Bodywork By Design Therapeutic Massage Studio in Battle Creek, MI
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Can we keep this confidential?

1/30/2015

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Word of mouth is my best advertising. Clients come in, love their massage, and then tell all their friends and family. As a result, I often see client's spouses, adult children, parents, coworkers, friends... and they often become regular clients themselves.

So if you're one of these people who have many in your circle who are also clients, you may be wondering: do I mention you or anything about your sessions to your loved ones? The answer is a resounding "NO". 
Not only is everything that happens in the treatment room confidential, but even your appointment or the fact that I've seen you recently is. The only way they will know about your appointment is if you tell them.

You've probably heard of the HIPAA law (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), but what you may not know is that Licensed Massage Therapists are not actually considered an entity required to adhere to this law. This is more about health insurance and electronic health records being shared electronically, etc. So you will not hear me touting HIPAA as it's actually quite misleading because there is much more to being compliant than just keeping confidentiality. Furthermore, since I don't deal with health insurance or electronic medical records at all, most of it isn't even applicable to my practice. I actually co-authored an article on this topic for the industry publication Massage & Bodywork Magazine. (You'll have to register with your email address to view the article, but it's free to access online if you're interested in the ever-so-exciting topic of HIPAA compliance!)

While I don't claim to be HIPAA compliant, I do adhere to professional ethics to maintain client confidentiality:
Commitment to Confidentiality
I will keep client communication and information confidential and will not share client information without the client's written consent, within the limits of the law. I will ensure every effort is made to respect a client's right to privacy and provide an environment where personal health-related details cannot be overheard or seen by others. 


So not only will I not share information about our sessions, but all of my client files and online scheduling are also all encrypted and protected to maintain confidentiality. 




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Should you tip your massage therapist?

1/24/2015

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A friend of mine recently went to get a massage from the therapist at her osteopathic doctor's office. She texted me asking if she should tip. Great question! 

It's actually not always customary to tip in a clinic type setting. So a chiropractic office, D.O. office, etc the answer would likely be no. Some clinics or medical offices even have a "no tipping" policy. Although even I was surprised to see the results of this survey from a professional association for massage therapists. According to this, 10% of therapists in medical offices report receiving tips. So I guess the answer would actually be to tip if you wanted in a clinic setting as long as they accept tips.

According to an Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals Member Survey:
  • Therapists who practice in spas/salons receive tips from 90% of their clients.
  • Therapists who practice in a massage-only clinic receive tips from 80% of their clients.
  • Therapists who work in medical offices report receiving tips from 10% of their clients.

Situations that are customary to tip are salons and spas, massage clinics, independent massage studios... Some exceptions are when the therapist is the owner of the spa, etc. However, there's also another exception to that if the owner is the only therapist. Confused yet?! 


Services at a massage franchise should definitely include tipping, in my opinion, as these therapists are paid a low wage and do depend on their tips much like a waiter or waitress. I believe the franchise here in town even has it posted that it's customary to tip, and they include a handy chart with a suggestion for the amount.

My philosophy is that "tips are accepted but not expected". I see a tip as a thank you for an excellent service. I do not depend on the income from tips to pay my bills and therefore don't expect them. I have my rates set to the level that I need them to be to continue running a successful business doing bodywork. I certainly graciously accept tips and appreciate them, however, I give the same level of service to all clients no matter if they tip or not.

If you loved your massage and want to tip, that's great. If you loved your massage and don't want to tip, that's fine, too. I would rather clients come in on a regular basis than tip if it were to come down to that choice for them financially. I certainly don't want clients to feel like they can't get a massage if they are unable to tip. 

When visiting a new massage therapist and wondering if you should tip, check out their website or ask them if they have a policy on tipping. If they accept tips and you feel the service warranted it, then feel free to leave a gratuity. 10%-20% of the service rate is a typical range for tips.

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Getting settled into the new studio...

1/7/2015

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The new space on Columbia Ave is starting to feel like home and I'm slowly getting everything squared away in it's own place within the studio. I'm loving the new location! 

I'm still working to install the remaining 3 sets of ashiatsu bars needed for my classroom. My first ashiatsu class at the new place isn't until March, so I'll be busy working to prepare leading up to the first class in this studio.

I know several ashi grads have been anxiously awaiting a DeepFeet 2 / Advanced Ashiatsu class and I'm hoping to have one on the schedule once things get more settled and ready for classes.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2015 with lots of exciting new possibilities!

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    Author

    Cindy Slack
    LMT / Owner Bodywork By Design
    Cofounder of Bodywork Buddy online scheduling & practice management software for solo massage therapists.

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