**DRAFT**
Specials
The idea is to allow the maximum availability of quality massage to
all. Discounts and specials are offered for several reasons. First, to
give you the opportunity to try a service you might not otherwise try.
Second, to accommodate those that cant otherwise afford a quality
massage. To continue to offer these specials to those that need it,
please, take advantage of discounts only if you need the discount.
Specials are only valid when mentioned when booking, and if
available. (see availability
and limitations)
Most discounts are only "available" at the 'Home Base' location
unless specifically stated otherwise. Discounts and prices at other
locations may vary, and you should ask before scheduling to confirm
pricing. A partial discount may available at some locations.
See:
Various specials have appeared on the web, and locally find out where
you can learn more and join our facebook, twitter or mail lists. Some
specials require you to Friend/Like/Check-In, or Sign-up online!
- Save $10 on your first visit
- Free Upgrade (paraffin bath / foot bath / add 30
minutes / add aroma therapy / heat or cold therapies)
One of these upgrades is frequently offered throughout the year --
learn more.
At the therapists discretion, these may be added to your first
session if available.
- Frequent Visit cards: If you come 5 times and
have your discount card marked, get your sixth session for $10
- Percent off: I partner with various groups and
businesses to offer a savings for there customers and employees
(Ask about the: Herb Import Co., Yoga 108 & Roman Pizza
specials)
- Go Green: As of the spring 2011, I have opted
to bike most places. Because of this, I charge a higher out-call
rate. If you have your own table, and are in reasonable biking
distance of the University Area or French Quarter offices, I may
offer discounts on out-calls down to as little as $10 over in-studio
rates.
- 30% off Students / Service Industry / Artist / Volunteers
/ Low-Income / Hardship
- Students: Show a valid student ID
- Service Industry: Do you make most of your income from TIPS?
Show your pay stub, vendor's card, or verifiable business card.
- Artist: Show your city ID, Playbill, Cast Listing, Portfolio,
Add your therapist + 1 to a show.
- Volunteer: If you are here as a volunteer, please have your
agency confirm your work on letterhead. (I've worked with
Americorp, American Red Cross, Common Ground Relief, Bike-N-Build,
Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity Various Church Groups.
- Low-Income -- If you have a yellow card/MIS (Medical Indigent
Services), or an income based discount at a community health
center such as Daughters of Charity, or qualify for food
stamps
- Name your price & Grants --
- Name your price -- Occasionally there are gaps in the schedule
or slow days that need to be filled. Submit an email stating what
days and times you are able to come in, and what price you can
afford. The more you can afford, the more likely you are to get a
call.
- Other Grants -- Name your issues, submit an email saying what
you need, and why you need assistance. You may be awarded a
discount.
- Birthday offers are available to 'Online Friends' and usually
valid within a week of your birthday (before or after).
- Occasionally I will post information on local bulliten boards at
businesses near one of my locations
- Occasionally I will promote a special in local media i.e. The
Gambit, Clarion Herold, Where Y'at, Off Beat, and others
- Become a facebook friend: Patrick
Miller LMT
- Like Amazing
Hands Massage Therapy:
- Not Currently using twitter, email or postal mail
Locations fall under several categories:
- Home Base - The home base, is a location where the rent is already
paid, and the cost is the same irregardless of the number of visits
made there. DO NOT confuse this with a free location. The room
still has a cost which in fact may be higher because it is most
likely not shared, and If it is shared, it may limit that ability
to use the facility at certain times.
- Home Base II - This is a location where the cost has also already
been paid only there is a minimum number of time slots required to
fulfill the rental agreement. Again this is not free, and is usually
paid based on the number of sessions. Giving a discount at one of
these locations may severely cut into the costs. Giving a discount
too early in the month, means that fewer slots will be available
later in the month.
- Primary - A primary location is the primary or base location where
most sessions are held.
- Primary II - A primary location for a particular day may vary i.e.
on Mondays my primary location may be downtown. Whereas normally the
primary location may be Uptown.
- Privileges at - often times services may be available at various
locations. Think of it like a doctor is given the privilege to offer
services at multiple hospitals. None of which are the "Office".
Often you can request services at any of the locations, but timing
and cost must be worked out.
Now that you have seen the categories of locations, here is the
breakdown of discounts available.
In addition to primarily being available only at the Home Base
location(s), discounts may be limited by the day and time.
Factors for all availability:
- Holidays -- Due to Limited availability, generally no advanced
discounts, but last minute discounts may be available to fill an
empty holiday schedule if the choice is made to be open. please
call to see what is available. In fact, specials may be
welcomed as some holidays, or the days leading up to or following
them, may end up being slower than normal.
(Typical 7 + banking/local holidays/major events/festivals: See
Chart Below)
- Pre/Post-Holiday -- A few days after a holiday are often a good
time to book as extra cash may be needed for the holiday
- Same Day availability -- Calling for a same day appointment after
4pm is NOT recommended as the schedule is either already booked or
the day is being wrapped up.
- Full Days/Weeks -- Therapists often only work 5 hours hands on
during a day, and 20 in a week. (Book early if possible)
- Evenings & Weekends -- Evenings and weekends are in high
demand, and frequently fill up quick. (See Below: Limited Discount
availability)
- Limited Discount availability -- Some specials and discounts are
sponsored, and limited funds are available, so they may be limited
per day or week. This also goes for the therapist. If the therapist
is mostly full, they may hold the option to reserve the last spot
for someone paying more. After all, you pay triple or more for
those last several seats on an airplane.
- Regulars & Tipping: If you are a regular client, or you are a
known tipper, you may be more likely to have better availability
options. (with limitations)
- Some discounts may be restricted to certain days & times
- Most discounts are limited to once a month per person.
- Some discounts may be combined to a maximum of 50% off (at Home
Base)
- Most discounts are limited or not available at locations other
than the Home Base. In fact prices may even be higher than standard
pricing.
- Not all therapists honor all specials. If availability is limited,
you may be referred to another therapist who has different prices,
specials, and availability
- Discounts are limited for couples sessions & special events.
In addition to being extra work to coordinate, not being at a Home
Location, and involving various therapists, makes discounts &
specials difficult or impossible to offer.
- Business Hours/Office Hours vs Working Hours: Business hours are
Monday through Friday 10am-4pm (phone business 9-5 Central)
Excluding the holidays listed in the chart. Actual working/available
hours are longer and normally include weekends. The phone is
generally answered anytime 8am till 10pm
MASSAGE POLICY & DISCLAIMER (LINK)
(Call for availability 504-717-2577):
- January: New Years; Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- February: 14 - Valentines day; [~16-21] - Washington's Birthday; (Floating:
Mardi Gras; Ash Wednesday)
- March: 17 - St. Patrick's day*; 19 - St. Joseph's Day*; (Floating:
Passover/Good Friday; Easter)
- April: (Local: ~12-15 - French Quarter fest; Jazz Fest - Last
Weekend)
- May: (Local: Jazz Fest - First Weekend); Memorial Day (last Monday
& weekend before)
- July: 4 - Independence Day; (Local: Essence Fest)
- September: Labor Day (First Monday & The associated weekend);
(Local: Decadence - Labor Day weekend)
- October: [~8-14] - Columbus Day; 31 - Halloween (Locally: Several
Days)
- November: 2 - Day of the Dead; ~11 - Veterans Day; Thanksgiving
(4th Thursday)
- December: 25 - Christmas Day
- Occasional special Days: BCS Games (Bowl Championship Series
Game/s); March Madness: i.e. Final 4; Super Bowl
NOTE: Some are observed on the nearest Monday (see brackets around
dates with a ~), others a nearby weekend possibly in addition to or
instead of the actual day (*), and some may include part of the day
before and/or after.
Pre-Payment may be required
especially during holidays & festivals
Holiday factors: Several factors affect holiday availability:
- Demand: Demand may be higher or lower than normal
- Participation: Your therapist may want to participate in
festivities
- Transportation: Often transportation around the city may be
affected during holidays, and thus make it hard to plan.
- Holidays may affect more than just the "official" day of the
holiday.
Tipping your massage therapist is always recommended. Some say you
should not tip the owner, but you should tip the therapist doing the
work. You are tipping for the work done. Your therapist puts there
heart and soul into your session, show them your appreciation. The
session is often priced so everyone can get work done. Some days a
knot or two needs extra work. That extra work is put into your
session, and should be rewarded.
What should you tip?
- Tipping varies, and anything is recommended even if it is just a
dollar.
- Some don't tip, while others tip up to $60. That is about 50% of
the cost of an hour.
- An average tip is $5-35
- 10-50% on a chair massage - Chair massages are more work than a
table massage, often under priced (frequently 20% less than table
prices), and often given as samples. It is suggested to make up
that difference, before actually tipping.
- 15-30% on a table massage -- Generally people throw down a set
of twenty's, and make the different a tip. Hence the typical tip
is $5-35.
- Gifts are always appreciated, but unless they are needed, they are
no replacement for a normal tip. In fact, if a gift may perceived
the wrong way, and may reduce the quality of the massage to keep it
from becoming 'too personal', and maintain a professional barrier.
NOTE... Why tipping is important: A therapist at a spa or shared
facility often gives more than half of what you pay to the facility,
and tipping is the way they make there money. If the therapist is at
there own facility, they don't have the luxury of having a dozen
people working for them to help pay for the facility. In fact, you can
get better service if you want a particular therapist because your
therapist has a larger selection of times. If you get a quality
massage, show them both your appreciation, and keep them in business
with a good tip.
Most items you would think of as a trade would be better off as a tip
or gift. Trades are counted as income by the tax man. So the offer to
trade must have a reasonable value to the therapist. If it is of
sufficient value that the therapist actually needs the product or
service, they would probably just go out and acquire it. Yes, on there
own. Possibly at your store. Because of this, any trade is most likely
already devalued to your therapist. Anything you are offering is more
of a value to you proposing the trade. It is assumed that the value is
because you gain a discount or benefit, and thus may have to
accommodate to the therapists availability. Trades may feel personal
so unless you are already a friend, great care will be taken to
maintain a professional barrier. Sometimes seconds may be welcomed,
other times only professional items (NOTE: I often get wholesale
and bulk pricing). Please check before making a purchase.
These issues leads to a a double whammy for you.
- A: Most likely, a discount will not be applied. I.E. Your trade
could be based off of 100+% session price.
- B: It will be treated as if you are using a deep discount. I.E.
lower priority times, and most likely limited to slower times.
Often gifts
Potentially higher priority items:
- Professional Moist Heat heating pad (given the cost and the
facilities size and volume, a hydroculator can not be used)
- Professional Table warmer (while not used frequently, the old
warmer was 5 years old and is no longer usable)
- Cleaning/Filing/Office Duties (Often done by the therapist,
quality assistance may be accepted)
- Rolling table carrier
- Bike Trailer
- Professional Electrical Work: I have a utility shed I want to add
a box to and a main/sub line run about 100' to.
- Massage Therapy Trade: I am open to trading with professional
massage therapists. I will do up to one trade per week, with a goal
of at least one massage every 4 weeks. It is proper health
maintenance. I prefer to set aside a few hours and make it a trade
day/morning. I don't want to owe or be owed. (Its a low enough
priority item that having something of such high value lingering out
there is not worth it) If you don't like to give a massage after
getting one, I'll receive first. It gives me energy for the day.
- I have several wood projects & building I have in the works. I
can do most DIY, but some need extra work.
- Welding
Other things and there considerations:
- Water or other after care drinks: These can
easily just be purchased fairly affordable. While fancy things may
be nice, It may not be a core feature of my services. People are
encouraged to drink water, or a healthy drink after a massage, but
we've gone green and don't go out of the way to purchase these
items. If you want these for your session, you can bring a case, but
since it is taking up space, it would be shared with others. Water
and specialty drinks can go bad, I must ensure it is a grant/gift
item, and not the dumping of an old product that is about to go bad.
(Taken at partial credit)
- Books: We don't need more books, but they can be
nice reference items, and are often referred to clients. (Taken at
partial credit) (****ADD list****)
- Clothes: Costumes are more
likely accepted for trade items. Anything else would be considered a
tip. All may be re-gifted.
- Sheets: I have a few pairs of sheets that I could
swap out for a newer pair. They are not "bad" so I can't justify
going out and purchasing a new pair. (Taken as a tip item)
- Massage table: I could use a new ultra-portable
table, and a semi-portable table. If you already have one, I might
take it. If you want to offer one so you can get massages, I might
take one. But if you are going to purchase one, please let me make
some suggestions before you purchase. Between settling for a table
and not "needing" a table value may vary.
- Storage: See 'go green' above. If you keep a
massage table for me, we can negotiate a reduced out-call cost.
- NO Custom food or meals: Don't make it too
personal. If you cook even professionally, invite me to a party
where everyone gets to enjoy a meal. Give me a gift certificate to
your restaurant, etc. If you have a gift certificate to a restaurant
you hate, I may take it, but $100 at a restaurant I may also hate or
would never go to is probably not worth $100 to me. The same goes
for a party I may not have time for. Store bought meals should not
risk being bad or expired, and something I would eat. (These-gift
cards or prepared meals-may be better for TIPS or holiday gifts so
long as you don't make it too personal)
- Short Rides: If you do not mind, and its not out
of the way, a ride may be accepted.
- Trips/Rideshare: Rideshare's are queen. With the
cost of airfare, and time dedicated to a plane trip, car trips are
frequently better for me.
- Trips: Sometimes the right plane trip offered
through frequent flyer miles, couch surf, or a hotel special can be
a help for a trip.
- Camping Supplies: With frequent camping trips,
some things could always be used ***Ask about potential items***
- Modeling & Photography: I do several mailers
and fliers each year, and us a different photo set for each. Instead
of TFCD, I can trade for professional massage therapy.
- HulaHoops: Of all sizes and designs.
- Yoga Classes: Yoga is good for
all!
- Mini Fridge: With isolated freezer For cold therapies
- Mini Fridge: Hot Towel Cabi - Hot Towel
Warmer
- Other items....