Am I being too picky....should I stay or leave?

[Mom2B11/09]

Hi all. I am new to the forums, and need help with a business dilemma I am having.

I am an LMT, and am self-employed. I work out of my home as well as work part-time for a small, fairly new salon & spa here in town. (I am contracted).

Anyway - the salon is a fun place to work, and I love the ladies I work with. I am the only therapist on staff at this time. The perks are great: I get to trade services ((haircuts/color/waxing/tanning/facials, etc.) or get a 30% discount on services (if the other person is not interested in trading). I also get to purchase any hair or nail products at cost. I am only charged a 25% booth rent fee, and the salon supplied the table and towels. I supply the linens, cream or oils.

My issue is this: Because the salon is small, I have to share the room with the aesthetician who uses it for facials, spray tanning, and body waxing. I don't mind sharing, but this girl is not the cleanest of people, and the room is always a mess. My biggest complaint is the sticky, dirty floor from the wax. It looks and feels gross, and I feel badly about asking clients to get undressed and walk across a filthy floor to the table.

I think my biggest concern is how I appear professionally. I am worried that the dirty atmosphere may affect my professional status. How can I continue to encourage health and wellness with my clients while working in an unclean environment?

I have spoken to the salon owner about it before. Unfortunately, she can't do a whole lot about it, since she has such little space. It is impossible to add another room for just waxing, and the business is not built up enough to afford an addition. I know she has talked with the aesthetician about her cleanliness, but it has not changed. It seems to be getting worse, and I can't afford to come in an hour before every massage to clean either.

At this point I plan to sit down and talk to the salon owner again. I am considering leaving the salon, but I just don't know if I am being oversensitive or not. My husband doesn't want me to "burn any bridges", and I would hope I could walk away under good terms, but you just never know. Can anyone offer me any advice? As professionals, how would you feel about the working atmosphere, and how would you handle this?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[Joe Fish]

As always, I tend to speak from the heart, and that usually gets me alot of "think before you speak" kind of comments.

I personally think the best way to deal with it is for you to speak directly to the aesthetician. The salon owner isn't doing a great job, and may not be conveying your intended message very well. You won't make friends, but your situation will only get worse and you will start to resent a job that you like.

Are you being picky? No way. You want your clients to come to a clean and comfortable therapy room. Clutter and dirt can be distracting and will take away from the whole experience.

Should you have to clean up after the aesthetician? No way.

It stinks that the salon owner can't enforce any kind of cleaning. How about having the salon owner propose a weekly increase in rent to pay for a maid service? Either renters will go for it, or they will actually clean their space to avoid the cost.

Or emphasize the costs involved in failing an inspection by the massage licensure board, and if the failure is due to wax on the floor then the salon owner knows who to fine for re-inspection fees and lost business due to a suspended license.

Should you burn bridges? I think you can accomplish this without burning bridges, and if you do end up leaving over it, then the salon owner knows your reasons and knows that something could have been done about it.

Try directly speaking to the aesthetician ("I have a problem with the wax on the floor. It looks dirty and unprofessional in here, and I can't risk losing clients over it. I expect that the floors will be clean of wax, etc. when I come in to prepare for my sessions") Make lots of "I" statements and never say "you". Let the salon owner know you are doing it, and that you would appreciate her support/backing. If nothing changes, then you need to decide to live with it or leave. Good luck.

 

[Jorbie]

BUTCHER PAPER!!!!

Talk to the aesthetician about puting down some butcher paper, after her client is on the table. Then all the drips, spills, etc. can easily be cleaned up. When you go in there is no wax and no big mess to clean up. Just roll it up and throw it away ( I don't know if you can recycle with wax on the paper?!?)

We buy a roll for about $35 and use it often, it still looks like a full roll. Get it at an educational store (School supplies for teachers). We do it for our son, when he wants to paint, or do something artsy. It works for him and he is three. Hopefully she will not be offended by it.

 

[Not So Ordinary Girl]

How about slippers for the clients and/or a rug runner.

 

[Christen]

It shouldn't be your job to clean the floor, BUT you shouldn't have to come in an hour earlier to clean it. What are you try to remove the wax with? Mineral oil will soften it very very quickly, then use one of the citrus oil cleaners (or old citrus essential oils), it should come off fairly easily. Coming in an hour early might be required to tackle a long term build up, but it shouldn't take that long normally, unless the sealant on the floor surface has been stripped, then even one hour probably won't help.

I'm amazed the problem is not the spray tanning (unless they've managed to put a well vented tanning booth in the small room) - spray tan can go EVERYWHERE and everything gets that speia tone to it, I would imagine that PLUS spilt wax would be pretty grubby very quickly.

Who is meant to clean the room? Is there a cleaner? Maybe you could give the cleaner a bit extra to have a sparkling floor? If it's you and the aesthetician that are meant to keep the floor clean....

Floor runner/small rug, might be the easiest solution.

 

[Leafsfan29-Go Canada Go]

Who is meant to clean the room? Is there a cleaner? Maybe you could give the cleaner a bit extra to have a sparkling floor? If it's you and the aesthetician that are meant to keep the floor clean....

Floor runner/small rug, might be the easiest solution.

Might be an easy solution... but what will you do in the "meantime"... will you have somewhere to "store it" on site between your sessions? Will you have to take it to work with you each time you have a massage scheduled? Otherwise I'd make sure it's a really inexpensive runner... because you might end up having to replace it several times per year if the "wild waxer" doesn't change her ways.

When I started working at a health food store last year they demanded that I purchase an area rug for the treatment room that I was to share with the acupuncturist. The last MT who had rented the room had left oil stains all over the carpet that would not come out despite repeated shampooing. So after looking around for a couple weeks I decided to just purchase a cheap 5x8 (though the room could have done with a 6x9 better I feel) from Wal-mart. I told them if I provided a rug, it was staying there. It was not being rolled up or taken home between sessions. Well wouldn't you know... within 6 months they had managed to fray one edge of the carpet by constantly running a metal chair leg across it. The next thing I know it's rolled up and sitting in the corner of the room! (I really didn't feel the need to run out and buy a new one after that since I hadn't gotten any oil on their carpet or the area rug I'd bought!)

I know it's hard to figure out who has the responsibility in this type of situation. Refer to your contract if you have one... then see if you and the owner as well as "the wild waxer" can come to an agreement/solution to the dilemma.

 

[Father Christmas]

Thank you all for your input. The suggestions were good ones, and I will consider them all.

The spray tan does make a mess despite the vent fan running, so the salon owner is in process of adding in a very small room (stand up only) to do the spray tanning. This still doesn't solve the 'wild waxer' problem though A rug or runner would help with walking on the floor, but the entire room is just dirty looking.

Because it is a small, new salon, revenue does not allow for a cleaning person. The owner typically relies on one of her high school girls who works a night or two a week for tan time to do some cleaning. I think that says enough right there.

I know the owner has spoken with the aesthetician before about her cleanliness. Her habits go beyond the therapy room.....she also does manicures and pedicures out front. I have had numerous clients complain to me that she is less than clean....and some refuse to come back because of this. As nice as this girl is, some habits are just too hard to break. I know the state board came in to inspect about 4 months ago, and she got written up. She has been trying to clean more....but it's still not clean enough for me. I guess I just have trouble charging the amount we do for a 1 hr. massage when things are sub-par (in my opinion). I live in a very small town (village actually), and I need to protect my professional reputation very closely.

Anyway - I have been offered another business opportunity, and I guess I am just really weighing out my options. I also feel that I can make a break (if that is what I decide to do) without burning bridges. The salon owner is a nice lady and I feel she would understand my position, even if she is disappointed.

Thank you again everyone! I appreciate all the ideas and views!