The NOW Massage Montclair — Local services in Montclair

Update: Again, 0 stars across the board. The owner Venessa C. tried to legally strong arm me to edit my review. But the fact remains the same: the massage was barely a 2 out of 10 & the whole experience was CONCERNING & POOR! So Customers…please pay very close attention to the business tacky, irresponsible response. Cause other customers have complained about the scare tactics they use whenever a complaint is brought up and this is a perfect example. They took 0 accountability for their actions because according to the owner my friend was “glowing” (such a subjective baseless perspective) instead of crying and looking sad on her way out. And to top it off, out of respect I did not mention that Bart was the masseuse… to preserve not only his anonymity but my friends as well, but this business owner displayed 0 tact in mentioning her name. The correct approach would have been to use this as an opportunity to train their staff. Instead of trying to discredit my friends experience with scare tactics and foolish accusations. Unless the owner was there in the room to see how the massage took place, it’s not their place to discount her experience. PERIOD! When your customers express disappointment or dissatisfaction your first step should be to take accountability! Instead of threatening lawsuits and verbal sparring. Customers take heed!

Original Review: I would give 0 starts if I could.

It’s sad that I have to write this review about the NOW massage, but here goes. I bought a $227 package (tip included) for my friend’s big 50th bday. I asked Alissa at the front desk prior to booking “who’s your best masseuse?” & she assured me that this gentleman was great. My friend arrived on time & got ready for the massage. That’s when things went downhill:

1- in the waiting room amongst other guests he asked her personal questions about her preferences and medical info even if she’d already filled out their online intake form. This info could’ve been asked in the privacy of her room and immediately made her uncomfortable having to disclose publicly

2- although I paid extra for the deep tissue pressure to be applied, the massage was light at best with no intensity or pressure. My friend owns a very successful massage studio herself hence me requesting someone who knew what they were doing. This was not a true deep tissue massage. So FAIL.

3- curtains separate you from the other guests so you hear everything! If your intent is to relax or you’re noise sensitive…forget it

4- It gets worse from here on out... The masseuse was breathing so loud that it seemed he was getting tired. Making it hard for her to relax.

5- Then HE SWEAT ON HER BODY a few times & apologized. You heard that right! Despite him apologizing, hygiene wise no one expects to have their masseuse sweat touch their body. No one!

All in all, the massage was a 2 out of 10 and she couldn’t wait to get out of there. It was an uncomfortable experience all around and not worth the hefty price tag.

I complained to Alissa who apologized, stating she felt bad since she was the one who referred him. She then offered a complimentary session but neither me or my friend was interested because of the very poor experience overall. So she offered a full refund stating she would get management to issue the refund to my card since she didn’t have the ability to do so herself. They never did. So I paid $227 for my friend to get sweat on…just awesome! This could be you so take heed people!!!!!

The management of this company disregarded my friend’s whole experience because according to them she seemed “happy” on her way out. Non confrontational people smile when they’re uncomfortable. Plus how many examples do we have of ppl seeming to be happy when they’re not. It’s called coping! That’s 0 indication that she had a great experience. I won’t be servicing this business again or recommending them. And urge you to look at their negative and lowest reviews first before...

So, today I had my Prenatal 80 minutes massage with (pay attention to this, I will explain at the end😂)$15 extra service that calls Prenatal Glow. (spoiler) I was extremely confused and a bit disappointed with my experience. Long story short, my appointment was scheduled initially a day earlier, but was canceled due to the “technician was feeling unwell”, which is totally understandable and I asked if I can come next day. Very nice receptionist rescheduled me for 11:00am and she said that my Extra (Prenatal Glow) service will be complimentary due to inconvenience. Next day (today) I came 10 min earlier to sign the consent forms, went to the restroom and at 11:00 am was ready to start my session. 5-7 minutes later my technician came out, she asked me a few questions about my preferences and I explained that my only issue -hips, currently I’m 34 weeks pregnant and sleep on sides only, so if she can pay more attention to hips area I would greatly appreciate it. The technician left me in the room to get ready, I was ready in a minute, it took sometime for her to come back, and she started a session after about 10 minutes. I’m 5.4 and my pregnant weight 130 pounds, so its not like I love “hardcore” massage, but technician were barely touching my shoulders, then a bit on my back, then my foot. Then she covered me with a sheet and pressed for a few minutes on my hip- DONE ✅ She asked me to turn on other side, and did the same. It took her not long, so she started scratching my head (I had a pony tail and it was quite unpleasant) and then she massaged my ear for the next 5 minutes😆 then she said we are done and left me to change my clothes. When I got dressed and looked at my phone it was 12:19pm 🤷🏻‍♀️ almost 80 minutes if you’re not counting 20 minutes preparation 😉. Again, I don’t care if the massage would be a massage, but I felt like nothing, my hips were still hurting and I had no relaxation. Oh, I also asked what does it mean “Prenatal glow” and you know what was the answer- it’s ability to lay on a side and have a pillow between your legs for extra comfort 🤣🤣🤣 seriously, that’s the extra $15 service! And lucky me, I got it complimentary 😎 So I paid for my massage, added tips for my technician and left the shop in confusion with half of my head oily from the lotion (another side was fresh and clean, because my technician needed to kill the time only on my second side 🤭). I rated 2 stars because I didn’t like the massage, BUT the place is beautiful, sheets are crispy clean and stuff is kind, even though it’s not a real massage. I wanted to love this place, wanted to find “my technician”, because we are all different and need to find the right professional, and I would gladly schedule every week, but “killing time” manner and foolish “extras” make me feel so stupid, that I doubt I will be back or recommend this place to my family and friends. Stay honest with your clients, and you...

Just want to share my first-time experience here. I came with my girlfriend since we wanted to have a date at The NOW. We were welcomed by the staff and given details about the massages. Since it was my first time, I was told I’d receive a free enhancement of my choice from the list. Nothing else was mentioned, and I was simply allowed to choose one. I ended up selecting the Gliding Cupping, and the staff member assisting us even said it was a great choice.

The massage itself was a good experience. The masseuse was attentive to my preferences and concerns, and I appreciated that part.

But here’s where things went south. After the massage, I met my girlfriend at the front desk where another staff member was ringing us up. She asked if we had any enhancements, and we mentioned that I had received the Gliding Cupping. She immediately said, “That’s an additional $20.” My girlfriend explained that it was my first time, and that we were told I’d get a free enhancement of my choice. The original staff member even came over and clarified that she thought all enhancements were free for first-timers.

Despite this, the staff member at the register didn’t care that the confusion was caused by her coworker. She still charged us the $20. So now we’re paying for your employee’s mistake? If I had known, I would’ve chosen something else. There was no apology, no ownership — just a dismissive, almost snotty attitude.

Horrible experience. I left feeling scammed and cheated. Makes me wonder how many other first-time clients are told one thing and charged another. I will never come back here. Her attitude and lack of empathy made it worse.

UPDATE: The team at The NOW personally called to apologize and refunded the $20 charge. They took full ownership of the miscommunication, and that completely changed our experience. This is the level of customer service I expected from a place like The NOW, and I truly appreciate the effort they made to make things right. Because of that, I’m updating my...