Fast Food Massage

[Purusottam]

For the majority of the world, time is something we abuse. We want quality, affordability and speed in all we do...at once. But with companies sprouting up making massage and other bodywork techniques easily accessable (I won't go into the Massage Envy "thing"...it's been talked about enough) does it benefit our industry or make it like fast-food joints?

What's your thought!? :?

~ACharlton

 

[crazybaby]

Nope, the massages that I give are fat free and hypo-allergenic. I recycle the sheets and can be there in 30 minutes or less.

Seriously, dude, what do you mean? Offer shorter sessions?

 

[Abbigail]

Fast Food Massage

For the majority of the world, time is something we abuse. We want quality, affordability and speed in all we do...at once. But with companies sprouting up making massage and other bodywork techniques easily accessable (I won't go into the Massage Envy "thing"...it's been talked about enough) does it benefit our industry or make it like fast-food joints?

What's your thought!? :?

~ACharlton

I believe he means to say that massage has become McDonaldized through places like Massage Envy. People want everything now, they dont have patience, they dont want to book ahead, they want to go to a fast food restaurant and be eating in 3 minutes. Now they can think about getting a massage and just go and get a massage at a place like massage envy one two three instead of calling around town trying to find someone with availability.

I think it does benefit our industry. ME makes massage available to the masses. If there was a ME next door to me, I woudnt worry about it effecting my businesses. I dont want to massage the masses. Supercuts and Costcutters market to the masses, but higher priced salons are still in business.

ME will clean up with those people who are last minute charlies and dont want to book ahead. If they get hooked up with a good therapist at ME, and they want to keep going to that same person, they will find it difficult to get an appointment with the same person. ME's may have 1000's of appointments a month, but that is only if you dont care who works on you. There in lies the problem. Find a good therapist at ME and his or her schedule will book up quickly. The last minute caller will have a difficult time getting an appointment with their prefered therapist and have to settle for someone else. The only benefit, is since ME has a multitude of therapists available, the client only needs to make one phone call to get a massage, instead of going through the phone book making call after call after call to different therapists.

 

[ChristelW]

I agree with everything Greattlakes wrote.

I met a woman once, who after discovering I was a massage therapist, told me proudly: "I always get my massages at the day spa because they have a number of therapists available. I don't care which one I see; I have no intention of working my life around a massage therapist's schedule. I choose whoever's available at the time that's convenient for me!"

I laughed, and told her I thought she was receiving massage from the perfect place then.

I'm not interested in having clients who can't differentiate between my massage and "any massage." I want clients who appreciate my specific skills and style. And my clients are grateful that I treat them as individuals, too. I don't do massage recipes. If I worked at Massage Envy, I think a recipe would be all I'd have the time or energy to do.

 

[Sore-balls]

I am sure I will get grief over this one.

But are you saying that the majority that works at a ME are second rate massage therapist? Just because they opted to not open up their own business?
That all chain massages places aren't as good as individually owned or run establishments? That all the MT's are far superior in quality, that work for themselves?
That just because these MT's opt to work for someone else they don't give their client the same devotion you do? That to them oh...its just another body....next? That they don't treat their clients as individuals?

Ever figure to that maybe some people get massages just for the touch from another human being in a caring way and they really don't care if you do this or that?

Laugh at the client that won't fit her schedule around yours but yet complain when a client expects you to work around their schedule and stay a little later.

I work at a day spa so in a sense I take offense to some of the comments . We pamper our guest and we aren't shooing them off the table and out the door 10 minutes after they get off our tables. We don't do "cookie cutter"massages or treatments. My clients can actually spend the entire day where I work at and actually completely relax either before they ever lay on my table or after. They aren't in there car within 15 minutes after with here is your water and thank you for my money would you like to rebook?

 

[Ana]

LOL, ACharlton's a woman...the name's Ashley Elaine

Regardless, I am not denouncing ME, spa therapists, or otherwise in anyway...I have worked in spas as well as considered bringing ME to Michigan, honestly. Everyone has their own approach, ya know?

My question was best cleared up and answered by GreattLakes. (thanxs, by the way)

But these comments are good...they get everyone talking!

~ACharlton

 

[pr0carbine]

Go opposite of ME, dont offer discounted massage. Have people pay MORE for the massage. People equate inexpensive with poor quality. This I believe is the reason so many MT's are up in arms about massage. They believe ME is cheapening massage. It really isnt.

I remember pre Cost Cutters. I was a kid, my mom had never taken me to get my hair cut at any place but locally owned places. She had a price in mind, and if one place raised their prices to much to her liking, she took us somewhere else. We had hair, and she thought it needed to be cut, so it was cut, somewhere that was in her price range.

When I was a teen making my own money, it was time for me to pay for my own cuts. I wasnt good at making appointments, so often I went to Cost Cutters. There was a stigma associated with cost cutters. I wouldnt tell anyone where I had my hair cut! In my mind, Cost Cutters was cheap, and I didnt want my friends to think I was cheap.

People like to brag. If someone comments on their hair cut and wants to know where they had it done, they proudly tell them the name of some high priced salon. I had a hair dresser tell me this when I first started up. She raises her hair cut prices by one dollar every single year. She rarely hears complaints.

You dont have to get your hair cut. If you dont cut your hair you wont die. Getting your hair cut isnt in the same category as buying food. It is ingrained in American womens minds that we must get our hair cut, colored, permed, straightened, or whatever. Your typical woman equates a good head of hair with feeling good. I can see this thing happening with massage as well. Once people get a taste of it, they like how it makes them feel, relaxed, less pain, more energy, whatever... they like it. It is up to us to engrain the massage message to people. Massage is in its infancy in the US. Just as most people think, "I have hair, it must be cut," we need to beat it in their heads that, they also have a body and must have it massaged.

 

[Duct Tape Fixes All]

Shannon wrote: But are you saying that the majority that works at a ME are second rate massage therapist? Just because they opted to not open up their own business?
That all chain massages places aren't as good as individually owned or run establishments? That all the MT's are far superior in quality, that work for themselves?
That just because these MT's opt to work for someone else they don't give their client the same devotion you do? That to them oh...its just another body....next? That they don't treat their clients as individuals?

Shannon, I'm sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention. If you read my post again, you'll see that I didn't say any of these things you just asked. I was giving an example of a client who was perfect for the day spa, and not a good client for me. That's all.

Also, I never trashed day spas. They can be great!

 

[No One]

Hey, I just wanted to throw in a few thoughts that popped into my head while reading this. Massage for the masses, I think it's great! More power to them. People are gonna go where they want because that's what suits them. I work with 4 other MTs yet I have clients that will only book with me. If for some reason they can't get in with me they may see another MT but they are right back to me when they can get in. I'm not offended or worried about it.

As far as working at ME, or similar places, has anyone considered that MTs need to make money? I don't say this to sound snotty but in other conversations, other topics, people have made light of encouraging clients to tip and whatnot. I need to make money. I am a married mother of 2 and I have bills to pay. Working for a place like ME might bring an MT a tidy check every week and still allow them to give clients a great massage. Everyone wins. That's my humble opinion.

Steph!

 

[wadeypops]

Dont for get the ME of the mobile world...

Go Massage has decided Massage should be just like ordering a pizza. Complete with flavors and toppings.

They even use that line on their website and in their mailings.

And yes, you might consider them a competitor of ours, but I don't, so spare me the grief about me bashing a competitor.

 

[David]

Dont for get the ME of the mobile world...

And yes, you might consider them a competitor of ours, but I don't, so spare me the grief about me bashing a competitor.

LMAO!!! So then why is it you feel compelled to post yet another post disparaging their business model?

Hahaha!

 

[wandering soul]

I don't believe R&R was disparaging Go Massage's business model. The title of this thread is "Fast Food Massage" & R&R shared information about a company that chooses to voluntarily compare itself to pizza delivery. I checked Gomassage.net & did indeed find this quote from their front page:

Imagine a world where you can call a toll free
number and have a massage therapist at your
location within a few hours - similar to ordering a
pizza only a lot more relaxing and healthier.

I believe that's a perfect example of Fast Food Massage. Go Massage is proud of their ad campaign & I'm sure it works for their target market. It's not a criticism to simply add that information to this forum thread.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I Like Go!

Blisss, you're totally right, Go Massage! does use that little snip of info on their site. And I love Go! More so the organization of the company...I felt a little turned off at first glance but after researching it a little more they're pretty good.

Just another twist on how we provide our services. Tomato, too-matoe. Different strokes for different folks!

~ACharlton