SoCa Day Spa — Local services in North Charleston

I decided to redeem my gift certificate for a 90 minute signature massage at Soca Day Spa in North Charleston. I confirmed my appointment on yesterday for 12:15 pm. I arrived at the spa at about 12:15 pm. When I walked in the first thing I see is the receptionist desk. Two ladies of fair complexion were sitting at the desk. I walked in to complete silence. I took three steps and approached the desk. Still, complete silence. I stood there for about 30 seconds neither lady looked up from their computers. To reassure myself that I wasn’t the ghost of segregation past I greeted them loudly to make my unwelcome presence known. “Hello, how are y’all today?” Both pale figures murmured an unenthusiastic hi. Then I said I’m here for my 12:15 appt. The younger of the pale figures checked me in. She then confirmed my that I, the ghost of segregation past did indeed have an appt. She proceeded to show me to the locker room, issued me a locker and instructed me to wait across the hall when done changing into the robe. I changed and went to the waiting area. The spa had very aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. While waiting I tried not to let the micro-aggression on subtle racism take away from my much needed 90 minutes of peace and relaxation. While waiting a different associate of a darker complexion was tidying up the spa. She offered my a warm neck towel while I waited. I politely declined. Seven minutes later I’m still waiting. No sign of the masseuse or the two unwelcoming pale figures. The polite inviting brown girl walked passed again. I politely asked her if she knew when my massage would start because my appt was at 12:15 and now it’s 12:30. I frequent another spa in Charleston where nirvana is the standard so I’m well aware that late starts equal shorter services. The diligent polite lady says she will find out. She goes to the front then to the back. About one minute after her inquiry the masseuse appears. I follow her back to the room and she apologizes for the late start. She then tells me that no one informed her that I had arrived. She then leaves the room so I can disrobe. By this time my blood is boiling. So, these two pale figures know I’m here and waiting and can’t even be bothered to let the masseuse know. If this service wasn’t gifted to me I would have got my panties out of a wad, requested a full refund and never returned to the unwelcoming spa again. But alas I stayed. The massage was great. I took me a while for the unwelcoming vibes to dissipate. If you ever find yourself in the unwelcoming soca spa ask for Liz, the masseuse. After my massage I go check out. The two pale figures have vanished much like my anger and tension in my shoulders. The polite employee checks me out. I proceeded to tell her how unwelcoming it was when I arrived at the spa. She apologized for the rude pale figures. I then ask her if either person was the manager so I can let them know how her guest of brown complexion are being treated when entering the spa. The employee then informed me that the older pale figure was indeed the owner. I proceeded to clutch my imaginary pearls with shock and horror. Then I remembered, girl you have been brown in Charleston for 30 plus years. This isn’t your first or last encounter with passive racism in the dirty south. I left my tip for Liz and I thanked the only brown face in the spa for her professionalism and hospitality. I also informed her that I will not be visiting again and I’ll advise others of my glowing melanated complexion to seek spa...

I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the customer service I received during a recent interaction with your spa location.

Last Friday, I scheduled a reservation for my daughter for this upcoming Saturday. Unfortunately, due to a change in plans, I called your location to cancel the appointment. What should have been a simple process turned into a frustrating and disappointing experience.

When I called, I clearly stated that I wanted to cancel a reservation for my child. The staff member I spoke with immediately claimed there was no reservation under the name I provided. I informed her that I had a reservation number and offered it to assist with the lookup. Even after providing the number, I was told the reservation still couldn’t be found in the system.

I then requested an email address so I could forward proof of the reservation. Instead of assisting with that, the staff member began questioning when I had last visited, mentioning that I hadn’t been there since 2014 and stating that I would need to book a five-hour reservation or a specific package. These comments were unnecessary and did not address the purpose of my call.

I attempted to redirect the conversation by asking whether she had received the email I sent with the reservation confirmation. Rather than focusing on resolving the issue or offering a callback after investigating, she continued repeating what she couldn’t find in the system—without actively researching or trying to assist. When I voiced my frustration, she said, “I don’t know why you’re mad at me.” I then requested to speak with the manager, only to find out that she was the manager and/or owner.

The overall tone of the interaction was rude, defensive, and unprofessional. Rather than listening to understand the situation, the manager seemed more focused on dismissing my concerns. For such a simple request—to cancel and possibly reschedule a reservation—I was met with unnecessary pushback and condescension.

I am extremely disappointed and would not recommend this spa to others based on this experience alone. I hope you take this feedback seriously and use it as an opportunity to improve how your staff—especially those in leadership roles—handle customer service and...

I wanted to love this, but it was a very disappointing spa experience. I had a gift certificate for $300 that expired during the Covid shut down. When spas reopened, I called and asked if they would honor it and the owner said they would, as long as I used it all right away, and said all of there services were available. I decided to share it with my sisters as a fun thing to do together. I called and asked for 3 apts together for my sisters and myself. They were accommodating in making the appointments and when I asked how early we could come, I was told at the very least, 5 minutes to fill out paperwork. We got there 40 minutes early, so that we could relax before the services, and they told us to wait in our cars and they would call us when the service was starting. No changing into robes, no relaxation room, just in and out for your service. That was NEVER communicated to me when I booked the appointments. It was a rushed experience, and extremely disappointing. If the full spa was not available, they should have communicated that when I booked 3 appointments together and I should not have been told I had to use my gift certificate before all services were actually available. Then, when we checked out, my gift certificate was enough to cover all 3 services and tips, and they would not honor it for tip. If I bought someone a $300 gift certificate and found out they had to add $60 in gratuity, I would be furious. That’s just bad business. So while I wanted to love this place, I have to say spend the extra $20 and go to The Woodhouse for a real spa experience. They still have their relaxation room, mimosas, and all the pampering that is expected when you book a spa...