Elements Massage — Attraction in Seattle

First I clarify the actual massage service was excellent. Jeanne S. is an amazing therapist. I didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. She even informed me to check in with my doc abt a iffy spot on my back. I trust her skills. This review is purely reflecting upon the administrative service. I booked online w/ Jeanne S. bcuz I looked up the web and saw she's in-network w/ Premera and I have my doctor's referral/diagnosis to to bill thru insurance. Soon after, studio called to ask if I can change my time from 8pm to 6. No problem. Then staff reminded me to be early, bring my insurance card and have doc send the diagnosis. Understood. On the day of 10/28, I gave insurance card to front desk. She said they received referral but not the codes but if they need more info they'll contact my doctor. Again, no problem. After session, I was charged with $59. Next day 10/29, I emailed to ask if I'm billed incorrectly bcuz $59 seemed high. The 1st response 10/31, they confirmed w/ my insurance & benefits that copay is $25 and allowable 30 visits a year, I should specify the in-network therapist. I called insurance to confirm copay is correct but w/45 visits instead of 30. I also noticed nowhere they addressed refunding the overcharge. On 11/2, I responded that from the interaction I had on the phone and in-person with the studio, I did due diligence abt my intention to bill thru insurance. I don't know how much more explicit I could be. I corrected that my #of visits and I rqst'd a refund for overcharge amt. 2nd response 11/6 from Jennifer J., the manager of the studio. She started w/ "Hi Sarah, We apologize for the delay in response, we are a very busy studio and ask our clients to please give us a couple days to respond to issues and concerns." then, "If you would rather not take the time to let the front desk know if you are going through insurance and are booked with someone out of network you will be charged the walk in rate of $89. No exceptions. Since we do most of the work when billing your insurance, we do require some effort and responsibility on the clients end to make things run a bit smoother. We will happily refund the difference of 34 to your credit card. I have reconfirmed your benefits with PREMERA - you do get 45 rehab visits per calendar year. The insurance specialist who we had spoken to earlier - had quoted the wrong number of visits. Let me know if you have any other questions. We appreciate the patience our clients. Thank you, Jennifer J. | Manager" REALLY!? I immediately emailed back that she obviously didn't read my email entirely or conducted a thorough convo w/ her staff cuz if she did, she would understand I did all that I should. I also pointed out that it looks like she went on an effort to list blame on me w/false accusation and blame on my insurance company. This could have been a simple misunderstanding and we could've moved on very easily to agreement. Instead, she just fueled the blame to client. I included in my response to her that next time I book, I'll be sure to ask to speak with her because I'd like to speak with her in person. 30 min later I received, "Hi Sarah, I do apologize for sounding rude, that was not my intention. I was trying to solve the issue at hand about insurance and session booking. The email we sent to you about the benefits, is a generic wording we send to all our insurance clients. You were booked correctly and did see a therapist IN NETWORK. The only reason we charged you full price that day is because your insurance benefits had not been in yet due the fact we didn't have the legal name that was on your insurance plan. I do again apologize for sounding rude. Thank you, Front Desk Staff" NO, Jennifer J., your intention was to blame me cuz you didn't get the facts straight. This is customer service 101. You could've provided the reason for incorrect billing from the start, but you didn't and now you're just back-paddling. This is not OK if that's how this mgr's first reaction to customer's inquiry abt billing...

First, the phone scheduling was easy, they were able to fit me in within 2 weeks which was nice. The check-in process was overkill. Waiting in your car to fill out the health info sheet? Then keeping the building door locked until you have a mask on? This is too much. They cracked open the door just enough to squeeze a mask through when i came in. This made me feel uninvited. I thought wow, does keeping the door locked stop covid from coming into the building? Hospitals aren't even this strict with masks. Also, the MT was so strict about keeping the mask on when turning over. As soon as I lifted my head up she said put your mask on. No intro, for example, it would have been better to say ok it's time to turn over then can you put your mask on. This is about the client and a massage not about regulating masks. The situation seemed tense and she seemed more motivated about regulating masks than giving the massage. The covid restrictions were not necessary to the level they were taking it. The restrictions made me uncomfortable.

In the room, they had a large fan that was blowing a lot of air loudly. The lights were too bright and the music was too loud as well. She put a towel over my eyes for the 'brightness'. Having a mask on with a towel over your eyes was too much. It was very hard to mentally relax. The MT was not the most soft spoken or welcoming. She seemed militant in confirming the type of massage. She said something like 'i can do that' in an arrogant attitude rather than confirming in a comforting way. During the massage the MT had these random sudden movements that would move my entire body. It was fast/sudden and not therapeutic. It was almost like a shake - I've never had that before in any massage. She had me stuff my mask down in the head rest which seemed to be wrapped with a pillow case. I was breathing in my own air for 45 minutes face down, this was not therapeutic. I had no fresh air when laying face down and this was troublesome. Fresh air in a massage room is important and having a big fan blow room temp air around plus breathing through a pillow case was not ideal. I've had several massages and this was not one of the top massages I've had. Between the covid restrictions, unfriendly MT, and the room setup I wanted to walk out. I will not be returning to...

I recently decided to pull my membership at Elements Massage after being a regular for 3 years. Initially, I was drawn by the top-notch therapists who truly cared about my well-being, providing exceptional massages. However, the inconsistency in therapist availability became a major issue. The first therapist I connected with left, followed by the next one I settled with. This cycle continued, making it challenging to find a long-term therapist, a common concern in massage businesses like Elements.

The tipping point for my decision was a recent experience with a therapist who wore gloves throughout the entire massage. I was unaware of this practice and was surprised to learn after paying over $100 for the session. This incident highlighted the communication gap between clients and therapists.

When I visited the establishment to terminate my membership, there was further disappointment. Despite requesting termination over the phone a week prior, I was informed I needed to stay on for an additional 30 days as they didn’t document my phone call and request. The receptionist's demeanor changed once I explained my purpose, which was to complete the necessary termination paperwork in person.

My final 60-minute massage fell short, lasting just under 50 minutes, leaving me feeling shortchanged. While I appreciated the positive experiences I had with some therapists, the inconsistency in staffing, lack of transparency, and recent disappointing encounters ultimately led me to end my membership.

Overall, Elements Massage has its strengths, especially in the form of caring therapists, but improvements are needed in communication, consistency, and honoring membership...