Spa Individual Blog / Adam Armstrong / 1702060C

Case Trust Accreditation

Massage Master is considered a CAT1 spa with CaseTrust Accreditation. In order for a Spa to receive Casetrust Accreditation, they need to meet the following requirements:

PROTECTION FOR PREPAYMENT

Consumers who made prepayment can be assured that the value of their un-utilized balance will be protected, with documentation and real-time verification of their coverage provided.

5-DAY COOLING-OFF PERIOD

Consumers enjoy a cooling-off period of at least 5 working days to seek a full refund of payments made if they do not wish to proceed with the services offered. The 5-day cooling-off period offers recourse for consumers who have been pressured into signing up. For avoidance of doubt, this cooling-off period is not applicable for services which have been utilised.

STRESS-FREE TREATMENT

When patronising CaseTrust accredited spas, you can be assured of relaxing and stress-free treatments because of a ‘No Selling’ policy once you enter the treatment room.

CLEAR FEE POLICIES

Clearly articulated and documented policies on charges and refunds. These must be fully disclosed to customers and adhered to according to the terms and conditions of the contract between the businesses and customers.

WELL-DEFINED BUSINESS PRACTICES AND SYSTEMS

Besides good business practices and systems, there should be a redress system with proper and clearly defined dispute resolution mechanisms for the business and customers.

WELL-TRAINED PERSONNEL

The business must ensure that it has trained sales staff who do not practice unethical sales tactics and are able to provide good customer service.

Sales and Marketing

The website of the spa was the first thing I went to look at when researching about the spa. The first thing I noticed about the website was that they displayed all their pictures clearly at the home page to showcase to the guests what they have. They have a short introduction on their home page about their company with testimonials from the various guests being shown right below. This gives the customers a sense of reassurance when looking into the spa. Furthermore, the website has different tabs which clearly label the promotions and treatments they offer with the different pricings under different treatments for customers to easily access. Besides their main website, they also have a Facebook page where they post updates and new promotions. Facebook is also a platform where the customers can send constructive criticism to the company.

Besides their online marketing they have banners outside their shop which showcase peak and non peak prices to encourage more customers to come in during earlier hours. 

In my opinion the spa should take up more forms of marketing in order to promote their spa as I feel what they are doing now is not enough to sustain the business. Since the spa is in a very remote location, the spa should move their advertising to Instagram where the younger generations are mostly on. This will further expand their reach and brand image. 

Spa Reservation and Reception

When making the spa reservation the receptionist answered very promptly with a delightful greeting. She was happy to answer any of the questions I had. When going through the spa menu with her, she was able to advise me on the concerns I had. For example, there was only one type of full body massage and therefore i was wondering if we would have to get undressed as I have been to other places where they carry out the whole massage with a towel over you. The receptionist informed me that I would have to get undressed. However, she assured me that all the therapists were well trained and would accomodate me to the best of their abilities. This made me feel better even before I entered the actual spa which is an important aspect of customer service. 

When I entered the spa the receptionist immediately welcomed me and invited me to approach the counter in a very friendly matter. I wanted to book a slot for 6:30 pm but the receptionist informed me that it would be their peak period by then. She recommended me to book a slot before 6pm to save $12. This shows great customer service as she was trying to help me save money instead of charging me extra for the benefit of the company. 

Some recommendations that I have for the receptionist is that she needs to take more initiative. Even though she was happy to answer all my questions, I was the one that was constantly asking. She did not attempt to promote her products or give me advice on what treatment I should have gotten.

Spa Therapist and Spa Treatment

Before having my treatment I had to wait 20min before there would be a therapist to attend to me. In the meantime, they gave me an empty room to lay in with relaxing music playing with the aircon adjustable to my liking. When the therapist came in she greeted me with her name and politely asked me to change into the disposable underwear they had provided. The therapist gave me ample time to change and did not enter the room until I told her I was positioned comfortably. 

The massage started off silent but she started conversation 10min into the session. It started off with basic questions such as where do I school and how old I am. However, as the massage slowly progressed, the conversation became more personal and we were talking as if we were friends. This made me feel much more comfortable eventhough i felt vulnerable undressed.

During the treatment, she was able to specifically point out the muscles that were stiff and adjust her pressure and hand movement accordingly. As a person who goes to the gym often, this benefitted me tremendously in helping my sores heal faster. This gave me a very personalised experience that was affordable for the price of $48. 

After the treatment, the therapist wiped me down with a towel to get rid of all the oil on me. She offered me time past the one hour I had booked to clean myself up and to use the shower if necessary. At the end of the whole experience they gave me a choice of hot tea or water. When I opted for the water they brought it to my room and then proceeded to usher me out when I wanted to leave. 

Spa Design, Ambience and Maintenance

When I first entered the spa, the lobby area was not as big as the spas I have been to overseas. The hallways were quite narrow and the rooms for the customers were just enough to fit the customers and have space for the therapist to walk around the bed. However, the way the spa had their lighting and scents throughout the spa made the spa feel cozy instead of crammed.

The spa had around 10 rooms for various treatments. For example, they had rooms for couples, foot reflexology and a single customer. Each of the full body massage rooms contained a bed, safe, side table, clothes hanger, mirror, and a shower with soap provided. 

Besides the rooms the spa had beverages for the guests to freely take. This included warm water, chamomile tea and green teas. The choice of these drinks were very strategic as they are known to help calm the body especially when hot or warm. 

Privacy of the rooms were great with only a small window at the top of the door between the room and the outside. For the males, the window had to be kept open at all times to not encourage any sexual interaction between the therapist and the guest. For the women however, the window could be blocked off completely with a sign stating there was a female inside the room. This gave the women a greater sense of safety and comfort during their session. 

The only downfall of the spa’s layout, was the toilet. There was only one toilet within the whole spa which was crammed at the back corner of the spa. There was not enough room between the toilet and the door which caused me to have to squeeze in between the toilet to get the door open. The sink was outside the toilet as well which causes the floor around the sick to be wet which can be a safety hazard. 

Reflection

The main consideration that I, as a customer, take to sign up with a spa as a long term customer would be the quality of the massage and services they provide. The main point of going into a spa is to ease your tension and get rid of the toxins in your body. If there are good therapists and facilities, the price of the treatments would not matter as much.Secondly, is to have a loyalty programme for those who do end up becoming long term customers. This can be done by having special promotions for these members.         

References

http://www.massagemaster.com.sg/

https://www.casetrust.org.sg/accreditation-detail.aspx?id=5