I purchased a Groupon for two services here, a choice of microdermabrasion or chemical peel. I am…read morea bit leery of anything to do with the word "chemical" so I chose microdermabrasion.
When I called to make my first appointment, the gentleman who answered the phone was extremely polite and courteous while speaking to me. He answered my questions and scheduled me in for my preferred time and day. So far, so good.
On the day of my appointment, I left the house with no makeup on, since they would just be taking it off anyway. Over the past couple of years, I've developed some redness on my left cheek and forehead, which seems to get worse on certain days. I'm not quite sure what causes it, which is why I'm seeking out various skin care remedies to treat it. I used to have completely clear, beautiful skin so this has been extremely depressing for me and I feel incredibly self-conscious about it.
When I walked into the clinic, the woman behind the desk (Silvia) looked up and I told her I was there for my appointment. She looked at me and said in kind of a loud voice, "What's wrong with your face?" I was mortified and instantly felt extremely embarrassed that I had left the house without makeup on. I glanced around and saw a few people (likely staff) turn to look at me while I stammered a reply, something to the effect of, "That's what my face looks like without makeup and that's why I'm here." I couldn't believe her lack of professionalism - I was actually shocked at how rude it was to blurt that out.
Anyway, after completing the intake form, I was taken into a room for my treatment where a lovely young woman asked a series of questions and we spoke about the treatment. After completing the microdermabrasion, I went to the front counter to schedule my next appointment and pay the tax on my Groupon. Silvia apologized to me, saying that someone on her staff had pointed out that she had been rude to me. She seemed genuinely surprised that it was perceived that way, and went on to make a few excuses for the comment she had made. I thanked her for the apology, scheduled my next appointment and left.
I don't know why, but her comment stung quite a bit. Probably because I felt vulnerable without makeup and wasn't expecting a "professional" to react that way, but also because her apology seemed pretty insincere.
My next appointment was a couple of months later and upon going into the clinic, I had that uncomfortable feeling return. The service was fine and the technician was great (I don't remember her name, unfortunately) but in all, it was really not a relaxing experience. I hesitated between two and three stars, but ultimately I thought the actual service was fine so I stuck with three stars.
I understand it's a clinic and not a spa, but they would do well to maybe oil the door hinges so they don't squeak so loudly - not to mention every time they open/close a door, it sounded like they were slamming them. It's just the layout of the rooms - the walls don't go up to the ceiling, so you can hear every noise, including all the loud voices in the hall. Also, several times people walked into my treatment room by mistake. It was just very disconcerting. I think there's an expectation of privacy and perhaps a somewhat quiet environment when getting these treatments done that is not present at this clinic. I could certainly overlook this if everything else was great, but it just felt like one more thing that added to the list of reasons not to return.
I made a joke about getting some WD40 for the squeaking door hinges to Silvia, but she just stared at me and said she didn't understand what that was. I tried to explain but it didn't seem to matter. Oh well.
I had come prepared this visit with my tinted moisturizer to apply before leaving, which I did in the washroom. When I was done, there was no "thanks for coming" or any conversation about any follow up treatments - in fact, when I saw Silvia in the hall and asked if there was anything else, she just said no, so I left feeling like they didn't even want my business. This, combined with my initial feeling on my first visit, I guess I shouldn't feel bad about not going back.
Whenever I try a new place (Groupon or not) the question I ask myself is would I return (and pay full price)? In fact, I'm more likely to return in future when I feel like I got a great deal on my first visit. In this case, my response would be no to both. Even with a discount, I'm not interested in going back.
I've tried a few other places in the past couple of months and I'm happy to say I've found a place that I feel really good about and have chosen to go there instead for my future skin care needs.
Customer service is so important in this industry so I truly hope that Silvia can try to be more tactful towards her clients in the future.
