Massage on the honor system

[RAFEEQ - DOHA]

Do you find you are compensated (seems like a weird word in this conversation) just as well considering the driving time, etc. involved in outcall?

Yes I do. Obviously I avoid situations where I would be in rush hour traffic and I limit my radius of outcall travel to a reasonable amount of miles. I have lived here for most of my life so I know the ins and outs as well as the side streets and alleyways. I don't spend that much time traveling. I do get paid pretty well by the standards of our profession.

Would you mind telling us how a conversation about your fees goes when you have a new client, for instance? I really want to visualize and try this on.

Sure, when a new client asks what I charge I just simply say "I don't have a set fee. I am happy to let you decide what you can pay and what you feel the session is worth. I am grateful for whatever that is." They initially seem happily shocked as it is such a radical approach culturally. We are so focused on materialism in our society that we are often referred to as "consumers." I hope we are all so much more that that. People who know me realize that my sincerity is real and suddenly the pressure is off someone laying on the table thinking about how much this is going to cost them. We are in the de-stress business after all.

How long have you done your practice this way, and what was it like in the beginning for you as you made the shift?

3 years now. It was well received at the outset and effortless to implement. Bear in mind I have the luxury of being very well established so I think that helped. I work in an area that places a high premium on people taking good care of themselves. My client list is a "who's who" of Hollywood and that alone brings people to me. I have been incredibly lucky but I also work really hard every day to keep myself at the top of my game. For me this was the logical way to go as I have the freedom to be creative in the business end of things. It was never my goal to be "the most expensive MT in Hollywood." I'll leave that to others. I've seen them come and go in my near quarter century of doing this so I must be doing something right because I'm still here and business is good.

I've been paid anywhere from nothing to $1000.00 for a massage (I tried to refuse it but the client was adamant.) In the end for me it's all about the work. You don't get rich doing this but you can be free and that's worth more to me than gold. Plus I dislike the concept of competition in my work and I abhor the onslaught of focused dog eat dog "competitors" entering the massage biz. Totally wrong energy for this line of work. These are usually business types capitalizing on a hot new "trend" who don't do massage and know very little about what it takes to be an MT so they don't know the real value of the work. I compete with no one. I want all MT's to do well, seriously. Pricing myself this way makes that easier for me to do that.

Anyway, thanks elsewhere for your help!

Anything for my colleagues. I love people who do this kind of work. We are unique so why run our business's like everybody else? My model might seem radical but it's really freeing for someone like me.

 

[AdministrationTeam]

Anything for my colleagues. I love people who do this kind of work. We are unique so why run our business's like everybody else? My model might seem radical but it's really freeing for someone like me.

This sums it up. We really have to find what works for each of us. In the end, we need to make sure no matter how we choose to run business it resonates with our truth so there is no resentment towards those we serve and we truly can continue to wake up every morning, excited to go to work.

I'm going to continue to dream and play with this idea and eventually find what works for me. I am so grateful for all the input and inspiration each of you have taken the time to share.

 

[Guido McInsideYou]

I personally think this whole idea is madness. And when when do you try this during a slow month like March. Hey, hey, what a minute March Madness....What a brilliant idea. I could be convienced. :grin:

 

[Sporty]

Wow! What great responses. I bumped this thread because I am just in the process of implementing a sliding scale fee structure, and wanted to see if anyone else had experience with something similar. In fact, I just sent out the first batch of post cards this week to clients, so I don't know yet how it will turn out.

I do have a bottom and top range, so it is not totally a pay what you wish thing. A local acupuncture clinic does this, so I stole the idea. Their fees are between $20 and $50, pay what you can- no financial paperwork or income verification and such- nice and simple.

Most of the folks that I enjoy working with don't make a lot of money (musicians, service industry, etc.) and I really want my work to be accessible to them- and others who can't afford the usual fees.

I don't worry about being taken advaneforum.xxxe of, as I mostly work by referral anyway- not on purpose, it has just sort of happened that way.

Anyway, thanks for all the great input. It is fascinating to see so many different ideas and thoughts on this topic.

 

[bryanmccarey]

I am loving this conversation! I graduate in March and my goal is to work for myself as soon as possible. I'm wondering how this honor system or sliding scale approach might work for me as a therapist with no existing client base? I will start out with people I know and who are interested in receiving massage, but I don't have a referred client base yet.

Personally, I have been on the extreme end of financially strapped and have received services on a sliding scale basis myself. Without the sliding scale I would not have gotten some desperately needed help, and probably wouldn't even be a massage therapist today. It has always been my intention to pay this forward.

I will be relying solely on my massage income to support myself and my daughter, so I'm thinking I might do an open sliding scale range without any qualifications for it. I will have to think about the range to offer though. It would be easier to just leave it entirely open though. Also, I will be mobile without a home base studio. Well, plenty for me to think about!


elsewhere wrote

I've been paid anywhere from nothing to $1000.00 for a massage

I'm wondering about when you got paid nothing. Did you know going into the massage that you were not going to be paid (monetarily)? Would you continue to rebook with a client that repeatedly paid nothing? That just seems like a unique situation. But I'm guessing being paid nothing has been a fairly rare occurance?

Thanks everyone for sharing here!