Planet Massage and Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale History….
We opened Planet Massage in the Spring of 2006 on a shoestring budget a lot of hope good intentions of providing world class massage care. In December of 2007, the US recession hit hard and we struggled as most people tightened their belts and eliminated what they viewed as unnecessary costs. Massage Envy Spa® wasn’t even a blip on the radar in the South Florida market and Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale and Massage Envy Spa® didn’t even exist.
Frankly, when I heard Massage Envy® Fort Lauderdale was opening up, I didn’t sleep much that night. Some 5 years later, I no longer have sleepless nights for this reason and wonder if they are in fact worried about keeping up with our business model. With Massage Envy and Massage Envy Spa having over 1000 franchised stores now, and Planet Massage having only one therapist owned and operated location, we aren’t delusional enough to think they are loosing sleep over our home grown approach and personal service, but they may be just a little worried. At Planet Massage we generally attract experienced clients seeking the best possible care. We focus on educating our clients to the vast varieties of massage and bodywork, each with their unique benefits.
Massage Envy exploded onto the national massage scene and started selling franchises in 2003, with a concept of expanding the availability of massage care to the masses and an affordable massage membership program. On December 15th 2009, Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale was granted a massage establishment license by the State of Florida.
The Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale Challenge: Lets cut to the chase for anyone not interested in reading this long post. We will encourage you to try Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale first, then come visit us at Planet Massage. We will even pay for your massage! That’s right, a free introductory massage at Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale. Here’s how it works. Simply visit Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale and take them up on their introductory offer. Save your receipt. Book a 90 minute massage with one of our master therapists at Planet Massage within two weeks at regular rates and we will credit your $49 towards your treatment. * Offer Available to South Florida residents only and not valid with other offers.
While in theory, this membership model is a great idea, and in giving kudos where it is due, Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale does in fact draw in many people for a first time massage and introduce people to the benefits of massage.
At Planet Massage our business model is based on personal care, true value for our clients , while supporting highly trained independent massage therapists and body workers with fair wages. A look at our reviews would suggest that our clients agree. Planet Massage has earned 5 stars on Tripadvisor and is a winner of the 2014 and 2015 Certificate Of Excellence. We are currently ranked number 7 of all Fort Lauderdale attractions and the number one Fort Lauderdale Spa! On Google, we are proud to enjoy 4.7 of 5 stars with 70 reviews currently. Please take a moment to see what our clients have to say about the Planet Massage difference and world class service.
Breaking down the numbers: and the 50 minute hour: Ok, so I know there’s a lot of you who just want to know the bottom line, whats it going to cost me? Factoring in that your Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale massage is based on a 50 minute hour, where a Planet Massage hour generally gives you a 60 minute hour of massage time, kind of like every clock and watch you’ve ever owned. At Planet Massage we average a 60 minute hour as long as show up 5-10 minutes early for your appointment so we can run on time, probably unlike your doctor. While I can’t speak to the exact protocols used at Massage Envy, I can give you insight as provided to me from the hundreds of licensed massage therapists I have known over the years regarding typical scheduling designed to maximize profits. Most spa’s, massage salons and doctors book their therapists with a new client every hour. That means undressing, consultation, redressing, sheet changing and important things like hand washing and sanitation all happens in that short 10 minutes before another person is slapped onto the table. Many of our LMT’s that have been subjected to this report not even having time to not even take a bathroom break. They report having to do things like “layer” 10 sets of sheets on the table at the beginning of the day as to shave off a few precious seconds in between appointments. I have no idea if they do these sorts of things at Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale. I’ve often heard the hourly booking practice refereed to as the cattle call though by many therapists. One of our therapists calls her other job, the car wash for the endless stream of bodies without time to rejuvenate. Wax on..wax off. One of our therapists quit her chiropractor job simply because her bladder couldn’t handle it anymore. Planet Massage typically leaves a full 30 minute between massages. Our therapists typically have a moment to chat with you, have a drink of water, use the facilities, wash their hands, stretch or grab a quick bite to help keep their energy up.
Planet Massage, Massage Care Club:
- Introductory first time customer rate: Yes, we can get you in from $39 for a half hour or $59 an hour to try us out. At a full hour, that’s pennies more than $49 for 50 minutes.
- Monthly billed at $59, $69 or $79 per 60 minute hour. Consultation and dressing time is on us when you arrive for your appointment at least 5 minutes early leaving you with an average of 60 full minutes of bliss on the table. $59 is with a licensed therapist during off peek times, $69 gets you either peek times or our most experienced Master Therapists or a therapist of your choosing, while $79 gets you both. You are always free to join at a lower rate and upgrade as needed for an additional fee. *Certain therapists and modalities may be priced higher.
- No term commitment unless we are running a special with a free promotional massage. We don’t want to be like your phone company and bait you into a long term commitment that your going to regret a few months down the road. We want you as a client because you see the value and joy in spending time with us.
- No high pressure sales tactics. We currently don’t have onsite receptionists for a reason. Your therapist is typically your receptionist. While this costs us more, we feel it benefits you with more time for consultation and bonding with your therapist before and after your massage.
- Advanced therapies such as prenatal massage, sports massage, reflexology, Connective Tissue Massage, Active Isolated Stretching. neuromuscular massage, connective tissue massage, orthopedic massage, visceral massage, medical massage, rehabilitative exercise, cranial sacral therapy, Qigong, Reiki and other forms of energy work.
- Fair pay and supportive working environment: Our independent licensed therapists are compensated at rates well above industry standards.
- VIP and Concierge level booking: After serving over 25 years as a professional in the yachting community, the owner has adopted the philosophy that almost nothing is impossible. If you are leaving in the morning for the Bahamas on your yacht and you need a massage therapist for a week, who is also a yoga instructor, we will do our best to arrange it for you.
Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale:
- $39 Massage…. $49 Massage and so on. We have all seen the Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale bus benches, but what do you really get? For starters, you get and introductory offer and one of those now infamous 50 minute hours. If that were 60 minutes at the same rate….it would actually cost $58.80, not $49.
- At one Massage Envy visit, I counted 6 signs telling me to tip on what I would have paid as well as the receptionist and therapist reminding me of my duty as well. There’s nothing wrong with tipping on the full value, we would encourage our clients to do the same if asked, but it was overkill for me.
- Membership at Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale. Let your keyboard do the walking and just Google it. You’ll find some very interesting reading and reports of the pressure to buy a membership before, during and after their massage. Time to relax.
- Membership: If you are still interested, the Massage Envy in Fort Lauderdale offers a massage a month for $59.99 with a contract. Again, we are back to the 50 minute hour. With a bit of 5th grade math, the price would in fact be $71.98 for a more traditional hour that has 60 minutes in it.
- Therapist Compensation: Therapists report that Massage Envy pay is among the lowest in the industry. Again, Google is your friend when considering Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale. In all fairness, they do however tend to keep their staff busy. This a great opportunity for newly licensed therapists to get a lot of “hands on time”, which is essential in therapist skill development. As a licensed massage therapist myself, I often say that I learn from every single body and every single session I do. After over a decade and thousands of bodies, this is still true. While most therapists including those at Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale make far more than minimum wage wherever they work, it is hard work. Massage is both rewarding and it can be very draining both physically and mentally. Burnout in the field in rampant with the overwhelming majority of massage therapists not making it 5 years in the business.
All this being said, Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale may in fact be a right fit for you. We encourage you to give Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale a try for yourself. Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale does offer convenient hours with over 1000 other locations to try out. Take our Planet Massage challenge and find out for yourself what a session is like at both establishments. This information is believed to be correct at time of publishing. Planet Massage is not affiliated with Massage Envy Fort Lauderdale, Massage Envy Spa or any other Massage Envy in any way.
