Referring Work to Other MT's

[DarkAngelAlliance]

Lately, I've been getting quite a few requests from my clients to do couple's massages, just so they and their sig other can get a massage at the same time.  Usually I work it out with the other therapist in my building to do the other massage and I've been letting the other therapist get 100%.  Once she was not available and I got another therapist to do it and borrowed an empty room where I rent, and she took 100% of the fee for that massage.  Should I be asking for a cut of this money. I'm doing all of the set up for the appt and calling the other therapist to make sure they are available, etc.  Neither therapist offered anything to me, but in the future should I request or take the money from the clients and give them a portion, just say something like, "Your cut will be $50 for this," before I offer the job.  Or am I being rude to even say anything.  Neither of these therapists ever refer work to me.I also will be out of town this summer and need one therapist to take care of a client that gets 3 massages a week - she's really needs them and I would hate for her to miss.   :-/Conversely, another therapist has sent an outcall (new client) to me because she was booked solid, should I give her anything?  If so how much?

 

[GSD & Mastiff Owner]

Wow, good thread/question.  I think that if you are setting up the apts and all, you should pay the MT that is completing the other half of the couples massage a perceneforum.xxxe, a high perceneforum.xxxe, but do keep some for yourself.  Kind of depends on the other situation, 3x/week, if the other therapist will use your facility or not.  If your client goes to the other therapists facility, I say let your client pay the other therapist if the cost is the same.  If the cost is different, (more)try to work something out so it will be the same.  3rd, RE outcall.........I don't think you would owe that therapist anything other than a thank you note and possibly lunch for networking.  I'm curious to hear what the smart people on the board have to say about all this! mick

 

[Brown eyed girl]

I would offer the therapist a set amount for the massage.  If they are to question why it is less than the last time, then just explain that at first you thought it was going to be a one time shot and so you did it more for the convenience of the client.  But, now that it seems to be a more regular thing, you will be keeping some of the money because of set-up, etc.  This room that you are borrowing, will they ever say "hmmm, she keeps borrowing this room, we should be charging hera fee?"  If so, then you will HAVE to collect some of the fee from the other therapist.  As far as referring the 3x weekly client when you go on vacation (you can refer to me!  He! he!), I would not expect anything from the therapist other than perhaps a thank-you note.  You are doing this for the convenience of your client. As for the outcall, I would just send a thank-you note.  If the client becomes a regular or something, perhaps you can offer a free massage to the referring therapist, or buy them something for their office.  If they begin regularly referring to you, then you might want to be the one to suggest some sort of compensation agreement.I have a group of therapists that I will refer to once in a while, more so because of their specific expertise in an area that I feel they would be better able to service the client.  I will always call and give them the heads up and they will thank me sincerely over the phone for thinking of them.  It has happened a few times, but not a lot.  I also go to these folks for my massages.  So, when they needed help for a massage event, they called on me.  It's nice to see the one hand washes the other.