Scheduling: How much time between appointments?

[Markus]

I had the same problem as Maestra in the spa...they booked at the top of the hour so the only way I got proper downtime between clients was if I was lucky enough to have a half-hour client. Sessions were 50 minutes long for an 'hour' so I had to rush the client on and off the table in order to have time to change the sheets. Which was also discouraged ("just flip the top one over when it looks used") to save time and money on laundry. When I tried to block out the following quarter-hour before going into a session on a not-busy day I got in trouble for that, too.

As soon as I had my own practice I made hour sessions the full 60 minutes and gave myself, and my client, plenty of time between.

I could never see the point of working so hard to relax muscles only to rush them a few minutes later. :roll:

This brings back memories of some of the negative aspects of working in chiropractor's offices. I personally have a problem with a 48 to 52 minute massage being called a one hour session and I was really burning myself out trying to make sure that the client received at least a 56 minute session especially when I had as many as five sessions in a row with no break.

In my own practice I typically give my clients an extra five minutes so that there is no question that they received the full time they agreed to pay for and many times I am rewarded for this with a nice tip. 8) However, I have learned to check in with my client to make sure they aren't on a real tight schedule themselves after I had one client literally run out of the door of the clinic so that she wouldn't miss her train.

Since I now do mostly outcalls I will typically get at least a minimum of about 40 minutes in-between sessions unless I am doing more than one massage at the same location. Yesterday I worked on a mother and her daughter and I think I took what amounted to about a 15 minute break in-between sessions.

 

[taryn]

I usually schedule an hour between clients. Having had 3 back surgeries, I find this is best on me. I also don't have to rush through the massage since I know I have that extra cushion of time and I do tend to run over depending on the situation with the client. Of course the client appreciates not being rushed onto and off of the table. I've recieved a couple of nice thank you tips $$ for that.

Now, that's on an ideal day. Lately I've been doing spa packages where a group of 3 will come in and get a massage and a facial. Then they are back to backs but I don't rush in between. They know I have to change sheets etc. before I bring the next one in. At first I wasn't sure I would be able to handle it with my back. Kind of suprised myself and am pretty comfortable doing the back to backs. At least with 3 I am. Not sure how I would feel if I had a group of 3 and then another group of 3 immediately following. 3's seem to be the norm where I am at. I also found I kind of liked it because it makes my day just fly. Also get so into the massage that I haven't really felt tired either. Do have to say though that this last group of 3, the last person got a really good deep pressure one cause I did kind of lean into a bit more...hehehe. Not quite so much from being tired as I was getting rather relaxed myself. Can't remember what CD I used (super calming!) but I found out people actually CAN snore face down t015 . I was pretty close myself. Got a great tip $$ out of that one!! :wink:

 

[papa66]

Massage Therapists are Not Doritos...

When I was at MT school they scheduled 45 minutes between the 60 minute massages. I found the period between quite appropriate with all the SOAP notes, and things we had to do to get ready for the next client, plus allowing some time for self-care.

WOW! By the time I got to the school, they were scheduling 50 minute massages with 15 minutes between. We were supposed to give the clients 5 minutes for the interview & to get on the table, and 5 minutes for getting dressed and a post-massage interview. We then had 15 minutes to clean the room & chart and be ready for the next client. This was TOUGH when the room changed hands, especially!

To answer the question, I give myself 30 minutes between clients at the fitness club. In my own business I do outcalls & senior groups. When I arrive on location and start working, I schedule varying amounts of time for breaks, depending on if I'm using the table or working with them in their own chairs, hospital beds, or wherever, and depending on if they are undressing or not.

 

[dorfineer]

When working in a fast paced spa setting I could do a 50 min. massage with 10 mins. to rest and change sheets as long as I had an hour lunch. But, after 7 massages my hands would be pretty sore if I spent all day doing specific work. In a setting like that, you almost had to do non-specific work. I didn't like the way it made me feel when I was hurting or that I couldn't do as much as I wanted because of how I'd feel at the end of the day.

There was a waiting area (fluffy couches, waterfall, water, tea, etc.) where we could park the clients until the tech or esthetician or hairstylist for their next service came to retrieve them. So that made it pretty much a full 9 mins. that we had to get a "breather".

I would go in early to get all of my sheets folded and prepared for the day and have a breakfast, sit and read a little of the paper before it was time to start. I found that was the best way to work that job. There was a lunch room on site, so I didn't have to go anywhere for lunch, I could bring my own and keep it in the fridge.

But, honestly, I don't like to work that way and I find it stressful on my system.

So, in private practice I schedule with 30 mins. between, which really is barely enough time to get the client in and out and have 10 mins. to veg before the next. But I give myself 2 big breaks in the day to compensate for this and give myself time to run to the post office or whatever or finish chart notes.

So I schedule like this:

* 11:00 -- massage availiable
* 12:30 -- massage availiable
* 3:30 -- massage availiable
* 5:30 -- massage availiable
* 7:00 -- massage availiable

It works for me. There is some fudge time to move clients around if the exact time is not convenient and it still keeps any standing appointments around them in place too, that way.

I keep the extra time around the 5:30 slot because you really never know when someone is going to get stuck behind an accident in traffic, generally just be in a traffic jam or if traffic is light and they make it to the office in a lot less time than allocated for.

 

[Veronika [:]

I typically schedule a half hour in between appointments, sometimes though only 15 minutes. Most of my clients are on time or a few minutes early, but I do have the occasional one who always runs a few minutes behind I have on occasion though booked one at 4:30 and another at 5:30, and I end up running behind myself!