As of June 1st I raised my rates across the board by $5. Unfortunately, it seems as though price increases are inevitable. My rate increase came from both an increase in my costs as well as a thorough evaluation of my time spent working.
I struggled with it, much like the first time I raised them almost a year and a half ago. Beyond just an increase in the cost of living and doing business, the importance of the time I spend with my clients was a huge factor as well. Appointment times run with a basic 60 minutes of table time. I do a fair amount of intake as well. Each client has different needs, some require a quick 5 minute update, some people need closer to 15 minutes. On average I think I spend about 70-75 minutes with each client. That considered, it was starting to appear as though I wasn’t charging enough for the time I put into each appointment. I’ve mentioned it before, most other massage therapists and clinics do at most 55 minutes of table time with 5 minutes of intake. If more intake is needed it’s taken away from the massage time.
I’m certainly not saying this has never happened at my office, or that it’s a bad thing to do. Clinics need to make money to stay open. I’ve had my fair share of clients whose intake took 30 minutes or more. At that point it does start to cut into the table time I have available. However, that’s usually just a first visit with a complicated injury. It’s not typical unless a client makes it so.
Years ago, I made the choice to do 60 minutes of actual massage time. That extra 5-10 minutes makes a huge difference in my work and the overall satisfaction my clients and I feel. Changing to a 50-55 minute massage hour wasn’t something I wanted to consider.
With all the time I spend doing a thorough intake, billing for my insurance clients, and making sure my clients have all their questions answered, as well as the 60 minutes of table time, my massages felt under-priced.
I think the quality of work toward which I strive is worth that extra $5 a session.
Thank you for understanding.