Where do I start? My friend and I booked a Swedish Massage and Facial through Wowcher in September 2014. We booked an appointment over the Christmas holidays which was then cancelled at the start of December because the clinic was "closing over the Festive period due to unforeseen circumstances." Ok so maybe staff want holidays which is fair enough, but surely such a decision would be made further in advance. The next available time for treatment was in April 2015. When we phoned the day before to confirm the time of our appointment, the reception staff seemed to have no knowledge of our booking, and after some confusion, unconvincingly advised our time was 12pm. We were then called to advise that due to "unforeseen circumstances," they would not be able to carry out our treatment. Without further contact, I was then left a voicemail to say that they would never cancel an appointment for no reason, but that this was due to a "bereavement," and for this reason, they would not be authorising a refund. After a lot of going back and forth between Wowcher and Pure Skin Clinic, and both companies passing the buck regarding refund, we reluctantly decided to reschedule, almost a year after the initial purchase!
Our appointment was at for 5pm on a Saturday evening. Upon arrival and after hearing staff disagreeing with each other about other appointment times, and being expected to make light of at the situation along with the other therapists, we were then taken to our very basic treatment rooms. The walls are extremely thin, and we could hear a mixture of spa music, loud pop music from somewhere, a sound check from the band setting up in the pub downstairs, loud voices in the waiting room and the bell of the front door opening and closing. My friend's therapist apologised but then told her that she doesn't usually work until 6pm, and didn't know why they were open until that time. I know this because I could hear every word of their conversation through the wall in the next treatment room. Very relaxing?!!!!!!!!
My treatment was amateurish. I advised the therapist that I had a tense back and lots of knots. Not enough oil was used, and there was no rhythm or structure to the massage. Absolutely no pressure was used whatsoever, to the point where the final 5 minutes of the massage was wound up with my back being awkwardly stroked to the point where it tickled. My friend next door, who had said that she was not keen on firm massages, was told jokingly by her therapist that she "didn't do gentle," and was left feeling stiff and bruised the following day. Dermatologica products are what are displayed in reception - the products within the treatment room were cheap and some unbranded. I could have done a deeper and more beneficial facial myself in my own house. A long time was taken between products being applied and removed, with minimal attention to the face. Towards the end of my treatment, and over and above the noise of the band downstairs who were now full swing into their set, through the paper thin walls I could hear my friend being given a loud verbal brief by her therapist on all promotions that the spa was offering, again for me to hear during my facial.
At the end of our treatment, the reception staff apologised about the noise, but also made the strange remark that they are "too frightened to confront the bar owners," because they are women and they are afraid that their staff might be aggressive to them. Oh please. Perhaps the owners should do some market research before launching a spa above a well-known music venue, and consider your opening hours in that case? Apparently, the only way that our comments will be considered would be via a complaint to the management who, conveniently, for the 11 month duration of this episode were "unavailable to speak with." read more
