Liz's Nail Spa

Let me first preface this complaint by saying that I have been getting manicure/pedicures for over 30 years and was so upset with the service I recently received (or lack thereof) and the discrimination I was treated with that I left shaking, crying and not realizing without paying. Apparently the owner got my license plate# and The [redacted] were contacted, resulting with my husband returning to pay the $50 ($35 for my pedicure and $15 for my niece's manicure). My niece and I entered the establishment last Monday and only the owner (Phong) was there (texting on his phone). He asked what we needed and I told him mani/pedi's and that I'd also like to get my niece's brows and upper lip waxed. He told us to pick out a color and that he needed to call in the workers. I said 'Oh, no one is here'? To which he replied 'They are shopping, be few minutes, pick color'. Against my better judgement we chose to wait. When his wife arrived she told my niece to 'sit here' in a harsh tone and was visibly mad she was called back (mind you the salon closed at 9pm and it was only 5:40pm). The gentleman that did my pedicure was quiet but very professional and polite. We were the only 2 customers for over 30 minutes and the woman was visibly rough with my niece and would roll her eyes at her while speaking Vietnamese with her husband. After about 45 minutes a Caucasian woman arrived and the owner and his wife's demeanor noticeably changed. They were all smiles and polite and practically falling over themselves to accommodate her. Although we are half Caucasian and half Samoan, we look Hispanic. I only mention this because it was clear that had we been full Caucasian we would have been treated better. I was further amazed at the rude treatment as my pedicure cost more than hers (she got the express pedicure for $18 and I got a deluxe pedicure for $35). Although my pedicure was fine, I was not pleased with the way my niece was treated. Once the other woman arrived my niece was rushed off to go sit crouched over with her hands under the nail dryer and left there until I told her she can sit up straight if she's uncomfortable as I'm sure her nails have been dry for some time, since this was 25 minutes later! The woman who did her nails rolled her eyes and said something under her breath to the Caucasian woman she rushed off to give a pedicure to. I wanted to mention also that when it was just my niece and I, the owner, his wife and the other employee you could have heard a pin drop, but when this woman arrived the two of them couldn't say enough in English to her. I then said to the wife who did my niece's nails 'what did you say'? To which her husband (the owner) answered 'No, we just let the customer sit there as long as they want so they don't feel rushed'. I then said 'That is not true, not to mention I'm sure her back is sore crouched over like that. I also said I was asking your wife what she said, not you'. I further stated that regardless of our race and/or size/appearance, etc we should be treated no differently than any other customer. The owner and his wife kind of smirked and continued speaking in their native tongue. Although I had requested a manicure initially, the other gentleman finished my pedicure and led me to the dryer instead of to the table to get my hands done after the owner said something to him in Vietnamese. I then said 'Oh, ok so I guess it's just as well, but what about my niece's waxing?' The owners wife who does the waxes was now doing the other woman's manicure and kept rambling on in Vietnamese as if to indicate she wasn't going to provide us that service, to which the owner said 'It's better you leave now!' I could not believe it!! Never in my life have I had such an unprofessional and rude experience! It is clear that the owner could care less about the way they treat their customers, based on their Yelp Reviews (which I find odd, as there is competition on every corner) and that he assumes with a mall location they'll never lose money, but I just do not want anyone to ever experience what we did. One would think with such a diverse (and large Hispanic) community that everyone would be treated equally, but suffice it to say that was not what we experienced. I am so thankful we have since found a new salon to patronize on 32nd Street that is absolutely wonderful!