My boyfriend and I tried Gu Cha Jiang Head Spa in Pomona through a Groupon couples 50 minute session, which included the head spa along with a head, neck, and shoulder massage. I called ahead to make an appointment and arrived on time, so the booking and check in process itself was smooth.
When we checked in, the receptionist gave us tablets to complete our intake forms, including our problem areas. I specifically selected my head, neck, and shoulders. While we were filling them out, the receptionist asked if we spoke Mandarin Chinese. We said no, but we do understand some Mandarin. She then proceeded to tell the other employees, "Oh good, they can't understand us." That was extremely unsettling and unprofessional to hear as a customer. Regardless of what was said afterward, making a comment like that directly in front of customers leaves a very bad impression.
We were then taken through a scalp assessment, which honestly felt unnecessary. My scalp was obviously going to be oily. I had worked out earlier that day, it was hot outside, and our appointment was later in the evening. After the assessment, we were taken to the head spa beds, changed into robes, and had our eyes covered with cotton eye masks.
Unfortunately, the massage itself was mediocre at best. There was very little pressure, and it didn't feel like the therapist was really targeting the areas I had identified as problem areas. The massage felt very light and mechanical rather than therapeutic or relaxing. I was expecting more attention to my head, neck, and shoulders, especially since those were the areas I specifically indicated.
Toward the end of the session, we were brought back to the assessment chair. They used a tool to blow air through certain areas of our scalp, which honestly felt like someone using a keyboard cleaner to blow away dandruff and oil. They then used the camera again to show us how clean our scalps were. At that point, we had just had our hair washed, so showing us a clean scalp afterward didn't really demonstrate much beyond the fact that our hair had been washed.
Overall, the experience was not nearly as relaxing or worthwhile as I expected from a head spa. I also got the impression that because we were using a Groupon deal, the experience felt more like a quick, standardized service than an experience focused on the individual client's needs.
I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately the experience did not meet my expectations. Between the uncomfortable interaction at the front desk and the underwhelming massage and overall treatment, I would not recommend this location read more