Over the years that I’ve been practicing massage, there have been quite a few times when a client said “I was going to so-and-so, but her office is so cluttered (or dirty, I’ve heard that one, too) that I can’t relax there.”
You can eat off the floor at my office. I’m a workaholic, and unfortunately, I cannot make that same claim about my house—but I’m not seeing clients at my house. At work, housekeeping has to be a priority. I run my office as if it is a health care business, and it’s cleaned and sanitized accordingly. No matter what your work environment is, it’s unprofessional to keep it anything less than spotless.
Your entrance is the first thing people see. If you have a porch or sidewalk entrance, it should be clean and welcoming. When a client enters the building, they want to see a lobby or reception area that is clean and uncluttered. Old magazines piled up, baskets of dirty laundry, or even just an unorganized mess on the desk detracts from that.
Put yourself in the client’s place. Lay on your massage table with your face in the cradle. See any dust bunnies under there? Or dust anywhere?
If you can write your name on the furniture in your treatment room, that’s not a good thing. Many massage therapists work in dim lighting, which may cover a host of sins, but your facility should be clean enough to withstand scrutiny under a floodlight. The bathroom should sparkle. You don’t want anyone comparing it to a service station restroom that hasn’t been cleaned.
While clutter does not necessarily equate to dirt, look around you. Or ask a friend to look for you and tell you honestly if your space looks too cluttered. When you see it day after day, you start to become oblivious to it. Even though they may be the tools or supplies you work with, there are plenty of ways to organize those so that your office doesn’t look like a flea market. I have the under the table storage nets where I can stash extra pillows, bolsters, etc . so they’re not laying all over the place. Things that I don’t use frequently, like a prego pillow, are stored in the closet.
Speaking of flea markets, some of my favorite decorative items have come from there. But you want to be selective and follow the adage “less is more.” Every inch of the walls and/or furniture doesn’t need to be covered in something. A few well-placed pieces of art are enough. The more knick-knacks you have sitting around, the more you have to dust.
Another thing on your list of chores should be regular maintenance on your massage table. A massage table is just like a car. You need to tune it up once in a while. Tighten the screws. Check the cables. If it’s squeaking or rocking, it’s already unstable.
It’s easy to become caught up in taking care of other things, or to just get lax and let things fall by the wayside. If you need to, write your housekeeping on your appointment book. That way you can keep on top of it and not have to try to do it every day. Monday—clean bathroom. Tuesday—dust lobby. Wednesday—clean doors and mirrors…scheduling it keeps you from getting overwhelmed or behind on chores. An environment that is clean and serene is something we owe our clients.
