Massage complaint

[JemimaFox]

Hi I was just hoping to get some advice.

A therapist at my salon did a back massage on a client this evening and she has subsequently tracked down my personal Facebook page and sent me a message request as she did not want to contact me through the salon.

It's a very very long message but she's basically said she's come away in a lot of pain.
She explained that she was asked what pressure she wanted to which she replied firm and that it was painful yet bearable to begin with.
She said it got worse but put up with it as she knew it needed sorting out and that 'she didn't want to seem like a wimp'.
She goes on to say that the therapist told her to say if it was too painful to which she replied that it was getting painful in the spot she was working on. The therapist asked if it was a good pain and she said she 'half heartedly agreed' as she felt she couldn't say any more?
She said that she was tensing her back through the pain and that despite this the therapist didn't stop.
She described it as excruciating and that she was in agony.
The client goes on to say how it was an ordeal and an experience she never wants to have again, that she had to take painkillers, and really she wanted some 'me' time and to feel relaxed and refreshed.
Finally she mentioned that she also suffers from fibromyalgia and ME and therefore a massage of this type will affect her badly.

So, this happened late this evening so not had a chance to speak to the therapist yet, but she is known to be a firm masseuse.
I just feel that if you were in that much pain, and close to tears as she said, that you would say something? The therapist is a lovely, caring person and I know she will be devastated when I show her the message.

The other point is that she did ask for a firm massage, and after checking her consultation form she didn't write anything about ME or fibromyalgia.

I'm just not sure how to respond to this message, does anyone have any advice or feedback?!
TIA

 

[FlawlessBeauty]

I would say that i am terribly sorry that she found her massage such a disappointment and that you strive to ensure that every client receives the exact massage treatment they desire.

Although you have not yet had a chance to discuss her treatment with your therapist, you see that she did not write her illnesses on her consultation card. This would give your staff a better idea on the type of treatment she needed. Was there a reason she didn't note it down?

You understand that some people feel uncomfortable letting their therapist know they would like their massage pressure altered but you encourage her to do so in future. It would never be seen as personal or offensive and a client would never be judged on their preferences. This is how you can be sure to give the best service possible.

You will be sure to discuss with your therapist her treatment style and how to better assess a client's pain threshold.

You would like to offer her a complimentary massage with a therapist who will provide her with a medium pressure to help her feel better.

On a side note, yes i would have expected her to say something but people are weird. I also would expect your therapist to notice if the client was flinching.

But you say her firmness has been mentioned before and that the client contacted you rather than the salon or writing a post makes me want to give her the benefit of the doubt x

 

[JemimaFox]

Thanks so much for your response that helps a lot.
The therapists pressure has been mentioned before but in a good way! She has regular clients come in once every week/two weeks and I generally think they experience a slightly uncomfortable form of massage, but they feel better for it. They joke when they come downstairs and say that she had beaten them up but they come regularly to ease their strains and knots.

I think because the therapist didn't know she wasn't comfortable with this type of massage that she probably powered through the flinching especially when the client didn't tell her to stop..

Anyway, this is a great response thank you. As you can see I'm terrible at these sorts of things because I'm very defensive over my little business!

On another note, is it ok to offer a free treatment as I've read before about that admitting liability should she want to make a claim?

 

[CFBS]

Good advice given in the above posts.
I've treated clients with fibromyalgia and ME but not someone with both.
My lady with fibromyalgia needs gentle to medium pressure
ME clients need gentle to fingertip massage in my experience otherwise they feel 'wrecked' the next day.

If the client didn't declare her conditions and also didn't say anything during the massage then I don't think the salon has acted incorrectly.

 

[Emily S]

If this was an 'insurance case' which I'm sure it would never be, she voided it herself by not declaring her illnesses. What's the point in a consultation form if she doesn't fill it out correctly.

Some people!

I'm often one to say to keep the client happy one way or another but I'm not so sure I'd be wanting to offer another massage in this instance as the client was actually at fault.

 

[JemimaFox]

Thanks for your responses, always so helpful to hear another perspective.

Therapist has been in tears all morning and confirmed that the client mentioned nothing of fibromyalgia or ME.
I'm just not sure what the client wants me to say/do.
I'm not sure if she wants a free treatment and I'm reluctant to offer one, partly because I don't feel we were at fault and partly because I know you have to be careful offering refunds and complimentary treatments as it prooves liability (although hopefully it won't come to that)

 

[Multitasker]

Your poor therapist. I'm sorry but your client is completely in the wrong. She should have declared her illness and should speak up during the treatment. What is the point of complaining after the event. I have had numerous massages and all over the world - you always have to share your threshold and comfort level. She wanted firm, didn't say it was too much and wasn't honest on her form sorry but no grounds to complain. I also always believe in keeping clients happy but this is too much!

 

[JemimaFox]

Just wondering how to explain this politely to the client.
She finished the message by saying that she would appreciate my comments on this matter.

I'm not joking, the message is 10 paragraphs long, I can use my thumb to scroll 5 times down my phone before reaching the end of the message!!

 

[laurakate]

I think it would be very unfair to blame a member of staff for a client's inability to communicate during the massage. Especially when the therapist asked her about the pressure.

 

[CFBS]

I think you should somehow diplomatically say in your response that now she has declared her illnesses, that ME is contraindicated to massage so your salon is unable to offer further face or body treatments that involve massage.
...sympathy...sympathy etc... hope you will be able to provide other suitable services in the future.. blah blah

No refund or freebies!
Doubt you'll hear from her again.

By the way, get your therapist to write a detailed account of this service, just for the salon records.

 

[hazelb]

I agree with most of the comments here.

For the salon record you should get your therapist to write her account of the treatment and keep a record of the face book message ( and your reply)

Then as others have said you can do a general apologetic response along the lines that you are very sorry that the service didn't meet her expectations:

'sorry you didn't enjoy your treatment with us, etc were are disappointed as we strive to offer the very best service to all our clients esp new ones as we love to see them become our regulars etc.

I have spoken to your massage therapist and she is of course concerned about your comments as you gave no indication during the treatment that the pressure was too much and hadn't informed her of you pre existing medical condition. Please be sure that you always give the therapist full in formation and feed back during the treatment.

I can only offer my apologies that our service didn't meet your expectations.'​

Is it worth mentioning that aches can result after a massage treatment but improvement is felt in a few days?

 

[FlawlessBeauty]

Oh bless your poor therapist. I honestly don't think that she is at fault at all because you do get clients who ask for a firm massage and want the knots out even when it is sore.

I have also had clients who ask for a firm, deep tissue massage and when I start it is too hard for them and eventually I figure out they want a general back massage with medium pressure, lol. I don't think clients always know what they want, but this is why we ask during the massage. It is so frustrating when someone says what they think you want to hear and then complain later because you would be much happier giving them the treatment they would like.

If you would prefer not to have her back then simply don't offer her anything. I would still reply though as I think it is rude and unprofessional not to respond to a client.

I think a complimentary treatment is a nice way to show a client that they can thoroughly enjoy a treatment when you have all the information. I don't think it is accepting a mistake on your part because it is not a refund, just a kind gesture. She will have invalidated any claim because she did not fill out the consultation form properly and your therapist did ask her about the pressure and she said it was a "good pain". Your therapist is not a mind reader, which is why she asks.

You could form your answer around the fact that both you and your therapist are disappointed that she did not enjoy her massage. She requested a firm massage and when asked how the pressure was for her, she didn't say that she would like it more gentle, so your therapist thought she was happy with the pressure. Many of her clients who prefer a deep massage can find certain areas uncomfortable but still want the pressure, which is why she asks to be sure. I understand that you didn't want to make her feel bad by telling her you weren't happy with the pressure but please be assured that she would in no way be offended as it is so important to her to give her clients the best treatment possible.

You wish she had listed her illnesses in the consultation card or mentioned them to your therapist as this would have allowed her to adjust the treatment accordingly. You have now added them to her card so that in future your therapists will be aware of her condition.

Firm massages can make the skin a little tender for a day or two but then should ease off and you should feel much more relaxed. Thank you for your feedback.

 

[RED STAR]

.....needy...

 

[WinkOfPink]

It sounds like your therapist communicated thoroughly throughout the massage and the client didn't declare her conditions or indicate that she was uncomfortable at any point.

As a personal sufferer of Fibromyalgia and M.E, even the slightest touch in some areas of my body can be painful so I would never ask for a firm massage as what's firm for an average person, would personally be too much pressure for me. I also prefer a treatment with heat like hot stones or an aromatherapy massage if I just want to unwind - maybe recommend these treatments?

I would definitely advise the client to make the therapist aware of her conditions on her next treatment and to communicate on how she's finding the pressure, as after all the therapist is there to personalise the treatment to the clients requirements. Also, I personally wouldn't offer a complimentary treatment or refund as the therapist wasn't at fault. I'd also make sure you keep a copy of her message and ensure the therapist writes a detailed report of the service, just to cover yourselves.

X

 

[Annabel123]

Jemima do let us know how you get on, did you message her back and did she reply? X

 

[JemimaFox]

Thanks everyone. I haven't responded yet. She messaged my personal Facebook account despite the fact that I have no idea who she is (she's not a regular client). It went to my 'other' inbox and I can accept or ignore her message, as of yet I've not done anything so as far as she's concerned I've not even seen the message.
I feel it's really inappropriate to google me, find out my last name and message me personally when she could have just emailed us at the salon.
I'm going to take the weekend to think over what I'm going to say and respond to her on Monday.
I won't be offering a free treatment as feel reassured that it wasn't our fault!
I knew that all along really but I think initially you feel really panicked when a client says something like this.
I've learnt to not respond right away and get advice from others before jumping the gun and saying something I wish I hadn't.
Thanks for all of your advice x

 

[Annabel123]

Thanks everyone. I haven't responded yet. She messaged my personal Facebook account despite the fact that I have no idea who she is (she's not a regular client). It went to my 'other' inbox and I can accept or ignore her message, as of yet I've not done anything so as far as she's concerned I've not even seen the message.
I feel it's really inappropriate to google me, find out my last name and message me personally when she could have just emailed us at the salon.
I'm going to take the weekend to think over what I'm going to say and respond to her on Monday.
I won't be offering a free treatment as feel reassured that it wasn't our fault!
I knew that all along really but I think initially you feel really panicked when a client says something like this.
I've learnt to not respond right away and get advice from others before jumping the gun and saying something I wish I hadn't.
Thanks for all of your advice x

I agree with the advice that you've been given, I think a reply on Monday morning looks very professional and it avoids getting into messaging back and forth in your personal time over the weekend x

 

[pinknsparkly]

I'd respond and say thanks for your message. Please note all queries regarding (insert salon name) must be dealt with via the salon page/email. Please redirect your message here so it can be dealt with then don't respond again off your personal account. Personally I think it's rude to contact you directly and it would make me feel quite uncomfortable if a client did that to complain. Others may feel differntly but I wouldn't like it at all.

 

[Cindy2021]

I'd respond and say thanks for your message. Please note all queries regarding (insert salon name) must be dealt with via the salon page/email. Please redirect your message here so it can be dealt with then don't respond again off your personal account. Personally I think it's rude to contact you directly and it would make me feel quite uncomfortable if a client did that to complain. Others may feel differntly but I wouldn't like it at all.

I agree, I find her behaviour odd. Surely if you were in pain you'd want your therapist to know...

 

[squidgernetball]

I think you've had some great advice on here. I would just add the following.
If you take her moaning, personal contact, 10 paragraphs etc out of the equation, what you have is a client who wasn't happy with her treatment. Rightly or wrongly, she should have said at the time. She should have made them aware and so on. But ultimately she's unhappy. I would personally try and win her round with either a complimentary treatment (whilst admitting no liability as there is none to admit) or a voucher towards a treatment.

She has come to your salon and she may come back. She may be the best client ever - and she may not. But if you make her happy, she will tell everyone. If you don't, she'll tell everyone.

This doesn't sound like an insurance claim or a scam, it just sounds like she's letting you know.

To us, our treatments are common place. To many they're a bit "mystical". We do clients for facials or massages who are scared. They've never had it done. They don't know what's right or wrong. They don't know what "firm" pressure is compared to gentle.

I would personally offer her a free treatment that you're sure she'll enjoy.

Well done for taking a little time to think it over. Knee jerk reactions can land us all in trouble xxx