It's always pleasant to drive along barney avenue no matter what kind of weather is occuring. The hundred acre farm land so neat and nurtured with many different multi-colored vegetables their lies off the beaten path, amidst the cornfields and trees, there exists a spa that feels like home. It's called Elite skin rejuvenation day spa where I work with a clan of fifteen girls dressed in black everyday wearing smocks that look like cooking aprons.
Once you walk into elite you hear the sounds of relaxation and comfort, the smell of lavender oils burning and the feeling of the hot neck roll around your neck that's when you dont ever want to leave. We have three different groups of girls who are licensed in different services. We have the nail technicians which I am a part of. The estheticians and the massage therapists. The group of nail techs' do the different selections of manicures and pedicures. We have our own area in the spa where all of our stuff is located. The estheticians' work in three different rooms of choice and work on people's faces with different organic products. Last the massage therapists also have different rooms to work in doing a selection of massages.
We all have the same attitude towards our clients treating them with royalty. We want them to feel welcomed and at home where we are. We sometimes have difficulty with clients but we still respect them as if nothing happend. We give them what they want to make them happy. Each person that walks into the spa is asked if they want a warm neck roll with a choice of beverage including wine or a mimosa. All the girls must be on time with services in order to start the next one. Everytime a service is finished their is a little box at the front desk where the clients check out with mini rectangular orange envelopes. That's where our client puts our tip. We all either recieve a tip in cash or on credit card which we look forward to.
Sometimes when all the girls are in the back where we have our own employee room we stand there and gossip a bit with eachother. That's how it is when you work in a spa with a bunch of girls. It's where we can express ourselves after dealing with an unpleasant client. It may sound wrong but we all do it. Especially basically bowing down to them and pleasing them. Not every client is like that though we have our regulars also who love us, and that's why they keep coming back. Also every one of us has our own business card, so when we have a first timer client we give our card to them.
Another thing that we go thru working in the spa is sometimes you can have a full day of clients it all depends. Sometimes you can have three appointments and then not have another one until three hours later. Also once winter hits the nails is very slow and the facials and massages get very busy. In the summer nails is the busiest time of year. Working in the spa industry is not always easy. It takes a few jobs working in different areas to find the right place that your comftorable in. And where I am on the farm where it is so relaxing and quiet is where I am happy working with my girls.
Need some feedback on this. Any suggestions?
Great desription of your place of employment. The details are great from your morning drive to your arrival at the spa. I can actually smell the lavendar perfect detail to this story. The structure of the story seems to be consistant in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think you have some good details in your description, I like how you said it lies off the beaten path. The structure seems alright, I think one thing that could make your essay a little better would be to make the sentences flow a little smoother. It seems like a nice place to work!
ReplyDeleteAshley--
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting choice of subject, to write about the world of luxury spas--a world I know nothing about btw :)
You've got a good start here, but I think you could develop this more with specifics. Ethnography is really like reporting--giving not just the generalities about what's *usually* done but the specifics of what happened one particular day with one or several specific clients. I'd like more of a sense that I'm following you around, so that I can see just what this subculture is like.
For example, what does the place *look* like? Is there a lobby? How is it furnished? What's on the walls? (not just pictures, but what sort of pictures--watercolor landscapes? photos of tropical beaches?) floors? what creates its atmosphere? How is it designed to appeal to your clients? How are the rooms laid out?
In terms of the relationships between employees and clients and between the employees themselves (break room stuff), rather than just tell us some clients can be difficult, *show* us one (or several) specific clients (what do they wear? tanning salon tans, gold bracelets, tattoos? what sort of clothing?) and describe a typical session with her/them. Include some conversation. Explain more about what goes on. Imagine you were putting together a reality show to show viewers the iside story about salons. What clips would you use? Maybe some interviews? In an ethnography you need to deliver this info in words, with your descriptions.
I'm sure you won;t have time to do this all by Sunday--I'll grade what you turn in then, but you may want to take the time to take some notes at work so that you can develop this further (and you can turn it in later for a regrade). It's such promising material!
Sounds of relaxation and comfort is something i want to experience. I would like to feel like royalty for a few hours. Your description of what happens at a spa makes me want to make an appointment asap. I would have liked to hear more about some of the not so pleasant experiences you have had.
ReplyDelete