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Nabila shares why she got way too defensive about reopening her salon

Nabila shares why she got way too defensive about reopening her salon

She received backlash for her updates about the salon and then sparked outrage with her harsh comments to followers.
Updated 08 May, 2020

The lockdown has made us realise every little thing we took for granted, from that little stroll to a nearby dhaba to hitting up a salon to treat ourselves.

But does that mean we push everything aside, forget why we're social distancing and go about our daily lives as if there isn't a global pandemic rapidly spreading? Of course not.

That's why it was rather surprising to see Nabila's latest update about her salon reopening with the latest precautionary measures for the safety of her clientele.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

The salon claimed that it planned to be "a safe space with a superior level of hygiene combined with best practices and medical level sanitisation to ensure the health and well being of everyone who walks through our doors."

You can imagine that this raised some eyebrows in the comment section; the amount of gloves, masks and PPEs have irked many who responded to the video reminding the salon owner that those should go to the health workers who are on the frontlines risking their lives to save others.

However, instead of clarifying the situation, Nabila took a different and rather hostile approach

Even when sharing that the salon isn't open, she was rather aggressive

To say her comments were harsh is an understatement as she even insulted a health worker who brought up the issue.

And some responses... were just confusing

Images reached out to the salon owner who simply stated, "I will not be bullied."

She made sure to highlight the fact that she wasn't immediately opening for business.

"I am waiting for the government to give me the green signal. I understand that I am not offering an essential service which is why we have now been closed for seven weeks. But when other businesses start opening eventually, I want us to open as well."

"I cannot sit back and do nothing which is why I have consulted with doctors and my own stylists to devise ways of running the salon while strictly following corona compliant SOP’s. Even if we do open, we’ll be functioning at about 30% of our normal capacity while the price of the products that we use has increased by 20%. That means we’ll only be earning about 10%. That’s no way to do business, but in these circumstances, that’s all that we can do," she added.

About the online comments from people, she went on to say, "The trolls that have been attacking me are saying that we are wasting PPE that should be used in hospitals. PPE was not easily available earlier but right now it is in surplus and we are exporting it.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

"I am getting my supply of masks through a friend of mine who is giving me the ones that are rejected because of a few stitches that have gone wrong. I am going to try and make use of that."

According to Nabila, "The video I made about raising the bar simply outlines how I am trying to find a new way to move forward. I am an industry veteran, I have given 35 years to this business, I am the president of PHABA (Pakistan Hairdressers and Beauty Association)."

"When trolls attack me on [Instagram], calling my haircuts ‘stupid’, cursing at me, telling me that I should die from the coronavirus, I react. I am human and I feel angry. Perhaps I could have worded my [comments] differently but even if I had, the basic gist would have been the same."

While we sympathise with her situation as a business owner and are aware that those employed within the salon industry are suffering, it really does not justify the replies she posted on Instagram. As businesses evolve to keep up with the times, people understandably will have queries and concerns, which entrepreneurs and owners much like Nabila need to answer if they want to keep their customers.

Trolls who get personal deserve a clap-back but the responses made by Nabila were mostly to people upset about the situation. That could've been avoided by an explanation that drives home the point that the video is for future preparations. Nowhere does it clearly state that the salon isn't reopening immediately. Nowhere does it state that the masks are the ones rejected because of 'a few stitches gone wrong'.

It makes sense that people are expressing their reservations when previously several medical professionals has voiced their concerns over not having proper equipment when dealing with Covid-19. It also makes sense if people want to know how you plan on social distancing while running a high-contact business. A lot could be sorted with an explanation rather than lashing out.


Additional reporting by Maliha Rahman

Comments

Ahmed Zeeshan May 06, 2020 04:31pm
both she and Maria B need a software upgrade but they have influential people on their back to save them and get free hair treatments and bridal dresses
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Sheeraz Akbar May 06, 2020 04:45pm
Online trolls should be treated in the same way she did. People think they have the right to say anything without knowing the background. All she is trying to run her business smartly in the changing world which others should do as well. One can not simply sit at home and wait for the help. The world is changing and we need to find smart ways to tackle it.
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N_Saq May 06, 2020 07:03pm
She is wrong. She should just shut up. Things are already pretty bad out there and people are afraid and worried. She is not helping with the situation instead her outbursts are further inflaming the already inflamed situation. Everybody is hurting right now, she is not the only one. If she thinks her outburst will bring sympathy to her then she is wrong because it is easy to sit in your villas and complain but there are millions of people out there who does not have that option. If she really wants to help then she should be donating those PPEs to the hospitals, ambulances etc otherwise she should just shut up.
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Brownflower May 06, 2020 07:08pm
Nabeela got a point.
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Shariq May 06, 2020 07:46pm
I fully support nabila She shut down trolls it was the right thing to do
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Amir May 06, 2020 09:40pm
she has given 35 years to the business but not has learned how to behave with the public, as she is Nabila, for the elite.
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Sara May 07, 2020 03:14am
Let them eat cake....
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Keyboard peace lover May 07, 2020 04:00am
I really don’t see anything wrong with opening salon once the govt allows. Business cannot remain shut, we have to learn to live with corona. Don’t know why people love to hate so much through their keyboards and then big news channels picking it up like this. By ruining Nabila’s image you are also putting the jobs of many barbers at risk due to loss of business. I wonder how many jobs have these key board warriors created in the economy
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fairplay May 07, 2020 05:31am
just ignore her.
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Akil Akhtar May 07, 2020 05:46am
These elite have time and again proven from their disrespect for the people of Pakistan that they are the problem........not the solution for the ills in our society
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Salman Khan May 07, 2020 06:35am
What a liar. Nabeel's talking about it not being open to public while the people's complaints are about it being open privately and employees not being on leave.
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CU May 07, 2020 01:21pm
Here is what I heard; "We are using PPE's despite the fact we are not open...and, Oh, we also we saved a lot of money by getting defective stuff! Yes, we have "Raised the Bar"... and hopefully you can pay the extra charge..."
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Laila May 07, 2020 03:02pm
I feel theres a lot of talking over/past each other but instead of talking down to each other, why not calmly express your concern and calmly reply back? Calling people stupid, non-essential and not really registering what the other person is saying is not conducive.
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