The lack of concern and compassion for my recent situation with Havatan Lodi and their owner Jason, is alarming and concerning. I recently had an experience at their Lodi location (which I will explain), that left me in shock and scared for my personal safety. When I met with the owner Jason about the situation, he tried to disregard what had happened and blow it off as if the situation were my fault. As a paying customer to a business, I have NEVER felt more disregarded, demoralized, and disrespected by a business owner, than I did today. Jason had no regard for my personal safety, he failed to take any accountability or responsibility as a business owner for what had happened, and he tried to manipulate the situation to make me feel that it was all my fault. He never acknowledged the negligence of his staff. Jason's behavior is baffling.
I had not tanned with Havatan in over 12 years. An upcoming vacation brought me in, so my first tan was last Friday. I went in for a second tan this past Sunday. I arrived about 20 minutes before closing. I checked in and made my way into the tanning bed. I fell sound asleep, which according to their employee Rhonda, "happens all of the time".
All of that would have been fine but when I woke up, the business was CLOSED. Yes, it was CLOSED. Lights off. Alarm set. No one around.
I quickly got myself together, gathered most of my things and headed for the lobby. By this time, the alarm was sounding, the lobby was dim, and there was not an employee around. I though to myself, this must be a bad dream... they wouldn't leave me in here alone. Right? Wrong.
The girl working (Mercedes) checked me in but later failed to thoroughly check that all of the customers had left before she closed up shop. Thankfully, the door inside Havatan has a single deadbolt to get out. I left as quickly as I could. I was upset, scared, and confused as to why a business would close with a customer still inside?
The next day, I called three separate times, leaving three messages, asking that someone call me back right away regarding an urgent matter. Not one returned phone call.
I tried again Tuesday morning and reached Juanita, a manager at Havatan. Juanita was very concerned and taken aback by the situation. She stated that this had never happened before and that she was so sorry about this and that the employee working should have never left without knowing if the person in the tanning bed was asleep or if they had just accidentally left and locked their tanning door behind them. Juanita stated that she was so sorry and that this was totally a fault of the salons. She was so sweet and made me feel comforted. Juanita said that she planned to call the owner (Jason) right away and that someone would get back to me.
I didn't hear back that afternoon, so I visited the location Tuesday evening. That's when I met Rhonda. Rhonda was great, too! I had lost a necklace in the process and Rhonda helped me find it. She also informed me that the owner Jason had no intention of taking responsibility for his employee Mercedes leaving me after hours and that he felt that it was my fault for falling asleep. Unsettling, to say the least.
So, tonight I met with the owner Jason. He was very quick to disregard what had happened to me and to blow it off as, "things happen". I tried to point out how he, as a business owner, is liable for every person who walks through the door. His responses were self-serving and not about what was right. It was like trying to talk sense into an ignorant child.
My advice... If you're looking to tan in Lodi, make your safety a priority and look elsewhere... Lack of accountability by a business owner means more of a liability for everyone else. read more