to expect a refund/free treatment?

[JRmumma]

Had a massage at the local Dove Spa today. The spa is in the local shopping centre, a few doors along from a soft play place you can leave your kids while you shop.

Ive had a massage there before and it was great, very relaxing. Today again the massage was fine, but all the way through I could hear children screaming from the soft play centre and it did not make for a very relaxing experience.

On my way out I complained to the receptionist and then the person in charge (who wasn't a manager, they had gone home for the day) and was essentially told 'what do you expect us to do about it? They said that if there was something wrong with the actual treatment then they could maybe resolve it or book me in for a repeat treatment, but as it was something out of their control, there was nothing they could do and i have to take it further with their manager/head office to see if they would do anything.

I explained that i would have expected that the wall was sound proof, given the nature of their business, if the noise was a problem (which it clearly is). I said that i understood that i was paying for the entire experience, not just the actual massage and that if i wanted to listen to kids scream whilst i was getting my massage, i would have paid a mobile service (a considerable amount cheaper) to come to my home and had it whilst my own child was in the room next door.

Last time i had a room on the other side of the spa and so maybe you cannot hear the soft play noise over there, if i had known this i would have requested a different room. They have a sign in reception asking clients not to bring their kids in so that they can maintain a calm relaxing ambience. That's a bloody joke if you can hear kids screaming through the walls anyway.

AIBU to expect a refund or a free treatment to make up for the fact that my experience today was ruined?

[Amytheflag]

That's a good outcome! Sounds like the manager is on the ball with customer service.

[JRmumma]

Yes thanks. I'm pleased with the result and it hasn't put me off using the spa in general as i feel they have been helpful and fair. Not sure if id have another massage there but would at least request a room on the other side. If i chose to have one at least id do so knowing about the issue and so i could base my decision on that.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

That ended well then op.

I did think ywbu but nevertheless it's good that there was a positive outcome.

[JRmumma]

Thanks for all of your comments, just thought i would update as ive now had a call from the manager who offered to re-credit my gift card 50% of the value.

I know most don't think that I should be entitled to anything but she did agree that I had paid for the overall experience and understood that I felt I hadn't got what I had paid for in that sense. I said that i was very grateful for this and I am. I can now use that towards a different treatment that wont be spoiled by the sounds of the play centre.

[Sharaluck]

I sympathise but don't think it would be fair to get a refund or discount after the massage. You should've spoken up during the massage to see if they could change the time to fit you into a different & soundproof room.

Hopefully they do take notice of the feedback you gave and do something about it as I agree that the sound of children playing would not be conducive to a relaxing experience.

[Pumpkinpositive]

YABVU.

[JRmumma]

Yes sirzy its 2 doors away but obviously the units meet further back where the treatment rooms are. Ive been before and it wasn't an issue so why would i think it would be this time?

[Sirzy]

so you booked to go for a massage next to a childrens play centre then you were suprised when you could hear children?

[JRmumma]

pou no it wasn't addressed during, and was audible above the tinkly music. When i complained after they were clearly aware of the problem and even told me 'its always really bad on Saturdays'. Last time i went was on a Saturday and couldn't hear a thing. As i said upthread it may have been because i was in a different room on the opposite wall but tbh, i wouldn't have expected noise to be a problem in any of the treatment rooms, even with a play centre a couple of doors away. If it is too much of a problem to overcome, why did they take that unit or not install some sound proofing? The noise was clearly coming through the wall not through the door from out in the shopping centre. You couldn't even hear it in the corridor.

[angelos02]

YANBU. The design/layout of the building is wrong. You shouldn't be able to hear anything apart from the relaxing music whilst having a massage.

[saintlyjimjams]

Yes I am like you marylou - kid's noise that isn't my responsibility is almost more relaxing.

You should have spoken up at the time. You didn't give them a chance to rectify the problem.

[saintlyjimjams]

YABU

[Marylou62]

The noise wouldn't have bothered me at all. I have trained myself to not hear any childrens noise if I am lucky enough not to have to deal with it!! I would have lain there in bliss thinking...'Oh how lovely, kids having fun and I can ignore it'. I work in an indoor soft play centre and its amazing how you get used to it! Next time ask for another room.

[TheRealYellowWiggle]

I can see given that you wanted a rare child-free relaxing experience that hearing children was the last thing you needed! Didn't they have the whale music turned up? I don't think you were spoken to very nicely. It wasn't one-off building work or a thunderstorm after all, it will happen regularly. Go elsewhere next time.

[UncleT]

Stitched up? That's a bit strong. Why was the location of the place any surprise to you at all though? Surely you knew there could be noise in such a busy place. Getting into discussions about how thick the walls are etc. is just ridiculous. YABU.

[poubella]

Were you apologised to during the massage ?
I had a similar thing recently where an elderly gentleman was having some physio or something in the pool near the treatment room and was groaning very very loudly so we could all hear. They kept apologising but I did not complain as it is just one of those things.
Was there not tinkly music to drown it out ?

[JRmumma]

Ok so consensus seems to be that ive had my massage so what's the problem.

In hindsight i should have stopped the massage when the noise got really distracting, probably about 20 minutes in, but however silly it seems, that just didn't feel like an option at the time. Id have felt as if i was making a scene, whilst semi naked. Not a position id have felt at all comfortable with.

If it seems like in out to get a freebie then yes i suppose i am. But not just trying my luck, i do genuinely feel like ive been stitched up.

[Viviennemary]

They must be a bit clueless to set up next to a noisy playcentre. I think you should be entitled to a discount of another treatment if they want to keep customers.

[ACatCalledColin]

Is this for real?

[expatinscotland]

YABU. Out for a freebie.

[aermingers]

YABU. You should have mentioned it was a problem while having the massage then maybe they could have done something. But you paid for a massage and had a massage so they're under no obligation to give you anything.

[MincingOnBy]

YANBU I would also be pissed off with that

[MontyDonnsgirl]

YANBU. When you're stripped off and prone it's pretty hard to sit up and say "those kids are too loud!"
If the place had any notion of customer service they'd have offered you an alternative, and potentially kept a customer as I'm guessing now you'll be taking your business elsewhere!

[WorraLiberty]

You don't need to be a 'complainer' to simply say, "You know what? That noise is really stressing me out. I think I'll come back when it's less noisy unless you have a quieter room?"

But you complained on your way out anyway, so I still don't see why you didn't just stop the massage?