Elements Massage — Local services in Whitefish Bay

If I could give negative stars, I would. My husband, bless his optimistic and wonderful soul, thought a gift certificate for Elements Massage would soothe my stress and bring me some relief. Instead, it was the worst massage experience I’ve ever had.

It all started with hope – a clean facility, friendly staff and detailed forms. I diligently completed the paperwork days earlier, specifying my needs for a deep tissue massage to help with tension and pain.

Arriving 15 minutes early, I expected promptness. Instead, I waited at least 25/30 minutes before finally being called in. Then came the inquisition – questions I had already painstakingly answered in the forms. Clearly, no one thought those were worth a read. After reiterating my needs (deep tissue, neck and shoulders only), I waited another 10 minutes or so undressed and alone wondering if they were growing the lavender essential oil from scratch.

When the massage finally began, ‘deep tissue’ must have been lost in translation. It felt more like ‘light lotioning for beginners.’ I got maybe 40 awkward minutes of what I can only describe as someone excessively buttering toast. And then, just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the therapist looked at the clock and said, ‘Okay hun, time’s up!’ How is my time up when you started at least 20/30 min late? This wasn’t a massage. At this point I wasn’t going to argue for 20/30 more minutes of buttering. Maybe for weak and brittle elderly people this would have been an acceptable massage experience.

For well over $100, my husband paid for me to leave more stressed than when I came in. The audacity to charge full price for a service that wasn’t delivered properly is astounding. Honestly, I’d have been better off at the mall – at least there, they manage to work on your knots without making you feel like a piece of overly buttered toast. You also get way more time for the price. $120 is astonishingly outrageous. So, if you’re looking for a genuine massage,...

This review is not for the actual massage as my daughter loved her massage and her therapist. This review is for the manager. I had bought my daughter a gift certificate a few years ago and scheduled an appointment. She got sick and we had to cancel it (well within the cancellation policy) and they said that it would stay on her account until we rescheduled. They did not say there was an expiration date. Last Thanksgiving, when I was in purchasing $500 worth of gift cards, I checked to see if it was still on her account and it was and they said not to worry that she could use it whenever. Well, kids schedules are crazy so she just got around to trying to use it last week. When I called to ask about it, the manager said it wasn't on her account anymore. I explained that she never used it and he said that they expire within a year. I asked to speak to a manager and he said he was the manager but that he would connect with the owner. He then called me back later in the day to say that the owner agreed to honor it. But I was confused because he had told me he didn't see it on her account so I asked him how he found it. He then said that it was always there and that he had seen it there earlier. I was beyond mad - why did he need to lie to me and tell me that there wasn't a massage on her account? Why did he just not say it was there but he had to check with the owner to see if it could still be used? There is never a reason to lie...

From the moment I first walked in the door, the Elements staff was friendly. I was sore and was up front with my massage therapist, Sharissa about what I wanted. She performed a deep tissue massage admirably and I felt muscles, especially in my upper back "pop" followed by immediate relief and relaxation. As a contractor I can't afford to have a lot of down time during the busy season. I will say this -- they pushed the water because they understand that massage can release toxins which your body needs to flush out. I appreciated the fact that they were knowledgeable. To those who are new to massage, I would have to say that you need to let your massage therapist know just how strong you want your massage to be. I look at massage as health care and I understand that for what my needs are, it's going to hurt. I'm sure Sharissa's hands were very tired when she was done, but now that it's been an hour since I left Elements, I feel even better. Thank...