So many adventures. So few times.

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My life is pretty dull. I play with a toddler, watch a lot of Yo Gabba Gabba and experiment with the crock pot. I have no bed time and I find humor in Laffy Taffy jokes. Conan O'Brien is my anti-drug.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

To the awful human who kind of rubbed my back

To the management of Massage Green Spa in Brookfield, WI, Corporate Headquarters, the therapist I experienced, and anyone else who may be a potential client of this establishment;


I regret not writing sooner. I regret not being more assertive at the verbal abuse I was treated to. I regret whispering my frustrations to the woman working the front desk as instead I should have been loud. I should have warned the other customers.

I purchased a Groupon, so apparently I was not considered a valid customer.

On  February 3rd at 11 am, I had a scheduled massage at Massage Green Spa, located at 17440 Bluemound Road, Suite B in Brookfield, WI. I arrived early and excited, as I had sore muscles from exercise and parenting and life in general. I hadn't been sleeping well and I was ready to relax. I'm a pretty chatty, upbeat person so if the therapist was a talker I could definitely handle it, but overall I was prepared to ask for quiet so I could potentially fall into a deep rest mode. When I scheduled the massage, I had asked for a relaxation massage. When I checked in, I asked for a relaxation massage. When I filled out the form, I stated that I wanted a deep tissue relaxation massage.

The therapist came and retrieved me a few moments early and immediately started asking questions. This is typically a good sign, yes? He asked about why I had asked for no work done on the front of my knee - I explained my most recent ACL replacement. I was then asked if I still exercised and was then told he could tell because of my 'bulky man muscles'. (ha!)

I am man muscles. Hear me roar


I should have ran from the room. He asked about my job or work. I stated I was a stay at home mom.
He then told me, "This is the problem with Americans. This is a disease that they won't work." I don't have an income, so I am by default lazy.

Oh.

Once on the table, he had me start on my stomach. Typically I've had therapists ask me to start on my back, but everyone is different. He spent about 10 minutes barely touching my neck, back, hips. He was "assessing". While making said assessments, he asked about my diet. I told him I typically ate lean protein and vegetables and fruit. He proceeded to scold me about how I am eating dead protein and I should never eat meat. My kidneys aren't getting fresh blood because I don't drink pureed carrots or other pureed fresh vegetables that have the consistency of blood, which is why I was dealing with insomnia last week and the week prior (FYI, I had sinus issues. As soon as those cleared up, I miraculously started sleeping again).

He still hadn't actually started working on me.

20 minutes into the process, he pressed on my hip, and then explained to me that my muscles are weak and covered in fat. He asked about if I had a family and I told him briefly about Emma, my sweet but challenging daughter who is too damned smart.
FYI, she needs acupuncture among other things. Oh, and I need to completely change her diet and some other random tidbit. Also, I should look inside at how I am as a mother, because I'm apparently a bad one.

Every time he opened his mouth, I could feel myself tensing for the next series of verbal abuse. I almost asked him to let me leave 30 minutes into the session, because I was simply laying on the table face down, crying. I wish I had been able to record his comments so I wouldn't forget any of them. I wish I had gone to any other establishment other than the one I went to. I don't know how many times I asked him if I could just have quiet.

He never stopped.

As my 50 minutes were up, he stated that next time I get a massage, I should request a gentle relaxation massage. Um... I did. However, he never once had me turn over. He never once touched an area outside of my hips or shoulders - namely, my right shoulder even though I asked if he could work on my left. He never worked on my IT bands as I had very specifically asked. He never did ANYTHING. He did tell me however that as a woman I should be focusing on fixing myself so I can be sexually attractive to my husband and other men. Because clearly that is my sole value and goal in life - how sexually attractive I am.

And like a fool, I just laid there as he verbally abused me.

When I went to the front desk after, I told the woman briefly about what I had experienced. She shrugged it off as a language barrier (the man had an accent but spoke extremely clear English). She stated that he was their most requested therapist. She suggested I go ahead and schedule another session with him so he could focus on another area next time. When I was adamant that I would never make a point to see him again, she said that if I wanted she could go ahead and schedule me with someone else then.

WHAT?! Why would I ever go back to this place? Why would I subject myself to the lack of attention, lack of relaxation and verbal abuse?

I don't know what I expect writing this. I know I couldn't keep this to myself another moment. I know contacting the specific location would be fruitless as I had already been brushed aside. My purchase had been redeemed so I was no longer of value to them. I have never been treated so horribly, which is saying something because I've been treated pretty bad in the past.

Signed,
Extremely horrified former customer


5 comments:

  1. As a Current SAHM and former massage therapist, your story is extra heartbreaking to hear. Much of what he said goes directly against our code of ethics. If Massage therapists require a license in your state and this business does nothing you can take your complaint to the state. If that place is a chain, take it straight to corporate not the local manager or franchise owner. Even in a franchise they usually answer to the larger brand. I am so sorry this happened to you. There are few places where a client is more vulnerable than on a massage table and a MT that abuses that in anyway sickens me.

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  2. I am so sorry this happened to you. It is appauling and outrageous. I am so angry for you and there is no excuse for this EVER! Thank you for being brave enough to share your experience with others.

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  3. Buff, do you want your pop to hop on a plane and fix this guy's attitude for you?

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  4. Sorry you experienced this kind of treatment. I would suggest writing a review on Groupon, I usually check those before purchasing and/or Yelp.

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