Massage Envy is now offering facials? Using Murad? Really?
April 5th, 2010 • Posted by Stephany Toman • Permalink
I see a lot of really interesting, and sometimes controversial news bits in my line of work. You can't do what I do and not be inundated. Most days when I arrive I have upwards of 25 emails above and beyond the critical transactional emails I must act upon, emails just sitting in my inbox clamoring for attention. I spend a bit of each day filtering through these pleas, and with few exceptions delete them all.
My point? It takes a lot to make me shake my head and go, "Huh? Really? Are you kidding me?"
The press release announcing Massage Envy's new foray into spa facials using Murad's products elicited just this response. Massage Envy is testing out providing spa facials in five Arizona locations. They're using Murad products in their facials, and are offering the service for $49. Based on their history, once Massage Envy moves into an area, they expand aggressively and quickly.
Given that knowledge, what is your reaction? What will you do if the Massage Envy right around the corner to your location begins to offer spa facials?
So, because I like to bounce stuff like this off my colleagues, I did. Right away. (It's always good to verify that you haven't completely lost your mind and overreacted, right?)
Their reactions were very similar to mine. None of us would choose to get a spa facial at what we view as a discount massage vendor. If we want a facial, we want it performed in a spa-like environment. Massage Envy does not provide that, nor have they positioned themselves to 'be' that. Until their most recent foray.
Of concern here, is more that they're once again encroaching on the hallowed ground of spa, and are going to present a competitive service in your neighborhood before you know it.
The time is right to brainstorm, focus your efforts on developing strong relationships with your clients (something Massage Envy simply does not aspire to) and keep reading the SpaBoom Blog for ideas. We'll follow this with periodic ideas to help.
In the meantime, let us know what you think, and what you're going to do to counter Massage Envy's latest move.
We're listening.
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They are actually going to invest in steams, mag lamps, different tables, hot towel cabis, sterilizers, waxing pots, etc… all that equipment for every location? Ok, do they know that the Murad line, while well marketed, is EXTREMELY strong and very difficult to sell because if you sell more than 2 things and the client comes back and complains and wants their money back because they used both products at the same time… you give the money back? It's ok. All will be fine. We don't do "spa facials" anymore… what WE do is a different type of facial — more like the medi-spas — we don't use the word facial anymore (Mary Kay uses the facial word too). I guess their massage business is down. So many franchise massage places… their sales pitch at the end is a turn off for many customers. Maybe they should invest in lasers too and "Be everything to Everybody."
I would be surprised that a company like Murad would agree to be a part of this "discount" franchise.
Another thought. Doesn't this franchise offer a very low "first time" massage/facial and then charge a "normal" price for all services after that? So they are not really that discount, they only appear to be because of their first time offer.
I do have a Massage Envy right around the corner from my business. At first I really felt threatened, but the longer they have been here, the more people have been turned off by them. They are currently offering facials here too. Of course we can't match their prices, but our fair prices, great customer service, and skilled therapist and estheticians, have kept our business strong. One of the things that I now mention in my advertising is that there are no contracts and no monthly dues. It seems to be of interest to those who have tried Massage Envy and were turned off by the sales pitches and often inexperienced help.
Unfortunately Massage Envy in Flemington, NJ (their location opened about a year ago several miles from my massage clinic), now provides facials. They now call themselves Massage Envy Spa, and when you google the words 'spa in Flemington', guess who comes up?
Do I believe that they will invest in steams, mag lamps, different tables, etc.? You bet I do. The folks who buy these franchises typically have lots of money. The owner here has two other locations! He also has a billboard, which costs a chuck on change on a monthly basis.
My plan of attack: just today I made an appointment with Massage Envy for a 'facial' for this coming Wednesday. I asked, and they do have a full time esthetician on staff. I will let you know what I think of the facial after Wednesday.
Also, I know of and have an appointment set with a licensed esthetician tomorrow at 12:00. My facility has 6 treatment rooms, so I want to turn one room into a room for facials. She's the real deal. I have to get in touch with the state to find out the logistics of renting room to a esthetician. I know that she has to be licensed, the room has to have a sink, and a special chair. My thought is to start a new company with her, rent her a room, and then offer facials. I'll be darned if Massage Envy is going to keep taking clients from me because of their inexpensive services.
We shall see.
We are not afraid of Massage Envy — because we actually secret shop them and found that the service and massage were not the same quality as the ones we offer.
It seems to me that Massage Envy does have a "spa" environment, however their "discount" philosophy is more like selling memberships at the gym. The introductory service is very cheap, however when comparing cost per minute for the package, it comes out to be higher than the spas in our area.
Having said that, I'm not real happy about this prospect of having to compete against this business model. It's much tougher to get people to take care of their skin, so if they see they can get it done cheaply at least initially, they probably will be more inclined to start at "ME" rather than with a traditional spa or Esthetician.
I would be very disappointed if Murad chose to partner with "ME," however not surprised. I have seen their products in large retailers like Sephora and Bath and Body Works. They have a great line but they don't do much to support their Spa customers.
If I owned a spa that carried Murad I would be upset. They must be in trouble of they are going to turn their backs on their clients and partner up with Massage Envy. They are obviously getting a better deal from Murad if they can afford to do $49 facials. My spa uses our own private label products so we can compete if necessary. It's time for small spas to find their niche and market it like crazy! Pretty soon they will be Massage Envy Spa and Salon and will be offering nails and haircuts. Nothing like corporate competition to keep us on our toes. Time to step up your game folks! Why not?
In addition to facials, ME is now offering "hot stone" massage. A friend who works there said the owner told her to go to YouTube to watch some videos to see how it is done. No in house training. I offer both massage facials and esthetician skincare facials… many clients who sign up have never had a facial before. I suspect that is the market ME is targeting, folks who are new to massage and also new to facial services… it will be one more thing they can sell. However, I have had a good number of clients who went to ME first and then selected my massage biz on the next go around as they were not impressed with the overall low quality of massage. One lady said the non-English speaking man from India gave her the worse massage ever. When the pay rate is low, you can't expect the Ritz.
Sure do appreciate the heads-up regarding the invasion of ME into the world of esthetics. I would like to think that there are some very sophisticated and educated clients who would turn their noses up at ME since ME is not the "real deal." We are all looking for a bargain but at what cost? We can always pray that the Arizona test market doesn't prove profitable for ME. You know, we will 'win' out in the long run by standing in our integrity, sincerity, and honesty with our clients.
M.E. like all competition is good for the spa business. When M.E. moved in down the road from me with much better parking and deep pockets (I assume) I was very nervous. But in the first year I never lost one client that I could notice, and my business actually grew because my therapists were top notch and we offered result orientated bodywork. M.E. discount isn't really a discount if you look at their offer it's a monthly revolving charge which is a use it or lose it deal. If any of my clients ever asked me to meet M.E. pricing I would have right down to a monthly membership. I currently work in the same shopping plaza as a M.E. (different state then before) and I'm not sure if my clients know or care that they exist.
I also think the M.E. is doing the other spa businesses a favor they hire and train graduating therapists the most will burn out with the back to back every 50. The survivors will go onto work in better establishments who offer better working conditions and wages.
The nearest "M.E." location was about 15 min. away from my spa (Southern California). Now they are about 5 min. up the road with a new location opening up in the town next to us. When I found out where they were opening up & providing facials in an area that didn't use to be zoned for it, my esthetician and I took our promo cards (we are independent contractors and her & I do a lot of referring so all our info is on one card plus it was just before Christmas) out to the businesses in the area. We introduced ourselves as independent contractors, that we have 10+ years in both experience and being in business, and that we are not some corporate chain. I have to admit it ruffled my feathers and at the same time is nothing new. I don't consider my location to have competition, when you love what you do and are excellent at it then people are drawn to that. You just have to change up your marketing. So, I had done an email survey to my clients last year and one of the questions was if they would be interested in a membership. Many said "yes." So my regular 1 hr. price is $75, not a bottom barrel price and not hotel rate either. So my membership is $10 a month, must come in 2 times, Wed. only, and get a 50 min. massage for $35. Some may consider that low but it beats what chiropractors pay and the point is for people who can't afford regular massage to come out of the woodwork and be regular. March was my first month and I have to tell you I only have 2 spaces left to fill and my day is booked at 8 sessions weekly plus 2 overflows. I don't worry about my esthetician, she is CONSTANTLY booked, her products are excellent, she sells herself very well and her books show. She rarely discounts to a 50% off level. So basically think out of the box and everyone will beat out the competitors. I know I have brought in a few from "M.E." because of their bad service. Sorry so long
Great insight across the board, as usual! Competition makes all of us look closely at what we're offering and work to provide the absolute best customer experience, which helps us gain loyal clients in the process.
There is no shortage of competition in any area of business. What there is, though, is the businesses who stand out, consistently and over time, because of their dedication to their clientele, their belief in what they as a business bring to the table, and often because they understand that using creativity and technology (SpaBoom clients definitely do this) can help effectively extend their message online and focus on their core business while they do it.
Thank you all for sharing, and keep it coming!
Massage Envy may seem appealing initially, but most clients want consistency. M.E. lacks this due to the high therapist turnover. I worked there briefly (about a month) and was extremely disappointed with their pay and business practices. Instead of staying, I decided to continue on my own along with working a few days with a chiropractor. I think the same will happen with this "facial." I also received training in skin care when I went to cosmetology school and we were taught about fair compensation for our services. M.E. compensation is in no way fair (in my opinion).
If you do your job well and build great relationships with each and every client who walks into your spa, you will do well. There are currently a few spas in my area (not Massage Envy by the way) who discount their services every week, but we have not lost any of our loyal clients to them. Of course there are always a few clients who are cheap any way and may settle for a cheap massage or facial once or twice a year, but those are not the bulk of your biz any way. Take Spa Week for example — a national week when a lot of spas offer services for 50%. I have never participated in Spa Week either and yet we get our regulars during that time. We now also have to compete with these coupons or discount sites such as groupon and buy with me etc. There are just too many discount things out there, but I strongly believe that if your customer service and your technical skills are top notch you don't have to worry about the cheap competition (cheap is the keyword).
I currently work at a M.E. that has just started offering facials. As a therapist with an inside view of how it works, I believe it is a big mistake on Envy's part. They have to take away rooms that they would have used for massage in hopes that their facials will catch on to fill the void. Massage is much more requested than facials and I don't see how that could change. You can only receive so many facials in a month compared to some people getting weekly if not biweekly massages. The product is expensive which doesn't appeal to a client that was looking for a bargain. In my opinion, this introduction will be a plus for the regular spas because they are bringing awareness to people that might not otherwise tried a facial. Even though they offer a facial to their current massage members in lieu of their monthly massage, there aren't too many who are willing to give up a massage for a facial more than once if at all. In the meantime Envy will be sending their good massage therapists back out into circulation to their competition only to find that this will die like a fad. It will be interesting while it is new but will soon die down with more negativity. This is just one more contract for them to annoyingly push. So hold on everybody because this will be a negative for M.E. but a plus for regular spas.
Don't worry too much about Massage Envy expanding into other spa services. We are an upscale massage center and it always tickles me when a guest tells me they tried Massage Envy and it was so bad that either (1) they couldn't wait for the massage to be over or (2) it was the most expensive cheap massage they ever got. People may try them for the price but they will always come back to the service providers that offer TRUE VALUE for their money.
I tested a membership concept for facials for the past two years. I also utilized ME's contract as a starting point. I debit my clients $60 a month. And for those needing derm, peels, etc. I offer a year of beauty at an upfront fee and it is fine.
My experience with ME is that they are hit or miss with quality. But we all knew this was coming, it was really a no brainer. Just reward your clients and continue to keep close relationships. They won't venture off.
As with any competition, ME will "hurt" some and "help" others, depending on the positioning, advertising and client relationships.
The biggest positive impact of adding facials to their menu is that it starts to make facials more mainstream and more top of mind… They will get a slice of the (revenue) pie but at the same time increase the size of the pie. I think that one of the reasons that most people do not get massages and facials regularly is that they 'think' that it is indulgent or only for the wealthy and have not understood that they are necessary maintenance. (It is like changing the oil in your car… you don't have to change your oil but you will pay a higher price later if you don't…)
Mass marketing will bring skin and body care into greater public awareness and the best businesses will prosper from it with superior client education, relationship building, higher quality care and higher prices!
Personally I feel it is our responsibility, as professionals who pride ourselves in maintaining a high standard of professionalism in our industry, to keep petitioning to our state boards to tighten up the requirements to be considered a "spa."
As long as the person doing the "facial" (no matter where, be it a mall kiosk, a room in the back of a hair salon, a dentist office or a retail store) is licensed and abides by the requirements set forth by their local divisions there is not much we can do. People have seen the money to be made in the skin care industry and greed has encouraged them to branch out. Come on, Merle Norman, Bloomingdales and others have done it and I have found that typically the consumer who patronizes these types of establishments is uneducated in the quality difference of the services.
Competition is good, usually, and we owe it to the consumer to enlighten them as to the difference between true professional spa quality service and products and everything else. There is hardly a day that goes by that I don't have to defend the aesthetics industry in some way against the bombardment of advertising out there claiming some miracle anti-aging, anti-acne, anti-??? results from a single use. It is just the way is is now in industry. I have a friend who is a professional florist who has to do the same thing in her business. Grocery stores sell flowers and make party arrangements now and most of the time the quality is just simply not there. There is a consumer out there for all of us, those who want quality service will seek it out and those who are looking for a bargain basement deal have a place to shop as well.
There is no right and wrong, just differences and the more informed people are the better choices they can make.
All just my opinion, but 16 years in the industry has given me a bit of experience too.
SP, I LOVE THE MEMBERSHIP IDEA!!! I have been thinking of a way to add a membership since 2008 but just never knew how to incorporate it into my pricing. This is just perfect.
Massage Envy is not merely "testing" performing facials. A new franchise called Massage Envy Spa is here to stay and soon there will be hundreds of new spas and hundreds of Massage Envy clinics will convert to the new spa franchise at an estimated upgrade cost of around $50K. Facials will cost $10 more than 1 hour massage sessions (50 minutes hands on massages). 4 therapy rooms are being set aside for facials with 2 of these 4 exclusively set up to perform facials. Murad is the required product brand.
The only reason you should fear Massage Envy performing facials is the same reason massage therapists fear Massage Envy-your failure to be able to compete with them. You need to concentrate on performing the best services possible while understanding that Massage Envy is not going anywhere. Literally millions of satisfied customers have put their stamp of approval on Massage Envy's services and convenience and prices in almost 700 locations with hundreds more coming.
That's the reality of the world as it is. That may not be the way you want it but you need to realize it & just keep on providing the best services you can. And stop making untrue statements and allegations about your competition regardless of who they are.
Adopt or perish. That's business.
Both my accountant and finical advisor's comments about ME moving into our area was the same… "So would Saks be upset if Walmart moved in next door?" NO. Position yourself with quality and let the bargain shoppers go elsewhere. Then they will not try to nickel and dime you into being ME.