The Nasty Little Secret in the Massage Business...

About three years ago, I was talking to a young lady and was telling her that I did massage.  She exclaimed, “Wow!, I wish I met you last week.  Because my boyfriend and I paid $120 each for massages at {well known spa in my area} and it wasn’t very good!”

At the time, I was working at a spa and also building my own practice closer to where I live.  I always have a habit of checking Craigslist to see what jobs are available and saw that the {well known spa in my area} she had told me about, was hiring therapists.  I sent in my resume.

I was called about a week later for an interview and because it was a bit of a drive to get there, I asked what the rate of pay was, so I didn’t waste their time, or mine.  She gave me such a ridiculous answer that I figured there had to be more benefit to working there and scheduled the interview.

{Well known spa in my area} has beautiful landscaping and a gorgeous hotel that is tucked among the hills and you walk into a nice lobby that has that feeling of luxury and expensive. 

I was told to have a seat and my interviewer would come and get me.  When she did, we walked to a secluded part of a dining room and proceeded with the interview.  She seemed impressed with my experience and wanted to know if I was interested in scheduling a “hands on” interview with me demonstrating my skills, which is a normal part of the hiring process.  At this point, I finally had to ask her how they could justify asking a therapist to work 5-6 hour shifts, being paid only if a massage is scheduled and only paying 33% of the amount of the price of a massage.  She said, “Well, we supply the sheets, the room and the client”.

Considering that I was being paid between 40-50% at the spa I was currently at and I knew the average in our area was 40%, I told her that what she was paying was too low…needless to say the interview ended there.

So here is the deal…many spas will hire anyone that is certified, breathing and will work for low wages. regardless of experience.  So always do your homework when scheduling bodywork at the spiffy and expensive places.  I have heard so many times of people paying a lot of money and being disappointed in what they experienced. 

The same can also be said for the lowest priced massages too.  Are their prices so low because no one will pay more to go there?  Do they require the proper certification and training of their people?   

Now days with the availability of internet, go online and see what information is available about their therapists and their backgrounds.  Check the review websites and see what the ratings are. 

When you see information on Yelp or Google or any of the other search engines about independent therapists, don’t discount them.  They are independent for a reason and are able to be independent because the have the client base to support them, so that right there tells you something.  There is probably little more frustrating than to spend your money on a service that ends up being unsatisfying and leaving you more stressed than when you walked in the door.

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