ComplaintsforWater Lounge Spa

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  FYI this review is NOT for the masseuse's that work there, but for the lady at the front desk which I believe is the manager. Also, this review is for the ********* location NOT the one in ********. Never in my 42 years of life, have I encountered such aggressive and condescending hostility over a tip. which I may remind everyone, it's is 100% optional and voluntary. I was with a group of friends, a total of 8 and we ALL left a tip. I left my masseuse a $10 tip assuming that was a decent tip in this economy, also because massages are expensive and this place isn't cheap. Well while waiting in the lobby, the lady at the front desk, the older one with light brown hair came to ** and said that some of ** hadn't tipped, and proceeded to her rant in which she honestly came across as a beggar.Right away we let her know we each had left a tip with each massues, I even told her how much and she started saying "we deserve appreciation" and some other nonsense which lead to "$10 is not a good enough tip". We ignored her because we thought it was quite silly she had the audacity to BEG and make such a big deal over a tip after paying a hefty price for a massage that ended before the hour (I know I saw the clock) anyhow on our way out, she kept talking and that's when a few of us in my group, got upset. She then even went as far as to walk out of the location to argue about the tip. Like I said in the beginning of this review, NEVER have I experienced something so rude and frankly disgusting, and disrespectful as a customer. I have a hunch the ladies there don't get paid much, so the owners probably expect the customers to chip in for their hourly pay. Maybe she was upset because she had to dig into her bank account to pay the masseuse whatever is in their contract, and wanted the customer to pay on their behalf instead. Whatever reason it may be, that lady ruined a good experience because the massage was excellent. It was our first time there and definitely the last. To the folks who say "$5.00 more is nothing" fail to realize that it's all about principle and customer service. Charging so much for a massage, to then demand a hefty tip by being aggressive is vile. Also I could have left ZERO had I wanted, and no cop would have been called because a tip is VOLUNTARILY given. I will never set foot at the ********* location ever again, and all because of that lady at the front desk. Reading some of the other reviews it seems this happens often. Whoever is in charge of this Spa needs to reconsider how they treat their customers over tips, and need to learn that this is ***************** and ********* are good about tipping. Begging or using snarky remarks to mooch out even more money from their customers is sneaky. The manager is also publicly lying to customers on Yelp. She is saying they reprimand employees who ask for tips and that they will investigate however it is SHE that is harassing customers for tips.Side note: I'm going to report them to the Better Business Bureau. I have reason to believe that they exploit their staff by paying them nothing, and this is why they harass their customers for tips. By reading many of the Yelp reviews it seems that it's their tactic to advice their massage employees to not accept the tip, and when at checkout they demand the hefty tip so the workers can get paid. How is this happening in *******? I'm not saying this is similar to slave work but to actually have a sign asking for a certain amount of tips per price spent is not normal in this country. I understand at restaurants they'll add a "suggested tip" on the bottom of the bill, but to HARASS customers who PAID should be illegal. I'm also assuming they are using false advertisement as another tactic, because forcing people to pay for a tip increases the price of the promoted service. This business needs to be reviewed by the **************************** for their shady business practices, customer treatment, and employee treatment. I did not pay for the treatment but it was around $80 dollars for the massage and $30 for the jacuzzi. My sister gifted me. This was on 05/20/2023 around 6pm is when we were harassed by the lady at the front. She might be the owner at this point to be so comfortable in harassing customers. I attached a pic of her from Yelp where she is lying in her responses. She has the audacity to claim they will check the cameras when its she thats demanding and harassing people.

  Business response

  05/27/2023

  On 5/20/2023, a guest named ****** brought seven people for massages at our establishment. Initially, she had only made a reservation for six people, but she called at the last minute and said they were coming with eight people. We made a great effort to accommodate them and make it happened. We called other guests to postpone their appointments and arranged for all eight of them to start and finish together. Upon their arrival, they demanded individual rooms for each person, even though we only have a total of seven massage rooms 4 hot tub rooms, and they all insisted on having female massage therapists. We explained that it was not possible because we didn't have eight female massage therapists available, and if they occupied all the rooms, we wouldn't have any rooms left for other clients, and we would have to give up our beauty treatment room as well. Eventually, we managed to arrange for two male massage therapists and four massage rooms and two hot tub rooms, with two people sharing each room. However, I guess they were unhappy with this arrangement, from the time start, They were loud and disruptive, when they left hot rub rooms, all messy around, and despite our efforts to keep them calm by offering water and cookies... they remained dissatisfied and acted condescendingly.

  When it came time to pay the tip, one person paid $5 (did they discriminate against the male massage therapists?), while the others paid $10. With eight people and our front desk not knowing who paid and who didn't, I approached them and asked. This led to a heated discussion, with one woman jumping up and pointing her finger at me, saying they all paid $10. I patiently explained that one person only paid $5 and asked if they could contribute an extra $5 so that everyone would have paid the same amount. Then, two women surrounded me and claimed that one person actually paid $20, which at the end they said was meant to be divided between two people...we all confused, but before I could finish my response, they started shouting and threatening me, saying they would write bad reviews on Yelp and report ** to the Better Business Bureau. This made me angry, and I explained that we provided them with excellent service and was just asking a question; there was no need to be so upset. We had already given them a discount for the group, a very good price, and even squeezed in two additional people at the last minute. We hoped that through our good service, they would leave a better tip to encourage our massage therapists to continue their good work. However, they continued to insult and curse at ** throughout their visit and even as they walked out the door. One of the male guests even threw the hand towel he was holding into one of our flower pots. I apologized and told him that it wasn't a trash bin, to which he responded dismissively, "So what?" I was furious and asked them to leave. It was extremely disrespectful. Then, he pointed his finger at me and said, "Don't touch me, I'll *** you!" I was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say. Finally, I chased after them and caught up with the organizer ******, who was a frequent customer from Millbare. I told her, "You're a good customer, but your friends are being unreasonable and so rude..." Before I could finish my sentence, they said, "Don't touch her, you're not allowed to touch her, you are so rude, we tipped $10...what you asking for..." They threatened to *** ** and ruin our business. 8 mouths... I totally gave it up....I returned to the store feeling very disheartened and saddened. How could they be so unreasonable?

  I am deeply saddened. We treated them well, did not charge the regular group rate, gave them a discount, and even delayed other customers' appointments to accommodate two additional people. We provided excellent service and hospitality, but they kept attacking and verbally abusing **, and now it continues online!
  I have also seen her write the same things on Yelp, and she even posted my photo! This violates my right to privacy! I am furious right now and seeking legal advice.
  I am a legitimate small business owner. When customers have a negative experience, they can complain and write negative reviews. But when we encounter difficult/rude customers, are we just supposed to accept their insults with a smile? Are we not allowed to have emotions or even ask a simple question?
  Our company has proper payroll records. We pay our employees $30 per hour or $45 for a 90-minute session. This is considered high within our industry. Why does she claim that we treat our employees like slaves? Just because she is a customer? Just because she paid $65 (we gave them a discount from the original price of $89) and left a $5 tip? When we dining out, tips are usually more than $5, let alone the fact that we provide one-on-one service for an hour. Does that mean we have violated her rules? Why is she allowed to publicly share my photo?

  We welcome any investigation by city, state, or federal authorities. We have not violated any laws!
  I have video footage, but I will not publish their faces online because I know it's illegal! I hope they educate themselves about the law.

  We have the right to refuse service to any customer! This is the law in ********** and throughout *****************. From now on, we refuse to provide any further service to these customers, including the organizer. They are too rude and lack manners! I later sent a text message to the organizer, requesting a refund of the prepaid card fee she paid for at Millbare because her friends were truly unreasonable. She casually replied, asking me not to refund the money and not to dwell on trivial matters. She still plans to go to Millbare. Then her friends went on Yelp and claimed that I sent harassing messages to her sister and said all sorts of nonsense. Come on, I have screenshots of the text messages, and I feel defamed! We don't want these people to come back. Enough is enough!

  Thank you for patiently reading through my broken English and listening to the whole story. As a minority small business owner, we face trivial matters like these every day. It's frustrating yet realistic. The greatness of ******* lies in its inclusiveness. I hope I can also embrace the confusion and sorrow they bring me, but honestly, it's really difficult!

  I am grateful to ******* for allowing me to fulfill my dreams. I also thank God for revealing their true faces to me. Can it end like this? I have endured the three-year pandemic, and I really don't want to be brought down by these rotten people.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩