The Socially Conscious Massage Consumer
Why would you pay more money to receive a massage in one place, when you can find it cheaper in an another? This post is meant for massage therapists but can be applied to any personal service provider).
There is no doubt the factor of money and massage therapy intertwine when it comes to choosing a service. In 2018, the average price for a one hour session in a major city in North America runs at about $100. Each year more people become franchisees of one of the top producing industries in the world : preventive health care.Today we have a new breed of wellness. Service providers that vary in education and background. Some are excellent and some are simply full of marketing fluff. So, how can you meander through all the superficial glitter and seek out a qualified wellness provider? Results.
Results are something you cannot deny. Yes, there are times that the price tag reflects the quality of the practitioner. There will always be buyers that want a Ferrari for a Honda car price. But in the world of business and the human psyche, a low service price comes from the following sources:
- someone new and unknown
- someone with low confidence
- someone that employs others at a low wage
New and Unknown
A diamond in the rough. This massage service (or any service) provider has talent but needs time to prove themselves to the world. It’s a humbling act when you’re an excellent service provider but your price point must begin at a low place. However, those with talent realize that lower price points appeal to more consumers than not. When you’re first starting in business, exposure is the name of the game. A low price point is a business strategy, an introduction. The only downside is that you will lose some customers when you raise your prices.
In an ideal world, you would open the doors to your service business with the price point in mind that would sustain you financially. However many business owners that start from humble financial means must sacrifice pride and practice patience until they build a good reputation in their community for excellent work.
If you’re a lucky consumer, you’ll catch this talent when they are first experimenting with low price points to build their client base but as time passes, it’s the nature of business that there prices will eventually increase. From restaurants to hair stylists, this is a common practice.
Low Confidence
A service provider with low confidence levels in who they are as a practitioner and what they offer will be affected in their price point. Many people take advantage of this and few rarely debate it. After all, at the end of the day it is up to the provider to set their prices, not the public.
This person has provided massage therapy (or any such service) at a low price point for many years. Often times they feel unworthy of charging more or battle with feelings of guilt. They may come from an impoverished background and truly believe that not one person would pay them what they truly want to charge, or what their colleagues charge. If they attempt to increase their price they might be scoffed at by current clients and given a statement such as “who do you think you are?’. They might also receive such remarks from close family and friends. These people may seem well intention but their criticism often comes from a financially limiting state of mind as well and they most likely have a lifestyle that reflects this.
Driven by an eagerness to please others, a fear of making them angry and losing customers; this practitioner will not value themselves enough to raise their price to a fair market wage. They exert excessive physical work from their bodies and often end up taxed, injured and quitting their career. Involved in this damaging cycle is a mental state that they were never good enough anyway to stay in this profession. They might leave the profession altogether with a sense of bitterness or worse yet continue abusing their bodies with an overload of work. This massage therapist might eventually make their way to you. The question is, if you believe in the power of thoughts transmitting to you, then this negativity and resentment is what you will receive in the session you are paying for.
Low Wage Employer
Another way to save money on local massage services is to visit an establishment that employs other massage therapists as a low wage. There is a disconnect there that may alleviate your consciousness. After all, you may think, its not your problem how much people make in society. You can’t afford to eat at a fine dining restaurant five days a week so you refuse to feel guilty if you grab food at a nearby fast food place. You’re not going to give a pep talk to each fast food employee about self worth and value. You get what need and move on, right? If a massage therapist wants to work at a low wage that’s their business, your priority is to look after your wallet.
Remember what I mentioned about the transmittal of negativity in the last section? Yep, that’s going into your food too buddy. Heck, it’s going into mine too! However, quality matters and you can see the fruit of it. You feel it in your body and sometimes from a service provider when they place their hands on you.
I will ask you this, are you a “me” focused consumer? As we shift our culture towards compassion we begin to see the injustice of unfair wages. We see it in our fight with migrant workers that are taken advantage of in the farm fields across the globe. But money speaks loudly and consumers choose to turn a blind eye. The “system” is set for the mass consumption but we have the power to support businesses that pay a fair wage. With each purchase you’re investing into a value system. Is it a system that places value on price or people? If you are a pursuer of cheap items and services I challenge you today to slow down and let these thoughts resonate to a deeper part of you. After all, if you are in the me-first campaign knowing that turning a blind eye will affect you negatively eventually.
What You Can Do
Find well-reputed providers and invest in them. Do you see the influx of people that are becoming small business owners and chasing their dreams? They’re removing themselves from their corporate jobs and they long for freedom. If they are talented at what they do, then buy from them. If they are kind to others, provide excellence and prove themselves to get the results you want then you hold the power to purchase from them directly. When you do this, do you know what will happen? Your city will thrive due to good craftsmanship. Therefore more quality will be drawn closer to you and from an investment standpoint your property values will go up.
Give your business to places and employers that pay fairly. There are companies and employers that care. They recruit the best because they care more about the customer experience above all. They recognize that paying more will bring in great service providers.
Another tip is to stop buying so much stuff. The Minimalism Movement has taught us to consume less and experience more. If you’re really financially savvy you’d be amazed at how much money you waste on material things that simply don’t matter. I challenge you again and ask you to focus on de-cluttering one closet or storage space once a week. You will be shocked at how much you own and how much you will want to sell. Reality check, you don’t need it. If money is the focus then doing away with the purchase of unnecessary material goods will free up your funds to invest into quality experiences in your life. If you’re still unwilling to experience such services then I invite you to my third and final challenge and that is recognizing the habit of hoarding.
Hoarding comes from a place of fear disguised as being falsely financially responsible. I believe if you take a good look at your budget you will see ebbs, flows and the opportunity for pursuing quality in your life. Maybe, you’re saving up to buy a home or start a business and you must sacrifice short term. I get it, I’m all for reaching goals. If this is you, then you have no business purchasing anything other than the bare necessities until you reach what you want. I’d rather you save money for an important goal, achieve it and then buy quality services, it’s that simple.
Hopefully this post will awaken your sense of social responsibility in your community and in turn give yourself the rich, rewarding experiences from happy and fulfilled service providers. At the end of the day, you’ll receive the best version of their work and that has its own wonderful value.
