You know how sometimes, a business messes up, maybe even royally, and their thoughtful resolution…read moremakes you think better of them than if everything had gone right in the first place? This is not one of those stories.
I went there on Mothers Day with a secret. I was six weeks pregnant, not far enough along to have told anyone, except for my doctor, whom I also asked about a trigger point massage, as I have gnarly knots in my back. She said it was fine. Per their website, they "recommend" prenatal massages after the first trimester, so they think it's fine, too. When I arrived, there was a sign on the wall that asked you inform them if you are pregnant so they can "take precautions for your safety and comfort." But THIS IS A LIE AND A TRAP.
I told the receptionist, and this set off a 15-minute tizzy. I heard several hushed voices outside the curtain. Two different people came in and out of the room multiple times. Between these conversations, I was told to get dressed, undress, and get dressed again.
One person who came to the room was the nice man (David) who was to work on me that day. The second one, who introduced herself as the prenatal massage therapist came in and gasped while I was lying on the table undressed, telling me to get off my stomach. She'll get me a pillow. I told her I don't need a pillow. She said she'd only work with me lying on a pillow. I asked where David was, and she said she was going to work on me instead, lying on my side. I must get a prenatal massage, and also, they cost $20 more. I said I'm not paying $20 more for less, and if I had wanted a prenatal massage, I'd've asked for one. She told me that I have to "follow their rules," and if I won't get a prenatal massage, they'll "let" me get a "short" chair massage. Since that does focus on upper back, I agreed but asked if David was going to do it. She said, "It'll be whoever is at the chair."
It was David, so I got a really good massage. You could tell he felt awful for me, which almost made it worse. I felt so humiliated and shamed for doing what they asked, and foolish for trusting them.
I went to pay and the receptionist told me that the manager gave me a 50% discount on the service, and how was it? I told her he did a great job, and she cheerfully said she would make a note for the future, as if I would ever come back.
I immediately wrote a review on Google, which was responded to a few hours later with a lot of words and no responsibility. They're sorry I felt that way. You can go read the review and their canned response, if you want. It's unhinged, but it's my "outcry" review, so I'll leave it.
The cherry on top was that the next day, I get an email, the subject of which is, "Following Up Personally," which just meant "privately," because it was utterly impersonal and spent the first half rehashing the Google response. I'll put screenshots, so you can read it yourself, but what's missing is any acknowledgement that what happened was unacceptable, or even that they messed up. She couldn't even muster up a "Mistakes were made." And throughout the entire ordeal, they never once have referenced their policy, because if they did, they'd have to admit mistakes were made.
She had the gall to tell me that, as a "gesture of goodwill," they're going to refund me the rest of the cost, and that she hopes that it "can show that we genuinely care about my experience and well-being." It was $25. I'm not sure you can put a dollar amount on "genuinely," but if you can, I imagine it's more than $25.
I didn't know I could be even angrier about this, but she really expanded my horizons. I emailed her back and told her that I paid cash, so how was she going to refund me? Does she expect me to come back to face the condescending prenatal massage therapist and the Front-Desk-Judas?
And what of that sign? I'm so angry about the sign. It sounds so kind, but it's a nasty confidence trick. They obviously don't care about your safety and comfort. They just intend to embarrass and scold you. I asked her if giving me a refund is a "gesture of goodwill" the same way they assure someone that disclosing pregnancy is for their "safety and comfort"?
I told her that it is textbook abuser behavior to ask someone to do something, punish them for doing it, and then apologize for it with gifts later. It is creepy and gross.
She actually responded but just to tell me she could Venmo. I don't have Venmo, so I tried one more time. I told her, point-by-point, what I needed--the instructions for an amicable ending. Acknowledge that what happened was not okay, explain how it happened, and apologize that it happened, not for how I feel. She answered back with another canned response. Unreal. But what I guess this means is that they think that this incident wasn't wrong or a big deal, just how they do things. And if they think that, then they'll do it again. Maybe to you.
UPDATE: I did receive the $25 via Zelle on 5/15.
