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Is the client always right?
A massage session has ended and you tell the client you will meet them at the door, but the client decides to remain on the massage table for a few more minutes.
Meanwhile, you only have ten minutes to prepare for the next client, so you knock on the door to see if perhaps the client misunderstood you when you said you will meet them at the door. When the client finally comes out of the room, you apologize for having to knock, and explain to them that there is another massage session in that room.
The client decides to complain to the manager when they check out, indicating that they felt rushed. The manager then gives the client a 60 percent discount and never mentions anything to the therapist about the complaint or discount. The therapist would only find out about the discount after checking their report at the end of their shift.
Is it fair for a manager to give a client a discount if the client feels they were rushed out of the treatment room? If the full service was performed, the therapist should be paid for the time and energy they put into that session.
In a fast-paced spa environment, there isn’t enough time between sessions to allow clients to relax in the room. Spas offer lounge areas to accommodate relaxation for as long as the client wants to relax until the spa closes.
I would love to know what my colleagues think about this.
Views: 509
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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I've worked in spa for over 18 years... Unfortunately the client is always right.. But what happens in the spa where I work.. The therapist gets full pay and the complaining client gets the discount.. Unless it is truly the therapists fault. In your case its not your fault.. Trust me I know all about this.. You will have crazy clients every once in a while. However the vast majority of the time you will not have that problem..Normal people understand ..And would not complain... It does not happen in Chiropractic offices, but it does in spas. Its part of the business.. Some clients know that when they complain in an up market spa, that they will get a discount...You can't do anything about the client.. At the same time you shouldn't be penalized for something that is not your fault. Fair is fair.. In the spa where I work..If I screw up... I loose out...Otherwise I don't.
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I just want to add to what I've said... If you chose to wait, and not knock on the door, and the client comes out ten minutes later.. You will mess up the entire flow of the spa and create the possibility of even more clients being pissed off because their services were late or cut short...You did the best thing.. So the client gets the discount, and you should get full pay..By knocking on the door and aggravating your client(crazy lady), you saved a lot of stress for the rest of your co-workers and other clients for that day... You did the right thing.. Its a shame if you are penalized..If that ends up the case. Never knock on the door again, and see what it costs the spa owners and your fellow co-workers...They should pay you. You saved them a lot of money and complaints. A lot of people try to save a penny and lose a dollar.. The owners should really think on these things. You saved them money. And the crazy client is still happy.
Gordon J. Wallis said:I've worked in spa for over 18 years... Unfortunately the client is always right.. But what happens in the spa where I work.. The therapist gets full pay and the complaining client gets the discount.. Unless it is truly the therapists fault. In your case its not your fault.. Trust me I know all about this.. You will have crazy clients every once in a while. However the vast majority of the time you will not have that problem..Normal people understand ..And would not complain... It does not happen in Chiropractic offices, but it does in spas. Its part of the business.. Some clients know that when they complain in an up market spa, that they will get a discount...You can't do anything about the client.. At the same time you shouldn't be penalized for something that is not your fault. Fair is fair.. In the spa where I work..If I screw up... I loose out...Otherwise I don't.
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Permalink Reply by elizabeth mount on
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I agree. I you can also address it with the manager ask what they think you should do that is their job to make sure things run smooth and help you
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Permalink Reply by Laurie on
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There is nothing wrong with checking on a client who has been taking a long time to exit the massage room. After a reasonable length of time, I will knock AND enter. I have found: clients sound asleep on the table, clients busy texting friends, clients looking at the CD selections and clients making phone calls, just to name a few things.
A client may also have trouble getting off the table or maybe they lost a piece of jewelry, so in some cases, your presence would be a benefit. Checking in on our clients is what we do mostly for safety reasons. Many clients understand the time restrictions of a massage session. Gordon is right, complaining usually results in a discount. In business the customer is 'always' right. Should you be penalized, no. The discount is the cost of doing business, an overhead expense.
PS - It also helps to either not have a mirror or just keep a tiny mirror in the room to minimize the post-massage primping. This encourages clients to move to a brighter lounge area to complete hair and/or make-up adjustments.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Erickson on
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As an MT and as a business owner employing many MTs, I must emphatically state that the client is NOT always right.
I have seen situations where clients were flat-out wrong about something, or who complained about a massage simply to get a discount or freebie, or who rudely demanded that we waive written policies for them, or who tried to refuse to fill out intake paperwork, or who demanded that we accept forms of payment that we have chosen not to, or who have claimed that our internet-only special offers "discriminated" against people who don't go online, and dozens of other things. We set boundaries and have specific policies for damn good reasons that vastly outweigh any one person's indignation, stupidity, and/or sense of entitlement.
I have told lingering clients, "Okay, I have another client coming in, so I'm going to boot you out now." Sometimes I state it otherwise, but the message is clear. I am nice and friendly about it, but firm. I think the OP handled the situation well, but without more direct knowledge, I can not understand why their employer handled it the way they did. In any case, our policy is to discuss any client complaints/issues with the massage therapist, immediately if possible. I would NOT dock the therapist's pay for this sort of thing. It's unlikely that I would offer any sort of discount without more reason.
We take damn good care of our clients, but we don't cater to fools, freeloaders, and chronic complainers. Those are welcome to visit our competitors.
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Jason what you say makes sense.. But in Lisa s case.. She got penalized in order to pay for the clients behavior. Unfortunately not all owners or managers are like you. She feels like she will get in trouble if she knocks or not. And I have a feeling that she is probably right.. Many massage therapists in this country are not treated fairly. I mean whats the reasoning for penalizing her? Why do the managers and owners of that spa think like that? How are they ever going to create a team feeling at that spa? An exciting place to work? Jason,you are a good man. The people she works for aren't.
Jason Erickson said:As an MT and as a business owner employing many MTs, I must emphatically state that the client is NOT always right.
I have seen situations where clients were flat-out wrong about something, or who complained about a massage simply to get a discount or freebie, or who rudely demanded that we waive written policies for them, or who tried to refuse to fill out intake paperwork, or who demanded that we accept forms of payment that we have chosen not to, or who have claimed that our internet-only special offers "discriminated" against people who don't go online, and dozens of other things. We set boundaries and have specific policies for damn good reasons that vastly outweigh any one person's indignation, stupidity, and/or sense of entitlement.
I have told lingering clients, "Okay, I have another client coming in, so I'm going to boot you out now." Sometimes I state it otherwise, but the message is clear. I am nice and friendly about it, but firm. I think the OP handled the situation well, but without more direct knowledge, I can not understand why their employer handled it the way they did. In any case, our policy is to discuss any client complaints/issues with the massage therapist, immediately if possible. I would NOT dock the therapist's pay for this sort of thing. It's unlikely that I would offer any sort of discount without more reason.
We take damn good care of our clients, but we don't cater to fools, freeloaders, and chronic complainers. Those are welcome to visit our competitors.
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That's one of the main reasons I write on this site. There are a lot of things wrong with the perception of our profession. On several levels.
Lisa Erawoc said:Thank you Gordon! I can see you feel my frustrations. Massage therapists are not treated fairly. Someday I hope to be a voice for massage therapists who get penalized because of clients who act like the world owes them something.
Gordon J. Wallis said:Jason what you say makes sense.. But in Lisa s case.. She got penalized in order to pay for the clients behavior. Unfortunately not all owners or managers are like you. She feels like she will get in trouble if she knocks or not. And I have a feeling that she is probably right.. Many massage therapists in this country are not treated fairly. I mean whats the reasoning for penalizing her? Why do the managers and owners of that spa think like that? How are they ever going to create a team feeling at that spa? An exciting place to work? Jason,you are a good man. The people she works for aren't.
Jason Erickson said:As an MT and as a business owner employing many MTs, I must emphatically state that the client is NOT always right.
I have seen situations where clients were flat-out wrong about something, or who complained about a massage simply to get a discount or freebie, or who rudely demanded that we waive written policies for them, or who tried to refuse to fill out intake paperwork, or who demanded that we accept forms of payment that we have chosen not to, or who have claimed that our internet-only special offers "discriminated" against people who don't go online, and dozens of other things. We set boundaries and have specific policies for damn good reasons that vastly outweigh any one person's indignation, stupidity, and/or sense of entitlement.
I have told lingering clients, "Okay, I have another client coming in, so I'm going to boot you out now." Sometimes I state it otherwise, but the message is clear. I am nice and friendly about it, but firm. I think the OP handled the situation well, but without more direct knowledge, I can not understand why their employer handled it the way they did. In any case, our policy is to discuss any client complaints/issues with the massage therapist, immediately if possible. I would NOT dock the therapist's pay for this sort of thing. It's unlikely that I would offer any sort of discount without more reason.
We take damn good care of our clients, but we don't cater to fools, freeloaders, and chronic complainers. Those are welcome to visit our competitors.
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Permalink Reply by Eric W. on
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Lisa, may I suggest changing what exactly you say as you are leaving the room? I've worked spas plenty, and am very familiar with the 10-minute crunch. DON'T invite them to "....take your time getting up..." or anything like that. How about something like ".... I'm stepping out; that will give you a chance to re-robe, and I'll see you outside shortly....", or ".... I'll see you outside momentarily....." or something along those lines. That has worked well for me.
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