I have honestly never felt the need to leave a review for a business before, but after this…read moreexperience I felt obligated to share what happened so that future customers know what to expect.
I booked a 40-minute massage advertised at $40. When I called, I was simply told that the next available time was at 4:45 PM. From that conversation, we were under the impression that any time after 4:45 would be fine, and we were never explicitly told that we were being booked for exactly 4:45 PM. As a result, we arrived a few minutes after 4:45 and the massage began around 4:55 PM. However, the session still ended around 5:25 PM, meaning I paid for a 40-minute massage but only received about 30 minutes of actual massage time.
Another odd thing my girlfriend and I noticed was the inconsistency in the massages themselves. We paid for the exact same service, but our experiences were noticeably different. I was assigned a female therapist while my girlfriend was assigned a male therapist, which was perfectly fine, but my girlfriend received a much more thorough massage that included work down her legs, whereas I did not receive the same treatment despite us paying for the same service. It left us confused as to why there was such a difference in what was provided.
What really pushed me to write this review, however, was the checkout experience. I offered a $5 tip and was immediately told there was a "$10 minimum." I have absolutely no issue tipping and fully understand that massage therapists deserve to be compensated for their work. However, I have never in my life been told how much I was required to tip, especially when there were no signs, notices, or disclosures stating that gratuity was mandatory.
If customers are expected to pay a mandatory $10 gratuity, that should be clearly communicated beforehand or included in the advertised price. Instead, I felt pressured at checkout after already receiving less time than I had paid for. To make matters worse, the difference between a 40-minute massage and a one-hour massage is only $10, meaning I effectively paid the price of an hour-long massage while receiving only about 30 minutes of service.
The massage itself was decent, but the lack of communication and transparency completely overshadowed the experience. I left feeling more taken advantage of than relaxed, which is the exact opposite of how a massage experience should end.
Unfortunately, I will not be returning, and I hope management addresses these issues because no customer should pay for 40 minutes, receive 30, and then be told there is a "$10 minimum" tip requirement that was never disclosed beforehand.
