I've been a long time client of SunUtan in St.Albert for several years and up until this past winter )when the business was sold) I couldn't complain about anything there. Beds and tanning rooms were always clean (no dust under beds, no finger prints or body prints on the inside or outside of tanning beds), open regular and consistent hours ( 7 days a week, mornings/afternoons/evenings/weekends and most holidays (except Christmas Day and New Years Day), exceptionally professional and friendly owner who made every effort to ensure her clients were comfortable and fully informed about indoor tanning. It was just all round a positive experience to come here.
Since the winter when the business was sold, I've noticed many unsatisfying changes within the business:
*Beds: are not always clean (finger prints and body prints on the outside and inside of "cleaned" tanning beds), plastic is chipped, face tanner bulbs not always working.
*Irregular business hours: You may be lucky enough to find a piece or multiple pieces of paper on their door stating why they aren't open this time, but fairly often there isn't a sign on either door when they should be operating and the Open sign is turned off. (I'm not sure how a business is able to stay operating when business hours are constantly shortened and the tanning studio is late to open or just not open at all without warning).
*The current owners husband has driven to the studio heavily intoxicated only to go into the backroom of the studio to pour himself another drink and come out to insult, bother and harass clients waiting for a tanning bed.
*An alarming amount of unprofessional "dirty laundry" is aired out in the shop by the owner regarding clients or former clients of the tanning studio or home life.
*Under the work.alberta.ca website it states:
(Adolescents are defined as individuals aged 12, 13, and 14)
"Adolescents may not work:
* More than two hours on a school day.
* More than eight hours on a non-school day. "
The owners 12 year old daughter is often working for hours much longer than this on a school day (because her mother has told her she doesn't have to go to school) and is unable to keep up the business by herself when she is working (not keeping beds cleaned properly, unable to answer questions about tanning or the beds)
A large number of the Sunutan clientele have since stopped going to this tanning studio for quite a few of the above points, and a significant amount of these clients have been yelled at AND threatened by the owner to leave her business.
As much as I encourage others to support local and independent businesses, I'm unable to support/recommend businesses that can not come close to meeting my expectations. Looks like I'll be joining the majority of the former Sunutan clientele at Fabutan for a more pleasant experience. read more