Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Laser Reps?

Once again I look like a cheapo because my company does not have the same perks as the laser/pharma reps. You would think that most physicians are smart and understand why we don't have the same perks. Don't kid yourself. They are just a dumb as the rest of us. Allow me to play out the scenario for you.

Dr. Pinhead: Can you give us some free samples and pay for our catering for our open house tonight.

Me (what I actually say) : I am so sorry but you placed a really small order with us instead of the 30k order we had discussed.

(What I want to say) Um no we already discussed the dollar amount you should spend for these little extras. Did you not go to school for 10 years smart one?

Dr. Pinhead: Your company sucks, your company is cheap. Our laser company is paying for our food and is hemorrhaging free samples for our guests.

Me (what I actually say): I am so sorry you feel that way. However if you spent 200k+ (the price of the laser) with our company I promise you we would do all that and then fly out the owners of our company to present at your event. I did suggest a much larger order to start for you because you were interested in a higher level of support.

In regards to samples our company does not provide that for free. We spend our money on our formulations and this is a very expensive product to give away. We spend 7 to 10 times more on our ingredients than pharmaceutical companies do. So what your other companies are giving away is not costing them much at all. If you want free stuff that's them but.. if you want the best product on this planet, that's us. Also our company is a 15 million dollar company so obviously we can't provide the same perks as an 80 million/billion dollar company would.

(What I want to say) I am so sorry that you overspent your money in other areas of your business and really have not invested in our company. If you had spent some money on me then certainly I would have spent some on you, dummy. Instead I will give you a handful of samples and some brochures and you will just have to realize your mistake won't you?

I Want You! To Join Our Industry.

One of the most interesting things I have noticed about this business is the type of clientele we deal with. I have had the good fortune of working within the schematic of many different types of business ideals. To name some of the categories; spa's, med spa's, anti-aging spa's, plastic surgery center's and of course physician's offices.

Lately the most common practices I observe seem to have a "open a spa and they will come" mentality. This is really not good for any of us. There are too many people opening too many spas and med spa's without the slightest idea. Too many clients are getting bad services which are frequently over over promised and under delivered. This undermines the hard work the rest of us have done over the years to establish our own credibility within the industry.

The newest boom is laser. Those of us that have been in the business for a while understand that most laser companies just want to sell their product. They too will over promise just to sell that 200k machine. The problem starts with the fact that the decision to purchase the machine and perform laser treatments is being made by a lay person. People who have never been in this business before are determining our cosmetic fate. If we let the laser companies try to sell a bunch of Estheticians or Dermatologists we have a different outcome almost every time. Most machines are purchased out of impulse. It makes people feel cool that they can own a laser machine. This is why the money gets spent and a second mortgage gets taken out on the house. So what's the key factor is in deciding which machine to go with. Its actually simple. The newest technology is always the best.

You may want to ask. Why would a person with no license be able to purchase such a machine? The truth is credentials within the industry have yet to be standardized. Everything has gone amok. Lay people want to be business owners (within this very profitable industry) and understandably so. However there is something to be said for the lack of credible people who are working on the largest organ we have. Many of them with just a day or two's training are heating and damaging the Dermis and getting paid to do it. They could not name the layers of the skin if they tried and have little, if any, Anatomy and Physiology knowledge.

Many of these new owners (who have no actual experience) within the industry do not intend to get any. Now this is OK if they are to be a financial backer to a more knowledgeable person. But what comes of a spa when there is no business plan and the owner becomes a laser technician overnight? What credentials should one have when doing a skin consultation or applying a chemical peel?

The skincare lines that supply the spa spa industry aren't helping either. If you don't speak English... no problem! Some companies will just send you a very informative instruction manual in the language of your choice.

Need to become a licensed esthetician? No problem! Many of the schools in many states will allow you to take classes in other languages as well. When your done with that your allowed to bring a translator into the state board exam with you. Of course that's if that state has a license at all.

If you disagree with the fact that this is a monumental problem let me tell you why your wrong.

1. Estheticians need to understand English because in this country most of our clients speak English. Sounds simple right?

2. We need to understand if our clients have any disease or disorder. If not we can either contract something and pass it on to others, or kill our client accidentally. (Every spa should present you with a healthy history form and you should fill it out correctly. Every question is on there for a reason.) Sometimes if the technician does not speak English they will overlook a possible contraindication to the treatment. One of the most common being Herpes, Canker Sores, Fever Blisters or Sun Blisters. A chemical peel is not an option when a client is prone to these outbreaks. Any esthetician with good communication skills would better serve to perform this procedure. Its likely they would refer the client to a physician for a medication they need beforehand.

3. We need to learn and understand disinfection and sterilization procedures. This is hard to do if you can't read the label on the Quats container (a hospital grade disinfectant).

4. We need to read procedure and protocol documents when administering chemical peels. Most chemical peel companies do not provide this information in other languages. Knowing English is a must.

In conclusion I can only draw from this is that, as usual, it's all about the money.

But what will become of us when the spa "Bubble" bursts?