AIBU to expect a beauty therapist to be qualifed

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

Can someone tell me if I'm being unreasonable or not.
I had a half spa day booked today at the best hotel in town. The therapist was not very good at all I had booked a mini facial and a face and scalp massage. When the therapist came to get me she didn't introduce herself or say her name. When I lay on the bed to have the facial she didn't turn the bright lights off overhead.

Throughout the facial she used only one hand a lot???? Like she did the left side of my face, then did the right, with the same hand. She also applied the mask with her fingers. The massage wasn't a massage it was just her rubbing oil into my face and hair. All in all, it was exactly like she had never been properly trained or was qualified.

Anyway, after the treatment I went to speak to the Spa manager and told her the above and asked her if the lady was qualified and she assured me she was. I asked to see evidence of this but was told it was locked away. Anyway, we were both very polite and professional and I left then and there was no charge for the facial.

However, I'm pretty convinced she's using untrained staff for Elemis facials - is there any way to find out if this is the case?

First world problem I know, but they wanted to charge me £55 for this which I wouldn't have minded if it had been done properly.

AIBU?

Perhaps if Elemis have a training system in place then you could enquire as to who in X spa of Y hotel is trained in using their products? You would like to suggest that the therapists in X spa go on training and explain why.

Data Potection would not allow anyone to phone up and ask for another persons qualifications.

You've complained, not been charged. That is the end of the matter really,.

No where on the Elemis site is there a drop down for training therapists, just for starting up a new business. . It's not a regulated industry.

www.elemis.com/contact-new-business

OK Thanks. I guess its just a case of not going back there then.

Anyone can call themselves a "beauty therapist" it's not like claiming you're a doctor or something.

I thought anyone could call themselves a beautician, but not a beauty therapist, but I haven't googled it, so not sure. The lack of introduction is not unusual IME, if not great. However, the massage should be two-handed, with one hand mirroring the other. It is unusual for the certificates not to be on display, they are normally on the wall in the reception area.

Ok, have remembered that the college said that up to level 2 training NVQ you can call yourself beautician, but you have to have level 3 or above to call yourself a therapist.

That's no Elemis facial. Dim lights, low voices, two soothing hands and a proper mask and exfoliation.

She may just be crap but you were right to complain.

Just to confuse the issue though, having make-up training and working in a department store enables you to say you are a beautician, but you will not be trained to level 2 standards, which includes waxing, massage, etc.

The law may have changed, but you don't have to be a qualified physician to practice private medicine (or dentistry) - or you didn't used to have to be. Unlike vets, you have to be qualified regardless.

All salons I have been to have the therapists' certificates displayed on the wall. I would be extremely suspicious of any salon that refused to show the certificates when requested. If they aren't certified then they aren't insured and that is a massive issue for a commercial salon. I would contact elemis as advised above and let them know the quality of the treatment you received.

NVQ level 2 qualified = beauty therapist.

I have never been to a salon or spa where they don't display the certificates for qualifications. They all seem to be very proud and rightly so.

They also seem to make a big deal on their websites and booklets about beauty therapists qualified in all listed treatments and a particularly big deal is made when the therapist is using and trained under a specific brand.

I would question the brand to ask if that specific salon is truly an affiliate of theirs and if all therapists on that site are qualified to administer their treatments.

Elemis trained therapist here!

There is a very indepth training to be done before you can perform an Elemis facial. This involves how the room should look, sound and smell...It's pretty full on.

What you describe doesn't sound at all like an Elemis facial :(

I have to have my certificates displayed and my insurance with me at all times. They aren't locked away

I'm glad you didn't pay in the end.

I have had that experience too - I've had at least a couple of facials over the years where it was pretty obvious to me that the person doing it didn't really know what they were supposed to be doing and just smeared me in various potions....

I'm a qualified beauty therapist and I have nvq levels 2 and 3 in beauty therapy so you can definitely call yourself a beauty therapist at level 2 qualified as that's the name of the qualification. That aside it sounds as if she was rubbish so I'd not be going back and also might write a review on trip advisor but that's as far as I'd probably go with it.

Data Potection would not allow anyone to phone up and ask for another persons qualifications

Any spa I've been in and my beauticians that I use have their certificates on display.

Plus in the beauticians, they all can't do everything as they haven't been trained in everything. The one girl for example is Level 2 qualified and can do a manicure. She can't do a Shellac as she hasn't been trained in that. She can do amazing Lavender facials but the girl who owns it doesn't, as she didn't do that course but she does the deep tissue back massages.

In nursery settings, our qualifications were put on display as parents wanted to know and that didn't breach DPA either.

Therapist here too.

Sadly big hotel/spas are where the most expensive treatments can be had, also where you are most likely (in some cases certainly) to encounter a treatment by an unqualified person.

Health farms are also bad for this. I know, as I did it unwittingly when I was 17 and training at college.

Definitely doesn't sound like an elemis facial. The salon where I've had mine done all the staff had to go on a 3-4 day training course with Elemis before they could offer Elemis services.