Nail techs in spa required to perform same massage techniques?

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Who wants consistency in service from every technician ... consistency in providing a wonderful standard of service, but how they provide it individually is what makes us artists.

Beautifully put, Gigi.
 
As a massage therapist too, I will play devils advocate here.... What happens if your regular client asks for you to spend more massaging her calves & has ticklish feet so doesn't want them touched at all, what does 'the consultant' have in place then?

Hotels have transient clients in general & this sort of uniformity is probably acceptable as it's an add on service to the hotel business, but for a stand alone spa/salon, with experienced technicians/therapists I would feel I wouldn't be meeting the clients needs by not tailoring the treatment to their requirements!

I feel your pain Gr8nails {{hugs}}
 
I woked in a 5 star spa in Europe as a spa therapist and we had to do ALL our massage, body treatments and facials with exactly the same movements. And we were tested on it and they used mystery shoppers to check us out secretly.

I hated it. Massage tretaments are about treating that individual persons body, and customers are going to want different things.

Make sure everyone can massge to a good standard, yes, but turn everyone in to robots that do not take the clients individual needs into consideration, no. Goes against the whole idea behind massage for me as a practitioner and as a client.
 
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think the whole thing is just plain insulting to the professional. Why waste years studying and perfecting our professional vocation to be told by some numpty 'consultant' who doesn't do the job and probably never has, to do a routine massage the same way each time? It's absolutely nuts. My therapist always works the area that needs it, the most and she knows where it is because she can feel it ... I don't have to tell her nada!
 
I'm guessing that this 'Consultant' has never ever heard of contraindications with certain massage movements and adapting your routine to suit your client? Would she do finger or wrist rotations on someone with Arthritis or stop a movement when a client says 'wow that feels great' just because it's time to move along to the next one?

You are the professional who knows what her clients like and want, not her :)
 
Again, more wonderful input. Thank you.

I can't see any worth in changing the methodology already in place. If there were and it would increase the quality of the standard of service we provide, I would be all for it.

I just don't see how this would improve on anything.
 
Again, more wonderful input. Thank you.

I can't see any worth in changing the methodology already in place. If there were and it would increase the quality of the standard of service we provide, I would be all for it.

I just don't see how this would improve on anything.

Is the spa owner up for consulting with you and the other therapists (not just the paid consultant she hired that clearly doesn't have a clue) about what you want or is it just a matter of if, you will do what you are told?

I think yourself and any of the others therapists need to sit the owner down and have a long chat and come to some agreement about this before the clients cotton onto what's going on and find somewhere else to go that will give them that personal touch.
 
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Are these strict rules actually enforceable, assuming all those performing the treatments are human beings and not robots? What would happen if you did 22 ankle bone circles? Who is watching? Who is counting?

I'm pretty sure if you asked a client rather than a consultant they would come up with a specific amount of time for the ideal massage rather than number of rotations etc.

I used to be a Management Consultant in a different industry in a previous life, we came up with some major unenforceable bull *+@% but companies were prepared to pay a pretty penny for it :lol:
 
IMO what makes a good massage, whether it be full body or just hands/feet, is the ability of the therapist to adapt to each individual's needs and requirements - in fact, in NVQ standards, when I used to teach it, it was a requirement to be able to adjust your massage to each individual.

To be told to massage each and every client in the same way, to me, is just downright unprofessional.

Do we not use our hands to feel the clients' needs when massaging, and adapt our treatment accordingly (after, of course, a thorough consultation). I, along with others who offer massage, often close my eyes when massaging, in order to "feel" the clients better - if that makes sense.

I would be completely p.ssed off to be told how to massage someone. That's like saying all hairs grown downwards on the legs! Or, all nail shapes are the same, so therefore do all enhancements one shape! All skin tones are alike, so just use one spray tan! All nailbeds are the same colour, so just have one polish. There is only one skin type, so no need for a full range of products!

GRRRRR , I can honestly say this post has really irked me (if you haven't already guessed).
 
IMO what makes a good massage, whether it be full body or just hands/feet, is the ability of the therapist to adapt to each individual's needs and requirements - in fact, in NVQ standards, when I used to teach it, it was a requirement to be able to adjust your massage to each individual.

To be told to massage each and every client in the same way, to me, is just downright unprofessional.

Do we not use our hands to feel the clients' needs when massaging, and adapt our treatment accordingly (after, of course, a thorough consultation). I, along with others who offer massage, often close my eyes when massaging, in order to "feel" the clients better - if that makes sense.

I would be completely p.ssed off to be told how to massage someone. That's like saying all hairs grown downwards on the legs! Or, all nail shapes are the same, so therefore do all enhancements one shape! All skin tones are alike, so just use one spray tan! All nailbeds are the same colour, so just have one polish. There is only one skin type, so no need for a full range of products!

GRRRRR , I can honestly say this post has really irked me (if you haven't already guessed).

This is a great post and it is interesting that not one therapist has thought this was a beneficial idea! So much for 'consultants'!

No salon should have a 'conveyor belt' mentality. That mentality is not what built the client base at "Devine Designs" in Brandon.

I hope that your boss gets this, Tammi, when you all talk to him about it. Then tell us what he says.
 
I feel the management believes because of the exorbitant amount of money they've invested in this consultant, they must abide by all her suggestions in order to get the most bang for their buck.

But thanks to your input in this thread coupled with my senior statesmen status, I was able to pursuade management that this new methodology would not increase the quality of service offered to our clients. We would look robotic and clone-like. They relented. (There are some benefits to being the oldest person in the place :wink2:).

We are back to offering the service that is best suited to each client's individual needs.

Thank you all again for your valuable input. It was very much appreciated.
 
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Great result and good for the management for seeing sense .

Efficiency is one thing. But a conveyor belt approach to a service that involves human contact is not what our business is all about.
 
I feel the management believes because of the exorbitant amount of money they've invested in this consultant, they must abide by all her suggestions in order to get the most bang for their buck.

But thanks to your input in this thread coupled with my senior statesmen status, I was able to pursuade management that this new methodology would not increase the quality of service offered to our clients. We would look robotic and clone-like. They relented. (There are someone benefits to being the oldest person in the place :wink2:).

We are back to offering the service that is best suited to each client's individual needs.

Thank you all again for your valuable input. It was very much appreciated.
pity the management didn't consider discussing the topic with the therapists and get their opinion first before wasting a ball of money...
 
Thanks again for your input. It was invaluable.
 
I'm not getting on the defensive here, just wanted to add a few of my reasons for enforcing a routine on my staff, i will mainly talk about pedicures. I had a trainee years ago who had a great massage touch but spent the entire massage on the top of the foot and ankle because she was unsure what to do on the bottom of the foot. I taught her a simple routine which she used in the beginning until she had the experience and confidence to develop moves of her own. Another therapist i once worked with insisted on polishing the nails before performing the massage. Another therapist used to soak the feet then have the client move to the beauty bed [this is what i do also] then halfway through the pedi she would use a foot scrub, have them move back to the chair/foot spa to rinse then go back to the bed for the rest of the pedi.

This is why i have a strict procedure to be followed during a service. I do value my therapists experience and am aware that my way is not the only way to do things but we all need to learn the rules before we can break them.

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.... I taught her a simple routine which she used in the beginning until she had the experience and confidence to develop moves of her own.

Agreed, good point and a great idea, Aplina. I mentioned this earlier. A prescribed massage technique is perfect and very useful for someone just starting out. If this applied to our particular situation, I would welcome it. :biggrin:

However, we are all seasoned professionals at a high-end salon who already provide a high quality standard of service. Our owner would let us go in a heartbeat if we didn't.

The high level quality of service wasn't the question....it was that the consultant felt we should all be interchangable.....like little clones of each other.
 
I feel the management believes because of the exorbitant amount of money they've invested in this consultant, they must abide by all her suggestions in order to get the most bang for their buck.

But thanks to your input in this thread coupled with my senior statesmen status, I was able to pursuade management that this new methodology would not increase the quality of service offered to our clients. We would look robotic and clone-like. They relented. (There are some benefits to being the oldest person in the place :wink2:).

We are back to offering the service that is best suited to each client's individual needs.

Thank you all again for your valuable input. It was very much appreciated.

Excellent news:)
This is the best outcome for all concerned and I'm happy the spa owner has listened and taken the advice of the ones who know best...YOU:)
 
Thanks Wooshka. And I really appreciate your input. :biggrin:
 

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