Good or Bad Salon. You Tell Me. PLEASE

[Horan2622]

Hi,
Today is my first time here and I am amazed! I have tanned and the same place ever since I started tanning, which is about 5 months. I love my bed, a Dr. Kern Blue Dream with 42 VHR reflector bulbs and 4 "high pressure" facial bulbs, one of which, by the way is out, and it just started bothering me since it has been out for a month or two and hasn't been fixed YET. They are primarily a "kwiki" stop, movies, chips, candy, ect. so I know they can't JUST focus on tanning. They also sell a wide varity of lotions so I know they make quite a profit. But all they do is ask my name, ask what bed, since I have a special package (a choice of any of the beds), give me the key, and then I ask for a sticker. When you go to the room there is a towel and a pair of goggles waiting. I go my 11 minutes, then I get out, wipe off, put on my clothes, go out the door, and drop the key on the counter, I will say thank you and SOMETIMES they will say it back but ONLY if I do, and that is that. I have never really thought any thing about it until reading some of these forums. And they are $40 a month and I THINK that is pretty good for my area but haven't serisouly shopped around. I also don't have to wait. Is it worth is to pay a low cost if I get bad service? And am I even getting bad service, maybe just AVERAGE service?

Please Help
Thanks alot,
Shannon

[southernbelle]

Compared to some of the salons you've heard about.. probably not so good service. Do they tell you about the lotions? Go over the tanning process? Is it clean/sanitary? If so, its good service. But, as far just what you said, I'd say average. ..Just my opinion

[Horan2622]

NO, they have never told me about lotions. No, they don't go over the process. And I have never used a tingle lotion but it just occured to me that the person before me does beacuse sometimes I will get this horrible burning feeling and I will think that I have gone too long but I don't burn and it has only happened 1 or 2 times, and it is never when I have increased my time.

[BrownJen]

Of all the salons I've been to, I would say there is definitely a fair share of employees that aren't as knoweledgeable about tanning as they should be, but they always do say hi and bye and know most of their tanners' names. I really don't think your salon should have bulbs burnt out for that long either. Most places would replace the bulb right away after it's burnt out. As far as them having other things besides tanning and not being able to focus on just tanning, what is the point of even having tanning if you aren't gonna take the time to upkeep the beds/bulbs? I would try to shop around and see for yourelf what is out there. You may find you don't mind paying a higher price to tan for better service or that your place isn't as bad as you think.

[Horan2622]

What should I ask when I shop around?

Thanks

[BrownJen]

I usually try to find out how knowledgeable the employees are about tanning, do they make sure you don't over/underexpose yourself to the uv lgiht, how friendly they are, are they helpful when buying tanning lotions, is the place clean and sanitary, do they change the bulbs when they need to be, what kinds of beds/stand-ups do they have, are their prices reasonable? Some of this stuff you probably won't find out until you've been there a few times. Whenever I call to find out about new tanning places I make sure I at least ask what types of beds they have, when the bulbs were last changed, and what are their hours and prices.

[sunbunny]

You should never be able to feel the tingle left over from another person. Do you have to clean your own bed or do they clean the beds? I take back some of what I said. Start looking for a new salon that specializes in tanning. I didn't read this thread before I replied to you. You may have to pay a bit more, but it will be worth it in the long run.

[Horan2622]

They clean the beds but one time I followed them back there beacuse someone had just gotten out of my bed. The cleaning job wasn't very thorough. They had a towel and a clear solution in a water bottle(maybe it was water), they sprayed the clear solution on the towel 2 or 3 times and and just wiped the bottem of the bed very quickly, just one or two wipes, and that was with me watching!! Dose what I explained sound like a tingle lotion, if so I don't know how you use that on your entire body. OUCH!!!!

[BrownJen]

That's awful, they should do a much better job cleaning the beds. That's not sanitary at all. At places I've been to where the salon cleans the beds for you they spray the cleaner right on the acrylic and give it a good wipe down, including the pillow, the bottom acrylic and the canopy. It's gotta be a tingle lotion that you felt since it's only happened a couple of times.

[sunbunny]

Okay, I've changed my stance to Definately find a new salon. The cleaner should be sprayed directly on the acrylic and everything cleaned, top to bottom. If for no other reason alone, find a different salon. What about eyewear? Do they provide and clean it too? Or do you provide your own?

[Horan2622]

They do provide the eyewear and I like it. I don't know how clean it is though.

[sunbunny]

If they aren't cleaning the beds like they should, I would seriously doubt they clean and sanitize the eyewear. The beds are supposed to be sanitized, and it doesn't sound like they are.

[BrownJen]

You should try to get your own pair of eyewear if you can. If they are providing you with goggles and not sanitizing them as they should be you can get eye infections like pink eye from them. They should really be sanitized after each use.

[Anya1976]

eeeeeeew after reading all of this i'd find a new salon.... buy my own eyewear and find a place that knows something about tanning.

[Horan2622]

Now that you say that I went to this salon maybe 2 years ago for a week and got an eye infection!

[BrownJen]

Oh my gosh!! You poor girl!! Defintely invest in your own pair of eyewear. Besides googles, they are disposable eyewear like viewkeepers and winkease that are really good. I have both the disposable kind and googles.

[southernbelle]

Uhmm.... hmm..... now that I know more.... If I was you... I'd find somewhere else. But that's just me.

[Tan-In-SC]

Yeah... I would say its time for a new place!I have always been wary of a place that isn't just for tanning- like a "kwikie mart" or a hair salon. It just seems to me that you get better service (sometimes) when tanning is the only focus of the place. Of course I know in some areas it is so rural that there may be no other options. So, if there are other salons in your area I would check 'em out!
Good luck!

[Tan-In-SC]

Ahh posted twice accidently! Sorry!
[ This Message was edited by: Tan-In-SC on 2003-07-14 07:11 ]

[ladyboss]

The first thing you should check with a new salon is cleanliness - The beds can be breeding gounds of bacteria - You should visit the places in person and ask to see the beds. If you are still going to continue out your membership at this place I would just ask for the sanitizing solution and do it yourself before you get in. There never should be any remains of lotion from the previous person I went to a place just like that, the staff new nothing and the place was very dirty - I never went back.

[Tamar]

RUN!!!!!!!!!

[Kristygal]

I would try somewhere else.

[Horan2622]

Well, I called the other tanning salon that I was considering and the girl that answered sounded really young. I asked her what kind of beds she offered and she said, Um I don't know, let me look. Then she took the phone back there with her and said, Oh, I'm not sure. She can't even look on the side of the bed to see the brand.

[StarryEyes]

That sounds bad too! Are there only two tanning salons where you live? If so, I would def. consider gettting my own bed since I would know at least it was cleaned.

[Horan2622]

Well, I went to visit that salon today and the girls that work there are very nice, just young. The beds are good, I guess. It is a Starlight. Has anyone ever heard of that? It is $50 a month if I pay a 1 time membership fee of $30, if I don't pay the $30 it is $80 a month, so it makes sense to pay it. Is this good and does anyone know anything about a Starlight bed, and they also have beds called Tropical? If I get the Starlight package I get access to all the beds including a standup. There is another salon I am looking at with an Orbit bed, does anyone know anything about that bed? That one is $40 for 10 sessions. Whitch is better? How much is a tanning bed?

[BrownJen]

Those all sound like really good beds. There is actually a thread in the tanning bed section about the tropical beds, you should check it out. I'm planning on trying one really soon. They have frosted acrylics so you are much cooler when tanning and they have face tanners in them. There is an orbit bed at my salon that I use every couple of weeks I get really good color from it. If you want just pay for one session at each salon, so that way you can see which place you like better. I would say the average price for one session for a base bed is about $5-6 that I've seen. The orbit bed will probably be a little bit more.

[mmclean]

Are you talking about Starflight? Starflight is actually an excellent bed. Starflight and the Tropical series are both made by UWE. StarFlight has high pressure facials in it, whereas the Tropicals have low pressure spaghetti bulbs. $50 a month for unlimited sessions? That's good. At our place they charge $15 for a single session in the Starflight and $10 for the Tropical.

[Horan2622]

Aren't low pressure bulbs in base models, and what are spagetti bulbs, LOL? This isn't their base model. Is that bad to have low pressure spagetti bulbs? What are the body bulbs in the Starflight? And does the Tropical have face bulbs? There is also a stand-up bed in the package but I don't know what it is called.

Thank you.

[Scott]

Oh No.... burnt out bulbs are the worst, hello? I could not tan a a place that didnt maintain their equipment. And $40. a month is not cheap. Shop around!

[palefacegirl]

That sounds like a very bad salon! I would diffently look elsewhere for my tanning needs.

[sherlynn 01]

I would find a new salon, bruned out bulbs,not good,