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At the outset, I will say I have seen membership plans actually alienate clients, so I don't have a high opinion of them. In the past, I have worked at Spas that use membership plans so I have seen this first-hand. For some folks, a spa membership can be a good choice but for others, not so much. 

The Membership Plan

I think it's important to understand what these membership plans are about in order to make an informed choice. Not all membership plans are created equal but here is the most common way they are formatted in the big Spa franchises. It is above all a case of, 'Let the buyer beware.' 

Most Spa franchises have a high-pressure approach to selling memberships. This should be a 'red flag' to anyone. Read everything carefully and better to sleep on any commitment before signing the contract.

Most Spa plans have a one-time low introductory rate plus a member's discount off of their base price. Plans include an automatic monthly billing on your credit card for a fixed number of months, usually 12. Note that this is a binding contract, whether you use it or not. After your initial introductory massage or facial (this is a one-time-only deal), you are billed monthly and even though you can cancel at any time, your contract is for a whole year. There is usually a clause that you can 'freeze' your membership for up to six months but still, the contract is for an 'active' year regardless. If you cancel you have usually 60 days after your contract date to use up any unused 'points.' Covid lockdowns forced many Spas to adjust this policy but as the pandemic winds down (October 2021) and culture open up don't expect flexibility in the future. The goal is maximum profitability if you catch my meaning.

The membership sounds like a good deal because the Spa Salesperson compares the introductory new member price compared to their over inflated non-member price. A typical comparison is a 60 minute intro rate is $70 to the non-member $120. [If you check the going rate in most areas for a one hour massage is in this ballpark, $60 to $80. Now at a high end resort/spa you will easily pay $120 for a massage, but a day spa is not that.]

The Salesperson then explains that you can rollover any missed massages to the next month. Now you can have two massages next month or you can take that missed session and add a half-hour to two other massages, making them 1 1/2 hours long. Extra massages or 'points' can be given to a family member or friend for a $10 upcharge.

All sounds pretty great, huh? 

I should mention that the Spa Salesperson gets a monetary incentive for your signed membership.

Pros of a Spa membership:

I will be honest, for some folks, a spa membership can be a good thing if:

• You have a predictable schedule and can proactively book ahead.
• You feel any massage is better than none.
• You're not really needing consistent/targeted therapeutic work.
• You are not invested in taking responsibility for your own health.
• You like the fact that sometimes you can book on short notice and don’t always mind if you can’t get your favorite therapist.
• You like the idea that you are a member of something to give added value to your own sense of self-care.
• The money is coming out of your account regardless and it forces you to make use of the membership for much-needed regular self care.
• There are a lot of different Therapists all with their own style to try out.
• You are comfortable with the 'get your massage and get out' format of a day spa franchise.
• It's okay to have a mediocre massage one time and a great massage the next, or maybe a few between before that next good one; maybe.
• You have the flexibility of being able to treat friends and family with your extra points (BTW it's up to you to arrange all of that) for a fee.
• You like or prefer a mediocre Swedish massage that does not address any underlying issues that you may have.

Cons of a Spa Membership:

• If you miss two or more of your monthly massages a year it’s not worth the price. You might as well pay much the same for an independent massage therapist and you will not be charged for a service you haven't used. 
• The Therapist you like is busy and hard to book with (This was probably the number one complaint my clients at the day spa shared.) and/or leaves the Spa because their skills are more valued elsewhere. If you like them, more than likely other clients do too. 
• If you need specialized and targeted protocols over time to recover and truly heal you will not get that consistent and focused work at a day spa franchise for the reasons mentioned above.
• There is a lot of pressure on Therapists to show up to work when they are not feeling well and/or sick. This is wrong and counterproductive to Client/Therapist welfare and safety.
• Cost is deceptive when you consider additional $$ per massage to tip the Therapist if you are treating them fairly.
• Franchises overbook their Therapists and don't treat them all that well so they tend to have a high turnover. Empathy is not a trait Spa franchises encourage in their managers so employee dissatisfaction is high. 
• Not all of the Therapists at any given location will really listen to your needs. Many give the same cookie-cutter massage they learned in massage school to everyone that is on their table.
• Some Spas will put guest blocks in every Therapist's schedule to make sure there is room for walk-ins to attract new members. This is wrong, if you are a member you should be given priority. What's the point of membership if it doesn't give you scheduling priority? It can also be unfair to the Therapist who could be fully booked. 
• What if you don’t want to use their service anymore? or life gets in the way and you don't have the time available? You are still charged in accordance with your contract.
• The staff therapists vary broadly from the best to the mediocre.
• Customer service is usually indifferent at best. They treat their front counter personnel even worse than their Therapists, so again the departure of really good folks is high due to poor management. Those that remain out of need to keep their job get ground down over time due to myopic management.
• It's not uncommon that bookings get screwed up for various reasons. I have had Clients that booked consecutive monthly sessions only to come in and find they have no appointment or scheduled with an unexpected therapist. Therapists have no control over this.
• If there is a SNAFU with your credit card, they will often not call you, it's when you come in for your massage is when they break the bad news and the hassle ensues.
• Most franchises make it very difficult to cancel your membership. Let’s say it usually takes more than a simple call or email.