massage therapy journal

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Pricing it

Therapists say they use a $1-per minute rule of thumb as a basis for corporate deals. Jones says he uses a tiered pricing system by which he charges $60 per hour if he's providing massages at the company for 3½ hours or more. If he's at the company for fewer than 3½ hours, he charges $70 per hour. "I charge a higher rate for less time," Jones says. "It's expensive getting out there and setting up." He requests a gratuity on one-time arrangements. "I've found that whenever I've charged it, people don't balk," he says. He waives the gratuity as an incentive to establish a regular relationship with the company.

Company arrangements vary from once or twice a week, to once a month to once a year, to whenever the mood and the money strike the company. Sometimes the employees pay for the massages; sometimes the company pays for them, and some-times the employees and company share the costs.

Of 18 corporate accounts maintained by his company, Miller says, 11 are paid entirely by employees, two are paid entirely by the companies and five are partially paid for by the companies. When employees are paying for all or part of the massages, therapists say, it's a good idea to have the employees pay in advance. The therapists thereby know they have a commitment and know how many therapists to send to the job. When the company pays all the costs, the therapist generally knows the frequency of company-wide sessions (once a week, once a month, etc.). In such cases, some therapists ask the company to let them know ahead of time how much time will be needed on the coming visit, and they bill the company in advance. /p>

Doing it

As with most chair massage sessions, workplace-massage sessions generally last 15 to 20 minutes, focusing on the neck, head, back, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Most therapists prefer to customize each session, as if to say to the employee: "I care about you, not just your company." Many ask the client whether they have any areas that need special attention. They ask new clients about health history, recent injuries and whether they've had chair massage.

Kier says she trains her independent contractors to focus on individual needs. "Our goal is to really customize the on-site massage on what each employee needs on any given day that we're there," she says. "It's not just a routine. These are skilled therapists who can ask questions and tailor the session accordingly."

"We encourage all of our staff to individualize each session," Miller says. "If you're doing the same routine over and over again, you're really not helping anyone." Jones says his teacher required all of his therapists to execute at least a variation of the same chair-massage routine, adapted from an Eastern style of therapy called shiatsu that emphasizes energy channels and pressure points.

"Everybody has his or her own interpretation of that routine," Jones says. "They kind of make it their own. The routine that I use has a certain flow to it. I might leave out some things and just focus on the things that people like, if somebody requests something specific."

The key is for the company and employees to feel comfortable with the therapist. Take it from Briefing.com, a Chicago-based company that provides financial news and analysis. The company sought a massage therapist "driven by a sense of ergonomics and keeping employees healthy," says Pat O'Hare, manager of investor content at Briefing.com.

The company started with one visit a week from a therapist. It's now up to two visits a week. The company and employees share the costs. Employees there feel good about their therapist, O'Hare says. More importantly, they just feel good.

"She's become kind of like one of us at Briefing.com," O'Hare says of the company's therapist. "She's a friendly face-and a nice face to see twice a week. We're glad that she understands that we put in a lot of hours and do a lot of sitting and staring at a computer."

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