Ask Susie: Spa Reviews

Question:

I was looking for a spa in my area on your website.  I came across quite a few that would honor SpaFinder Gift Certificates.  I called the one closest to me and they were very nice on the phone, but some of their reviews were not too good.  What would you recommend?”

-K.S.

Answer:

Dear K.S.

Good to know you have plenty of spas around you that will accept SpaFinder Gift Certificates, which will give you plenty of choice.  While I think that checking reviews is always a good idea, I don’t automatically eliminate every spa that has a negative one.  In actuality, almost every place that gets reviewed these days, whether restaurant, hotel, airline, or spa, has a combination of positive and negative reviews.

I usually read the reviews carefully to learn more.

For example, did the spa manager go to the website and address the negative review by explaining what happened and what improvements have been made?  That always tells me a lot.  Sometimes the negative review is about one of the therapists who may no longer be there – or about a service that I am not even interested in.

I also think it is fine to bring up the negative review and my concerns when I speak with the spa’s personnel.  If I feel satisfied, I’ll give the spa a try.

Sometimes it is worth a bit of extra research on my part to find a spa close to me that I might have missed because of a couple of negative remarks in a review.

Susie