To The Spa Conspirators: Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You

I will never forget my first real job as an esthetician. I had worked at a bunch of "eh" places before finally landing a job in my first "big spa". This spa was the "creme de la creme" in Stamford, CT. It was 3 floors and probably 30,000 square feet. They had over 200 service providers including facialists, hair stylists and nail techs.

Now what makes me laugh is the fact that when they hired me they told me that I did not have enough experience. Duh! They said they were hiring me because they liked me so much. But of course!

Anyway I worked for $12 an hour plus tips (this was 10 years ago) because that's what they paid until the 3rd month. If you made it to the 3rd month past their "so called training program" you got 40% commission off everything and of course, tips.

Now one of the things us estheticians have a problem with (when we are new) is running on time. It very difficult to he meet the demands of the client in the allotted time slot allocated by the spa. Frequently the client is told they are getting a one hour facial. But little do they know this includes the time the esthetician has to clean the the room, and set up for the next client.

Now I probably ran late to a few clients and I can remember one in particular being really pissed about it. I also think I was set-up. There are a select amount of people that come to the spa just to report back how the service was. Sometimes they are other estheticians that work at other spas or former employee's. At the time I did not know about these "secret spa informants".
Why was I set-up? Because estheticians are vile. Trust me I am one. If we are not fully booked with a waiting list to get in to see us don't hire others. That's just our bottom line. Somebody must have been whining about the new hire...me (who by the way was the top sales person for 2 months in a row).

Superstar!

So I get called into the office telling me that they are hearing that I am inexperienced. They tell that there have been client complaints. I know this hasn't happened.

They then tell me that if I want to stay I have to pay another esthetician to train me. I am to pay her $50 an hour for this training. I do. After that they have me give another facial to their manager who tells me that the creme I put on her feet is burning. Is this my fault? They provide this stuff!

Oh and by the way, having to touch her feet during a facial is asinine. This spa owner wanted us to give our clients a hand and foot massage during this ritual. This is the stupidest thing I have every heard. Remember the time I actually have to do this.

So to make a long story come to an end I am dismissed. I am an told to go out and get some post grad education and then come back to the spa when I am more experienced. No thanks. I hate feet.

The guy that fires me is a construction worker who inherited this 10 million dollar spa from his poor deceased wife. After they tell me I'm fired this Tony Soprano wannabe says, and I quote, "you just didn't make the cut kid".

Last month I heard they had 27 hair stylists walk out within a week. They took all their clients with them and went to work in a place 1 block away. That's just priceless.

The moral of the story? If you swim with sharks you'll likely get bit.