These days a lot of people understandably want a "bang for their buck" when it comes to spa treatments. And Boston has a lot of spas to choose from so here are some tips to help you choose wisely.
Bigger doesn't always mean better, sometimes the bigger the spa the bigger the attitude and price count. Somebody has to pay for the extra square footage and all the amenities like the sauna, jacuzzi, steam showers, etc. Personally, I prefer the smaller independently owned spas Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, and the surrounding suburbs have to offer. Everybody loves a bar that "knows your name", so why not a spa?
I find it nice when you walk into a spa and you're greeted with a sincere smile and hello. Then offered a seat and a cup of tea to enjoy while filling out your intake form. A form that your technician will actually read and then address your concerns with you. Larger spas and chain spas are usually taught to do a cookie cutter service for every client. This is so they are sure that everyone is receiving the exact same treatment. It is also easier for them to train their large staff if all the services are consistent. Definitely the opposite concept than at Nami Spa, we believe every client should be treated as an individual and each service should be performed to address their individual needs and concerns. Not everyone carries their tension in their shoulders, some carry it in their legs, back, or jaw. So why would you perform the same massage on every client? The same goes for facials, everybody doesn't have the same skin type and concerns. So why again would you perform the same facial on every client? I have even heard of places that have the therapists time out every step during a massage or facial. For example, a massage therapist is told to spend 20 minutes on the back, 5 minutes on each arm, 10 minutes on each leg, etc, etc.
I always think its best when the owner performs services themselves. This way they know exactly what it is like to be an employee and what is involved in performing a great service. When the owners are strictly investors and do not perform services their bottom line is making a profit and keeping costs down. Granted every owner is concerned about a profit because without one you can't pay your bills and therefore you wouldn't have a business. But, usually this isn't the only concern of an independent owner. Most independently owned spas' major concern is their reputation. I believe if you have a good reputation your clientele will increase and naturally so will your profits.
Recently I have heard some disturbing stories when it comes to spas cutting back on expenses and trying to increase profits. Things like; double booking clients in case one of them cancels and if one doesn't end up cancelling the first one to arrive will be seen and the second one will have to wait or reschedule, watering down facial products or using less expensive ones and then recommending more expensive products to the client to purchase, and the grossest one I've heard - reusing massage sheets. Think about if a spa is offering drastic discounts in their services they are cutting back somewhere. Staff members and the spa can only take so much of a cut in their profits, again bills do need to be paid, so the cuts usually are in the quality of the services.
Recently I have received marketing calls from a few different internet marketing companies that ask us to advertise with them at no cost to us. Please! How it works is they have the clients, you, buy a membership to receive serious discounts from participating businesses, discounts up to 50% off. Their marketing spiel is that your business will see a huge increase in the number of clients you see. Sure every business wants more clients, but again at what expense? I am sure we would see an increase in our clientele if we decreased our services by 50%, but that would mean I would need to see double the amount of clients I already see. As a massage therapist I know that this would burn me out, which affect my performance and the longevity of my career. I would never want to that to myself, my staff, or my clients. Therefore I repeatedly decline their generous offer and tell them our focus on quality, not quantity. I am not interested in becoming a McSpa ever.
Don't get me wrong, I believe massages and facials are truly beneficial for everyone and its great there are places available for everyone's budget. Just keep in mind you don't always get what you pay for, so ask yourself what is really important to you. If its the service then I would check out some of Boston's smaller independently owned spas like Nami Spa and if its the amenities then you are probably going to be happiest visiting one of Boston's hotel spas or larger franchise spas.
Check us out at http://www.namispa.com.
