You want to get a massage in Raleigh, NC, but should you get a massage at a private practice or a massage franchise. What are the factors you need to consider to know before deciding where to get a massage?
There is a lot more to getting a massage than you might think at first. There is an enormous number of massage places in Raleigh NC with a variety of sizes, offers, and services. In this article, we try to compare franchises with private practices that offer massage in Raleigh, NC together and point out the advantages and disadvantages of each one of them.
In private practices in Raleigh North Carolina, therapists are small business owners who are personally invested in their operation, craftsmanship, environment, and reputation. They have their business on the line, this is not a giant resort with tons of resources. Therefore, these type of Massage therapists with their own practice have been in this line of work for years, they are experienced, they are local. Most importantly they run their offices with small funds, therefore they can not afford to have an unsatisfied client and lose one of them. For all these reasons, they try to provide the best quality massage, service, and satisfaction. They can’t afford to make mistakes, they have to do everything just right to keep their clients.
The level of care tends to be of higher quality and more customized in private practices
In both private massage therapy in Raleigh North Carolina and franchises, there is something called an “intake form”. This form allows them to learn specifically why you are seeking a massage and what is important to you in terms of therapy or experience. Also, the intake form informs the therapists about health issues, that massage may affect your body in a negative way. They are personally invested in the partnership with you and the results produced. The main difference is in private practices one massage therapist who sees you every session follow up the improvement, but in massage franchises, there is a huge possibility you see a different therapist every session.
The goal is treatment, not selling you products in massage practices
private practice therapists usually arrange their treatment plans based on the client’s needs, not what the corporate procedure manual dictates. There is rushing through a full-body therapy, which leads to selling as many upgrades and products as possible. In case you did not know, many big organizations expect their employees to up-sell and that’s, unfortunately, part of their performance reviews, some require they meet a quota.
Private practice massages are longer in Time
Massage therapy in franchises setting is 50 minutes for 60 minutes massage session. because they want all of their hours and schedule to make money. therapists perform 50 minutes massage and 10 minutes to wait that one client gets dress, then flip the massage table, put new sheets on the table, great the other client, wait for the second client to get undressed, and get on the table. imagine how is it possible in 10 minutes? However, If you decide to get massage from a private therapist in Raleigh, NC. usually they perform a much longer massage for the exact same amount of money. In most practices, you get literally 60 minutes massage for 60 minutes massage session. Besides, it is usually of higher quality.
You don’t pay for the extras
In franchises or some private practices, if you ask for deep tissue massage during your massage, that will cost you more! And this is not the only item with some added value in their list. Aromatherapy, energy work, hot rocks, acupressure, and sideline massage also has the same condition.
On the other hand, private massage therapists usually incorporate some or all of these extras into the client’s therapy as the need arises. Would a bit of acupressure help the neck to release better? Then the private therapist has more time to spare and uses acupressure.
In a franchises setting, this is not only discouraged but also often not allowed. If you ask for deep tissue during the massage, they will tack it on to the price afterward or the therapist would not accept it because it wasn’t asked for before the beginning of the session
Characters of massage franchises
The owners of massage franchises are investors. In most cases, they don’t have experience in this field. Even it is hard to find a massage therapist in the management team. massage franchises’ goal is to make a profitable business, therefore their policies are more toward selling and customer service than healthcare. For massage therapists at franchises, on the other hand, They need work long hours they can not provide %100 customer satisfaction. Simply because it’s not their personal business and they do not have anything invested with the company and long shifts that they have to be able to provide for their families.
Personal maintenance is NOT emphasized at big franchises
Massage therapists need to receive one massage at list once a week and it is better they perform up to 25-hour massage every week. This plan is expensive for massage franchises. Most therapists of big franchises if they receive a free massage, it is one massage per month, which most franchises don’t offer it.massage therapist at franchises doesn’t get paid enough therefore they need to massage very long hours every day if they want to receive a decent paycheck. After 25 massages they give per week, it is absolutely necessary for the therapist to take care of his/her body, otherwise the quality of the massage they perform declines, along with their physical or even emotional health. On the other hand, the salary of these massage therapist limits the financial ability to invest their own well-being.
Therefore, the massage therapist who does not receive massage occasionally turns out to be resentful of his/her clients. It is challenging to take care of others when you’re not taking care of yourself. But, a satisfied and healthy massage therapist means a better quality massage for you!
Minimal specialized attention at big franchises
Based on some researches about client’s reviews, to people who have certain health conditions, getting massage in big franchises could possibly be threatening or fatal. Therapists who work in big franchises often do not have enough time to ask about their client’s conditions, or not aware of this information in a cursory manner. They usually prescribe one size fits all routines. The truth is, you are in a factory, where the therapists have a routine, customers are just a number, and you are a client of the business owner, not of the therapist (in some cases, the therapist is not even allowed to tell you their last name).
Hired therapists are overworked and underpaid
Most employers in the franchises industry are not paid well for the work they perform. Usually, the owners of the company don’t understand how much knowledge is required to deliver techniques it to a high degree. Their behavior stifles growth and gradually leads to dissatisfaction and low function of workers on every level. Now just consider the implications of how this is going to affect the quality level of massage therapy you receive. Besides that, don’t you prefer a therapist who takes time to get familiar with your body, trigger points, past surgeries or injuries, and how they affected you? To find out which areas or which muscles still need work?
Franchises hire beginners
This isn’t always the case, but usually, the first place a new therapist goes to find a job is a spa or franchises. Private practices are built and gained experiences over time, their massage quality is high enough to because people come back. While, new therapists are usually not good enough to maintain clients, neither well-known enough as a therapist to pull in enough people and referrals, so they end up working for somebody else. Franchises are perfect places for new therapists to get better at massage techniques while building their own practice, but they are actually practicing on YOUR dime!
Final Thought
If you are on vacation, you want to feel luxurious, expensive products and services, or you are celebrating a special occasion with your friends or family, for instance, a bridal shower, then I can see the point and the amenities a spa offers would be the main factor. However, when it comes to “therapy,” this is a whole different affair. If you are just curious, try out a Spa experience. But after that, make sure to go to an experienced private practicing therapist as well and see the differences. Which do you prefer?
Raleigh Step Above massage as a local massage Spa tries to provide the best possible Massage in Raleigh, NC to all clients.