize their outlets and we will be sure to tell our friends and family the same!!!

[AngelL]

that is so annoying and disappointing! furthermore it was for an engagement! i once went for the express manicure promo too and i kept feeling that just because it was cheap ($6) they dont feel like doing a good job and rushed through it.

[orangecrab]

that is so annoying and disappointing! furthermore it was for an engagement! i once went for the express manicure promo too and i kept feeling that just because it was cheap ($6) they dont feel like doing a good job and rushed through it.

I know! And to think we thought we got a good deal (cheaper from other salons) since Citibella seemed renowned being a brand with many branches all over Singapore. It just made me really angry cos we really wanted to have a good girly catch-up session before my friend's engagement but we left with negative feelings