Salon double booking has left me feeling too awkward to return

[Crispychillifriedbeef]

So I’m living overseas and have regular mani-pedi appointment at a nail salon locally. Nobody speaks English but we get by happily with Google Translate.

Today I got there for my appointment and the technician was with another customer. Fine. But I sat there waiting 40 mins thinking she was over running and feeling to awkward to be like “hi, yeah, did I get the wrong day or something?” And nobody else came over to ask if I had an appointment.

So I quietly left and then the tech messaged apologising saying she had double booked and thought my appointment was 2pm and she would gladly give me my next manicure for free.

I’m not at all angry just…tired of living here and constantly having issues. Sometimes just going to the local supermarket is hard work. Because nobody queues and sometimes at the cash register you are just told “nyet” you can’t buy that item. And don’t get me started on hospital appointments or taxis 🤣

I’m feeling too awkward to go back to the salon now! 🙈

And before anybody asks, yes I am learning the local language but it’s slow progress.

Oh God, oddly I find botched appointments for salons and things particularly awful, maybe because I retain a small amount of Puritan guilt for going at all!

I think don’t cut off your nose to spite your face - rebook and take the opportunity to learn a few phrases to say about appointments. I wonder if you are about 6 months to a year into being overseas? From threads on here, people say that that’s around the time the extra hard work of being elsewhere kicks in.

Feeling awkward about stuff like this is such a British trait. Don't feel awkward - the technician won't be feeling awkward and would probably be completely baffled as to why you do!

I don't think your issue is with the double booked appointment or the salon per se.

You have a bigger issue with living somewhere you're not able to communicate and can't get on with the local customs. That sounds really shit and exhausting.

But don't let what happened in the salon today put you off. You've been getting along fine at the salon until now. The lady apologised and offered you a free manicure next time. That sounds great and nothing to feel awkward about at all. Book your next appointment, enjoy your free manicure.

Well done on learning the local language!

I can't believe you just left rather than asking what was happening? Why?

Have been here well over a year and have good days and bad days. Most days I just stay home with my cat whilst husband is at work and kids are at school because just leaving the house is exhausting. And traffic is always so bad it takes ages to go anywhere and that just makes me more grumpy!

Because of the language barrier and feeling awkward and already having a bad day and not liking confrontation.

Jist go at.2 and get your manicure.

My dh lived in Russia for a while (is it russia) he spoke the.language well and still found it hard. People there have quite a hard "wall" once you get behind it they are very warm but it's hard to do!

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Asking about an appointment is not confrontation.

Agreed.

......not liking confrontation

Asking a polite question along the lines of 'do you know if Anna will be ready for me soon?' is not confrontation.

But you wouldn’t be confronting anyone, just asking a normal question.

The issue isn’t the salon, it’s you living in a country where you don’t speak the language and therefore aren’t confident in dealing with basic everyday interactions.

Are you in Russia, OP? I lived there for 3 years and it was hard at first. Even though i had studied the language at school and uni, I still paid for extra lessons to help improve and I did get there in the end. But I completely understand the days when everything just feels so much harder work than it needs to be. No real advice other than as your language improves, you will get more confident. Have you made any friends yet? Perhaps you could see if someone wants to come with you next time to get theirs done as well and I always found myself feeling more confident in pairs.

Thanks, yes it’s such hard work sometimes here…

Not Russia, but a former Soviet country where Russian is one of the languages.

I have lots of acquaintances and maybe one real friend. Also autistic, with long term health problems so even more awkward and isolating. I think the salon today was just the final straw.

But this exact situation could have happened in the UK.

You could have sat there for 40 min in Leeds assuming you appointment was next and no one would come ask you why you're sitting there.

With the language barrier, different culture and Autism I can understand why this felt so uncomfortable.

Do go back through. It’s lovely that they have recognised that they have double booked and are offering a free appointment as an apology.