Hands & Hearts Blog

When we offer caring service to guests, we are acknowledging them as an individual, special person. As massage therapists/estheticians, we have the opportunity every day to address and meet the therapeutic needs of our guests. We do this with our first greeting, the way we ask questions and listen during the intake interview, our design of a perfect session through our
present, focused touch, and by caring enough to educate on the benefits of massage/facials on an ongoing basis and to offer a gentle return service recommendation. What a gift to know that we can impact someone so profoundly through these simple actions.

Customer service is about being in a relationship with people. Through it, connections are made that enrich the lives of the giver and receiver. When someone receives service that cheers them, decreases their stress and makes them feel worthwhile, there are residual effects that can permeate into their home, family, workplace and with everyone with whom they come in contact. It's a positive, loving wave that reaches out far beyond where the person who offered the caring service can imagine.

We often think of service only in aspects of the job we do and only to those who are buying something from us. If we think that service only exists in a workplace environment, we have limited our view of its true meaning.

Service is something you can't turn off and on. It doesn't just live during work hours. Service is not something you choose to offer selectively, it is something you are. It breathes inside you and is woven through all your actions on a daily basis. To be of service, means you naturally serve whomever you come in contact with. It shows, for example, when you:

• give directions and ensure they are understood
• let someone merge into your driving lane
• check in with someone to find out how they are feeling
• help a person at a store find something
• pick up trash on the sidewalk
• take time to listen and understand

True service is doing something for someone where you expect nothing in return. Yet, the returns are endless. The sheer joy and satisfaction of helping someone to feel happy, nurtured, understood, important and not so alone are incomparable to any gratification that might come from a purely selfish act. Service is selfless.

 Accessibility is one of the benefits of online courses. Traditionally, if a therapist wanted to study with a nationally known expert they would have to travel where the course was being offered, take days off work and possibly even take a career break depending on the length of the course. Online education offers the same quality education but in a more convenient setting. With online education, you can study with the masters on your schedule. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. If online education existed in the early days, massage therapists would have had the opportunity to receive education from massage therapy legends like Ida Rolf, Bonnie Prudden, Dr. John Upledger and Randolph Stone no matter where they lived and save hundreds of dollars in travel expenses in the process.

In addition to being more accessible, online education is also more flexible than traditional education, especially for therapists who work. With online education, you can study when you want. The flexibility of an online education allows you the ability to maintain your priorities and your work schedule while still taking time to learn. 

Finally, one of the best advantages of online education is the cost. Registration fees for online CEUs are less expensive than onsite programs. When you add in the potential savings associated with travel and loss of work hours, the savings is impressive.

Online continuing education for massage therapists is an effective, affordable way to gain additional knowledge conveniently. Online courses offer a consistent education and enable students to receive repetitive information, whereas attending an onsite continuing education seminar offers one-time access to the information.

   
As technology advances, we will see much more education offered online. If you have not taken a continuing education class online, try it out and see for yourself the knowledge you can gain. 

At Massage Envy, our massage therapists and estheticians can take advantage of a variety of online continuing education courses at a discounted rate.

 

If you have ever taken an online CEU course before, share your experience below by submitting a comment. 

Hello all:

Massage Envy celebrates a milestone this year - our 10th year anniversary. We opened our first location in Scottsdale, AZ in 2002 and in a very short amount of time, have become the largest provider of massage and spa services in the US today. We touch over a million people a month who come through our doors looking for relief from stress and pain. In 2011 alone, we performed collectively 13.9 million services. Massage Envy started with one location 10 years ago, we now have over 760. We started with a small therapist staff of about 20, now we have over 17,000.

We have over 1.17 million grateful members who are so appreciative our therapists and estheticians' incredible gifts of touch. We have collected accolades from the massage and spa professions for contributions to research and our financial support of national associations through conference sponsorships and promotions.

So, here we are 10 years later. We have changed the face of the massage and spa professions forever. Through our model, we have made massage and skincare accessible and affordable for millions of Americans. 

So here's to you - our therapists, estheticians, front desk staff, managers, franchisees, regional developers and, of course, our corporate team. Congratulations on the difference your work has made to in millions of people's lives. And, thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

Happy Anniversary Massage Envy!! May your next 10 years be even more phenomenal.

Love, CG