The Good:
I was able to schedule an appointment quickly as…read moreI wanted a massage and acupuncture after my long flight the night before (tightness in shoulders, neck and back). I was warmly greeted by Ceci (?), filled out some paperwork, and then spoke with Shu Jun. I started out with a strong massage by Ceci and she then used a heating tool that seemed to break up the fascia that was making me tight. Ceci was really great. She gave me some pointers throughout the massage and helped me to relax. And, I liked her demeanor: calm, quiet, caring.
The Not-So-Good:
- The massage: They used Johnson's baby oil. For the price of the services, I would have thought that a higher quality massage oil would have been used. Baby oil is not good for the body or the planet. I didn't see this until after I was getting dressed when my appt was over. :(
- The acupuncture: Initially painful but it resided when I did the deeper breathing per Shu Jun. I get acupuncture regularly at home and I hadn't experienced pain like this; she said acupuncture here is different from other places (meaning America). So be warned...
- The moxibustion: kinda makes you smell like you smoked a cigarette (which I don't). Shu Jun said that it was clearing the toxins. We'll see...
- Head Massage: I was asked if I wanted the head massage since I complained of a headache. Of course I wanted that if it could help...But, instead, I got a "facial scraping" in which they used an oil on my face and a heating wand of some sort to massage my face. (I typically don't like any kind of oil on my face since it can cause skin issues and I told Ceci. She said she would wash it off straight away which she did). I wish I was told this was how the service would be done since I expected a head massage, as in my scalp and temples getting massaged. Lesson learned that I should have asked for the details...but doesn't that seem very different than a head massage? I didn't think it would be SO different.
The Ugly:
- Constant upsell: At first, I just wanted the massage and acupuncture. She suggested 5 things: cupping, massage, acupuncture, moxibustion, head massage, and herbal medicines which would have cost approx. 250 British pounds. Well, sorry, in American dollars that's a whole lot of money. I told her just the massage and acupuncture. Then, I agreed to the head massage (an extra 30 minutes) because I'm a sucker... Then she pushed her herbs at the end of the visit. Sigh. (See below for more on that).
- She pushed me to purchase her medicines. When I suggested that I could buy her medicines if I came back later in the week, she seemed exasperated that I wasn't buying them today (and maybe to her credit she wanted to see that they were working on me before I returned). In total, they would have cost me an additional 60 pounds. I said I'd think about it. She then suggested that I buy one of them and even offered me a discount but I still refused. She said, "It's only 10 pounds more." I said, "Not in American dollars, it isn't. I'm already paying over $250 US dollars." (I'm sorry, but that's not chump change in my opinion.)
- We discussed my return in a few days for additional services since she recommended me coming again. However, when couldn't find a convenient time that worked with her schedule, I sat down on the couch to look at my schedule. She then handed me her card and walked away without saying a word. No thank you, no goodbye. I wasn't sure if she was coming back to give me some final to-do's post treatment, so I sat for a few minutes until I realized that she wasn't coming back when I heard her working with another client. Hmmm...
I would say that my experience is with mixed emotions: partially good service (thank you, Ceci), but inappropriate customer service. I suggest looking on Google reviews instead of Yelp since I had very little luck finding good reviews for acupuncturists in London. Disappointing to say the least.
