You see the daily deals from Groupon, Living Social, and others and they look so tempting. A massage at half price or less! Who wouldn’t want that? Massage is great and saving money is great. Could there be anything wrong in this picture?
It’s always important to remember – You get what you pay for.
Some customers have no problems and enjoy a good experience. However, many daily deal buyers have had the complaints or problems like the ones discussed here.
You may not be able to get in when you want. Often a business sells so many deals that the available times fill up and you may have to rearrange your schedule to fit it in. Many buyers wait until near the deadline to schedule and are surprised to find there are few or no open appointments. Sound relaxing?
How about are paying somebody to not massage you? Many deals go unused, partly because of scheduling, and some people forget. Now you have paid for something you didn’t get – that’s not a good deal.
Did you read all the rules? Maybe you wanted a couples massage – but that wasn’t included. Some restrict the days and times you can use it. Did you want a deep tissue massage but the deal is for relaxation only? You may get a good massage, but you may not be satisfied since you didn’t get what you really wanted.
If the deal is with a bigger business, the employer agrees to the deal and the employed therapists are stuck working for very low pay. Massage is hard work and I put a lot into each one. Some employees begin to lack motivation for clients who they will probably not see again.
Does the business treat you right and care if you come back? Some businesses have had poor experiences with daily deal customers and may do only the minimum on their part. It’s not a good situation for either the customer or the business. You may have done nothing wrong but don’t get treated well.
Are extra things pushed on you? Some try to make up for the lost revenue by trying to get you to buy add-ons for your appointment, memberships, package plans, or retail products. It’s hardly relaxing to fight off sales pitches while you are there for a massage.
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Barry is a licensed Massage Therapist at Main Street Massage in Hudson, Ohio. Find out more about him, his business, and massage at www.HudsonMassageTherapy.com
Interesting take on this subject. Usually I see where therapists are offering the pros and cons of the daily deals.
I offered one a few years back and had a very good rate of folks redeeming, but decided not to continue it because I was trying to build up my repeat customers and that’s not what I found when offering these deals.
Sharon, as a massage therapist and business owner it’s a real concern for me. If people want to try massage and don’t have a good experience, it sets them back from getting any more. They may think it’s not worth it and not see the benefits.
The deals can be done right to the benefits of both buyer and business, but I’ve heard these real complaints from both. I don’t think these do the massage profession much good.
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I have had good luck with running daily deals, but they are a lot of work to get repeat clients! You must provide a stellar service, and go beyond for these types of clients to want to come back and pay full price, when they know that if they wait they can get another half price massage at another place.
The deals can work for both sides, definitely Jess. I get concerned for my business and the massage industry when I hear of customers having a bad experience. If they are new to massage, it may keep them from coming in for a good experience and miss out on what they need to take care of themselves.
I am a massage therapist client, not a LMT and I don’t use any of those so called deals. The reason why is because I enjoy going regularly to my massage therapist. She is excellent in her craft, she knows me, so it’s more personal to me. I am a very loyal client, so I have no desire to look elsewhere for a “deal.” I had to change my massage therapist once because she moved away…and I luckily found another wonderful LMT. If I were a massage therapist, I wouldn’t participate any any of these Groupon type offers, because as I would imagine, these clients are not typical “repeat” clients. They are just looking for a good deal or freebie. I would only want to attract someone who plans to stay with someone they feel comfortable with.
Thanks Renee. I talked about that some in the Part 2. It does make a big difference in knowing your therapist, and them learning what works well for you and your preferences. Some people use the deals to find somebody that they work well with, but there are a lot who are just looking for a deal.
I’ve found that it does help with exposure – but you have pointed out the nitty gritty behind the scenes details- the exact reasons why I don’t want to offer any more. I did one, it served it’s purpose, thank god its over, hah! FYI – sometimes if the deal sounds intriguing, if you call the business directly and tell them that you saw their deal, they will offer it to you for the same price, but the awesome part is the business gets ~all~ that money, rather than 50% minus fees. MAAAY more worth it for the business, and you still get to try out their deal to see if you like them. Remember to tip based on the full price of the service everyone, and spread the positive news on these businesses! After all, they are just trying to grow and stay alive.
Thanks. It can work well, but these are real problems that both buyers and sellers have had. It’s good to know what you are getting into for both sides.
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