Client Consultation, Communication, and Professional Conduct
Consultation
A consultation is a structured conversation, not a sales pitch: greet, ask about goals, review the medical history form (medications, allergies, diabetes, circulatory problems, pregnancy, skin conditions), examine hands and feet, explain the service and its risks, then confirm consent. Ask about previous reactions to acrylics, polish, or adhesives, and patch test where the manufacturer directs. Document the service and any reaction in the client record. When something falls outside your scope - an ingrown toenail, a suspected fungus, an undiagnosed lesion - you refer, and you say so plainly.
Communication and conduct
Use plain language, active listening, and open questions, then confirm understanding by repeating it back. Maintain professional boundaries: no diagnosing, no gossiping, no discussing other clients, and no photographing or posting hands and feet without written permission. Confidentiality covers health and personal information a client shares. Handle dissatisfaction early - listen, acknowledge, investigate, offer a remedy within policy, and document. Refuse service respectfully when safety requires it and never let a client pressure you into an unsafe shortcut.
Traps and rule of thumb
Questions test the difference between asking a screening question and giving a diagnosis, and between "the client asked for it" and professional judgment. Watch for implied consent (silence is not consent) and for the technician who shares a client's information with a coworker.
Rule of thumb: when a client's health status leaves you unsure, the answer that keeps you inside your license - refer and document - is the right one.