Sadly, I must recant my previous 5 star rating of my beloved T Spa.
I had come here for many years, always telling friends, family, and complete strangers that T Spa was the "best place" to get your pedicure.
What happened to T Spa?!?!?!
If you read my reviews, you will see, I rarely bother to post anything under a 5 star rating.
I/we walked in and the place was unusually slow (even w/Covid).
There are new pedicure chairs, draperies, and the signs have all changed places. The shop was spotlessly clean and a staff member did come quickly to greet and inquire about our needs (party of 2). I began to wounder if they had changed hands/ownership as I did not recognize anyone?
The signs had all been moved?
A large eye level sign facing outside in the front window displayed, "Voted Best in Thurston County ..." The sign/board for services and prices had been moved to about 10 feet up on the left hand wall (as you enter) and was very hard to see. I was not surprised to see the prices had gone up to $30 for a basic pedicure. There was a small ~16" sandwich board on the floor to the right of the check in desk advertising complementary drinks, including wine. We never were offered a beverage. The sign with licenses and group photos of staff were displayed on a wall in the pedicure room.
The large nail polish rack was attached to the wall on the left side under the price board as we entered, we were told to go and choose a color.
My pedicure was not good! Having received an AA in Cosmetology at the top college in Washington state, I know how a pedicure should be done. I do not currently work in this field, nor, do I have any ties to any nail shops. I have come here for over 10 years. As with any hands on service you get some staff who you prefer to have work on you, but, this was beyond that. I watched as the 6 pedicurists preformed the "scripted" services. The pedicure took about half the time it had in the past! They all skipped some parts of the pedicure experience that made me into the repeat customer I had been.
The normal attentive & friendly staff, application of lotion, gentle massage, and feeling that they wanted you to enjoy your pedicure was gone. My pedicurist was constantly trying to "up sell" me. But lacked enough English to answer basic questions, or, even stop what he was doing when I said, "Ouch, that hurts" (more than once)! I had to ask to speak to the manager three times, before he finally went to get her. The lady manager who came over understood so little English, that I gave up. I know how hard it can be when you do not speak the local language, I have traveled myself. Many people move here for a better life as my family had generations ago. I by no means am faulting these things. However, I feel there needs to be enough understanding for basic communication between customers and staff.
COVID has changed the face of how we do things, not so much at T Spa. There were no barriers between the pedicure chairs. I watched the staff take their same tote with supply kits from patron to patron. The basic pedicure includes a salt/sugar scrub, I saw all the pedicurists reach into the jar in their kit with their gloved hands (they had been using on their patron) and remove product! When my pedicurist left to get my hot towel, I wondered what he had had to touch while wearing his gloves to get to that towel? He also painted my nails without wearing gloves! I did not see the nail polish bottles being wiped down, only put back on the display shelf. The same shelf we had been directed to browse through when we entered.
Hmm... lets think about this.. You ask me and all people before me coming into the shop, with hands contaminated with who knows what, to touch the nail polish bottles and rack. These bottles are them carried to the gloved staff member by me/the patron. The staff member who's gloved hands are now contaminated, performs your pedicure!!! Even before COVID, I brought my own nail polish, top coat, and base coat in for my pedicure... for this very reason!
This next event was a first for here... After painting my nails, my pedicurist had me lift my feet as he drained the tub and removed the plastic tub cover. Next he had me set my bare feet on the uncovered tub edge... 20 minutes later he again had me lift my feet as he put a new cover on the tub, without sanitizing the tub edge! Had everyone before me sat their feet on the same bare tub edge?
These are all excellent examples of, "CROSS CONTAMINATION"!!!!!
Over all my pedicurist was rough with me, he cut/trimmed too deeply, sawed into my skin with the nail file, and my massage was way too hard - it was painful. My feet hurt during the night and are tender today! I am not a baby, rather the opposite!
When I went to pay my pedicurist also asked that I give him his tip in cash? Really, what is that all about???
I will NOT be returning to T Spa and strongly recommend you find a different nail salon for you nail care! read more