Massage Parlor Reports

[Bob521]

Pricing:

Mei and I deliberately set the price $10 below market to get people "in the door" to build up a customer base. At some point we will change pricing. Maybe some legacy deals for our long-term customers. I started advertising in January and it had a major impact on business. CL, BP, FB, Google, and Yelp. Also a loyalty card. I was nervous about advertising until I had more people to fill in the gaps. Part of the problem is the "lumpy" flow of business. Yesterday (Saturday) we had 8 customers for Mei and another woman. Today, nobody has come in at all (yet). Maybe I should have "rush hour pricing" or a $60 "walk in" vs a $50 "appointment rate". Appointments help us manage the business and the staffing, plus I can add clients to the contact database. I also want to continue to give a good price to our loyal customers. A final observation is that most of our regulars give Mei a good tip, thus equalizing the apparent low price. I agree 30 minutes is too short for a real massage. Actually, Mei's idea of 30 minutes is 40 minutes. 60 minutes is 70 minutes. And 90 minutes is 100 minutes. I keep telling her to stick to the actual time and she will help herself. I'm not worried about $49.95 and of course everybody understands. Exxon does it also. LOL.

We have a man who is excellent and helps the female clients and a woman who is also excellent but has limited time. Hence the need for a new worker who can fill in for Mei. She needs rest and also a day off each week.

Sounds like Mei is working very very hard. 7 days a week & 11 hours a day giving legit intense massages. Wow that must be brutal! She's going to burn out at that rate.

I would highly recommend she raise her rates. Her clientele should understand. Also maybe she can focus more on 30 min and 45 min massages and have breaks in between each massage.

Good luck!

[ReadyForRub]

So the predictions a few of you made were true. We brought in additional people. They just don't compare. Mei ("L") has been swamped with business. To be more accurate, everyone conspires to arrive at the same time. Mei gives 200% of the energy of the average therapist. 400% of the energy of those who pretend to be massage therapists. So 4 or 5 90 minute massages back to back with no food and she can barely stand. Seven days a week. 11 hours a day.

Mei tried introducing our best customers to the "new girl" and nobody is satisfied. Mei gives (as many of you know) a super strong traditional Chinese acupressure massage. Forum Members can add their own comments. The new one gave a weak Swedish massage. Today two people walked out on the "new girl". If any of you tried the new one, please PM me and I will give you a half price massage with Mei.

With that preamble, if you know anyone who has excellent massage skills, let me know. Must be legit. Must have transportation. We are in Buffalo Grove Deerfield and Weiland, SW corner. Here's the website: http://massage0110.wixsite.com/sunshinehealthmassag Thanks in advance. Bob.

I don't know a legit MT, but your pricing doesn't look right.

90 minutes $79.95 $10.00 too low.

60 minutes $49.95 $10.00 too low.

30 minutes $29.95 30 minutes shouldn't be offered. Legit needs some time. All 30 minutes will do is get you off at a discount.

The $0. 95 pricing might fool 'them at the discount stores, but people looking for a legit massage know they are NOT going to get $0. 05 in change.

[E2304]

Sounds like Mei is working very very hard. 7 days a week & 11 hours a day giving legit intense massages. Wow that must be brutal! She's going to burn out at that rate.

I would highly recommend she raise her rates. Her clientele should understand. Also maybe she can focus more on 30 min and 45 min massages and have breaks in between each massage.

Good luck!

First three rules of Medicine: eat, sleep, excrete. You cannot take care of patient if you don't take care of yourself.

I prefer my 90 minute with Mei. Very beneficial.

[GunnerMagnum]

I don't believe raising prices right now is the solution. The solution is to find a MP as good as Mei so Mei gets a break. I assume as time has went on and goes on the dik beaters / crotch grabbing clowns have been / will be weeded out.

Bob.

If she's that good, raise prices. Do the math and determine how much to charge to make the same daily rate with one fewer massage. Then build in buffer time between clients. This will not only reduce her fatigue, but also weed out the chaff that are just using her up. If she's that busy, then a standard supply / demand equation is the solution. If a 2nd girl isn't as good, charge normal rates for her and premium rates for Mei. This gives incentive for cheapskates to give the 2nd girl business and incentive for the 2nd girl to improve enough to charge the premium rate. I've been to hair salons where the owner charged more, because he was simply that much better.

[SmileySam]

So the predictions a few of you made were true. We brought in additional people. They just don't compare. Mei ("L") has been swamped with business. To be more accurate, everyone conspires to arrive at the same time. Mei gives 200% of the energy of the average therapist. 400% of the energy of those who pretend to be massage therapists. So 4 or 5 90 minute massages back to back with no food and she can barely stand. Seven days a week. 11 hours a day.

Sounds like Mei is working very very hard. 7 days a week & 11 hours a day giving legit intense massages. Wow that must be brutal! She's going to burn out at that rate.

I would highly recommend she raise her rates. Her clientele should understand. Also maybe she can focus more on 30 min and 45 min massages and have breaks in between each massage.

Good luck!

[Lurker01]

Bob.

If she's that good, raise prices. Do the math and determine how much to charge to make the same daily rate with one fewer massage. Then build in buffer time between clients. This will not only reduce her fatigue, but also weed out the chaff that are just using her up. If she's that busy, then a standard supply / demand equation is the solution. If a 2nd girl isn't as good, charge normal rates for her and premium rates for Mei. This gives incentive for cheapskates to give the 2nd girl business and incentive for the 2nd girl to improve enough to charge the premium rate. I've been to hair salons where the owner charged more, because he was simply that much better.

So the predictions a few of you made were true. We brought in additional people. They just don't compare. Mei ("L") has been swamped with business. To be more accurate, everyone conspires to arrive at the same time. Mei gives 200% of the energy of the average therapist. 400% of the energy of those who pretend to be massage therapists. So 4 or 5 90 minute massages back to back with no food and she can barely stand. Seven days a week. 11 hours a day.

Mei tried introducing our best customers to the "new girl" and nobody is satisfied. Mei gives (as many of you know) a super strong traditional Chinese acupressure massage. Forum Members can add their own comments. The new one gave a weak Swedish massage. Today two people walked out on the "new girl". If any of you tried the new one, please PM me and I will give you a half price massage with Mei.

With that preamble, if you know anyone who has excellent massage skills, let me know. Must be legit. Must have transportation. We are in Buffalo Grove Deerfield and Weiland, SW corner. Here's the website: http://massage0110.wixsite.com/sunshinehealthmassag Thanks in advance. Bob.

[GunnerMagnum]

Good luck finding one Bob. Doesn't Mei know anyone good from the other places she worked?

So the predictions a few of you made were true. We brought in additional people. They just don't compare. Mei ("L") has been swamped with business. To be more accurate, everyone conspires to arrive at the same time. Mei gives 200% of the energy of the average therapist. 400% of the energy of those who pretend to be massage therapists. So 4 or 5 90 minute massages back to back with no food and she can barely stand. Seven days a week. 11 hours a day.

Mei tried introducing our best customers to the "new girl" and nobody is satisfied. Mei gives (as many of you know) a super strong traditional Chinese acupressure massage. Forum Members can add their own comments. The new one gave a weak Swedish massage. Today two people walked out on the "new girl". If any of you tried the new one, please PM me and I will give you a half price massage with Mei.

With that preamble, if you know anyone who has excellent massage skills, let me know. Must be legit. Must have transportation. We are in Buffalo Grove Deerfield and Weiland, SW corner. Here's the website: http://massage0110.wixsite.com/sunshinehealthmassag Thanks in advance. Bob.

[Bob521]

So the predictions a few of you made were true. We brought in additional people. They just don't compare. Mei ("L") has been swamped with business. To be more accurate, everyone conspires to arrive at the same time. Mei gives 200% of the energy of the average therapist. 400% of the energy of those who pretend to be massage therapists. So 4 or 5 90 minute massages back to back with no food and she can barely stand. Seven days a week. 11 hours a day.

Mei tried introducing our best customers to the "new girl" and nobody is satisfied. Mei gives (as many of you know) a super strong traditional Chinese acupressure massage. Forum Members can add their own comments. The new one gave a weak Swedish massage. Today two people walked out on the "new girl". If any of you tried the new one, please PM me and I will give you a half price massage with Mei.

With that preamble, if you know anyone who has excellent massage skills, let me know. Must be legit. Must have transportation. We are in Buffalo Grove Deerfield and Weiland, SW corner. Here's the website: http://massage0110.wixsite.com/sunshinehealthmassag Thanks in advance. Bob.

[Walker333]

Went to what was formerly Elegant Massage on Grand.

Great lineup here. Walked in, 2 beautiful girls sitting down and 1 older provider working the counter who I assumed was the mamasan. Paid for 30 minutes, went back, and then in walked in old gal! I wasn't happy with this.

I asked her if either of the other 2 girls were busy and I had one of them last time I came and she was great and I wanted to repeat (figured it was an easy way to let her off the hook).

But then she lied to me, told me the other 2 girls were "busy. " Bullshit, I saw them playing with their iPad 2 seconds ago liar. So I told her that's fine, go get my money back and I'll go somewhere else. She said "OK" and huffed out. Then I got dressed, and in walks one of the two girls. Then I had to undress again.

All went perfectly after that though. Girl's name was Saki. Not the best face in the world, but beautiful petite body. Paid $. For naked old fashioned. I know some of you will balk at that, but I'm paying for the girl not the service. Sure I could have gotten Suzy Oldhands for less, but I don't mind paying a little extra for a beautiful woman.

I think it was correct, and overall good, right move to demand service for your money that you expected to obtaine at the time when you paid.

It's your consumer's right.

Now speakers about price, each of us pays what we believe is fair unhder circumstances.

[JamesNoper]

Went to what was formerly Elegant Massage on Grand.

Great lineup here. Walked in, 2 beautiful girls sitting down and 1 older provider working the counter who I assumed was the mamasan. Paid for 30 minutes, went back, and then in walked in old gal! I wasn't happy with this.

I asked her if either of the other 2 girls were busy and I had one of them last time I came and she was great and I wanted to repeat (figured it was an easy way to let her off the hook).

But then she lied to me, told me the other 2 girls were "busy. " Bullshit, I saw them playing with their iPad 2 seconds ago liar. So I told her that's fine, go get my money back and I'll go somewhere else. She said "OK" and huffed out. Then I got dressed, and in walks one of the two girls. Then I had to undress again.

All went perfectly after that though. Girl's name was Saki. Not the best face in the world, but beautiful petite body. Paid $. For naked old fashioned. I know some of you will balk at that, but I'm paying for the girl not the service. Sure I could have gotten Suzy Oldhands for less, but I don't mind paying a little extra for a beautiful woman.

[E2304]

http://chicago.backpage.com/Therapeu...rvice/40215792

A1 is frequent advertiser. It has active RM activity. Hard to search here but I find no entries. Was written up as nice HE Spa on some blog a couple years back. Anything to report? UTR or DOA?

[Trailer12]

Tried this place and you know when you fill your car up and hope for really good service with premium gas. Well I ended up filling it up my self and it was regular gas at best. Instead of regular gas being octane 87, this was mid sixties at best. Cute gal, young but completely self service. The price was of course like premium.

Good luck.

[OF Charlie]

I also agree with Bob, especially because provider's age is a matter of monger's taste. However, regardless of their age, current talent at Macau is not attractive.

In any case, I don't get what (+1) means.

+1 just means you agree with the post. +2 means the person agrees with you (the +1 person) and the original poster.

[GunnerMagnum]

Good for you going back to get a refund. I think the glory days of Pine Tree have come and gone. My last few visits there were lack luster and am in no hurry to go back.

I used to be a frequent visitor but haven't been there since the bust until last week. Things were looking pretty good. I drew "Lucky" she was OK, but not exactly attractive- call her plain (with a lot of makeup) Got a decent Table shower, went to room for massage and pretty much everything fell apart. Sparing the unnecessary details, she was quick to want to get to the tipping.

She asked for $ for a HE and $. 4 for FS and that's on top of the door fee. So for $$. 20 I get an crappy massage and FS with a plain girl. Much better deals elsewhere. I declined the service and asked for only massage. I got in my car and drove off. I look at the clock and realize I was in there less than 30 minutes. I turned around and went in to ask for a refund. After a lot of bitching they gave me back 1/2 the door fee. I made it clear that I wouldn't come back.

What was really freaky was after I left, a car with 3 asian men followed me out of the lot. I made several turns before they veered off. I decided to drive back to Pine Tree and guess who was sitting in the parking lot? Yeah the same 3 guys. I can't say it was related but mamasan picked up her cell phone while I was waiting for my refund.

Keep in mind, mamasan recognized me as a former regular. Never had issues in the past. I've been a hobbyist for 10 yrs so I know how to act when entering the spa. Definitely won't be going back.

[Bob521]

While it is by no means 100%, many Chinese women are afraid of African American men. My "Chinese wife", "L" is not that way, but I know others, who though seemingly enlightened, still demonstrate prejudice. Not dislike, really, but fear. I spent a lot of time trying to "teach" people to respect others and to judge them on their behavior rather than the color of their skin. Maybe growing up in a homogeneous ethnic group means they did not get to know other cultures. Anyway, your best advice will come from other African American members. To the extent your therapist has any lingering fear, try put them at ease. Come early. Go to places where there are multiple workers (vs one girl alone). Dress nicely. Be friendly and relaxed. Hopefully they will also relax. Get a 60 minute massage to give you both time to relax and get to know each other. Standard tip pricing is $20 for a good 60 minute massage w / o HE, $40 for He / $60 for Oral / and $100 for FS. Oral is not particularly common in Chinese places, and as a practical matter even FS is more likely for regular customers vs first timers. Read the forum since the advice is pretty applicable for any customer. Good luck. Bob.

I go home every night down archer. And has always wanted to try it. Have a little overtime so if I'm going to try it nows the time. I am an African American if that makes a difference and 50+ any and all advice is welcome. Especially price. Thanks fellow mongers.