how did you choose which salon?

[njchica]

How did you decide which tanning salon to use? Was it based upon price? Was it based upon the variety of equipment? Lotion selection? Friendliness/cleanliness? Location? Something else?

What made you choose your salon?

_________________
[ This Message was edited by: njchica on 2003-05-03 09:08 ]

[njchica]

one rule: pick one category! no cheating and saying "it was all of those things".

[Anya1976]

actually it was based on the salon.. the people who worked there and all the equiptment.... the price is nice too lol but when i started tanning there they didn't have a gold club and they had minute packages.. now they have the gold club and 18.88 a month for unlimited tanning (tan once every 24 hrs)

[Momma Tan]

It's the best salon around. There are other good ones but this one is the best so I don't mind driving 35 minutes once a week to go there.

[njchica]

why is it the best? what makes it better than others? prices? beds? staff?

[beefy]

Well right now I have a free certificate for 10 sessions, I have 7 left. After that I think I will try t find another, becasue my salon is quite expensive for my budget but it is a great place.

[njchica]

I chose mine based upon location. I am a very impatient person so when I decide to tan, I like to be able to do so right away. It is like 30 seconds from my parents' house. Now it's like 5 minutes away and can you believe I'm looking for another salon that's closer?

[MoraBella30]

Wow I wish my salon was so close... I drive 25 minutes to tan.... There are places closer, but unclean, old beds, old bulbs... where i go to now is a great place, excellent beds all great staff, VERY CLEAN, they know all about skin typing, exposure times, ect.

[Tamar]

Quote:
On 2003-05-04 09:04, njchica wrote:
I chose mine based upon location. I am a very impatient person so when I decide to tan, I like to be able to do so right away. It is like 30 seconds from my parents' house. Now it's like 5 minutes away and can you believe I'm looking for another salon that's closer?


Hmmmm, time to open your own, perhaps?

[star]

cleanliness, then location.
[ This Message was edited by: star on 2003-05-04 19:40 ]

[njchica]

Quote:
Hmmmm, time to open your own, perhaps?

I wish I could, believe me.

[scout]

Location Location Location!! Then price. But I would never compromise those things if I thought that it was unsanitary, and I have yet come across a place like that! So maybe its a mixture of things... man, I even confuse myself!!

[tr0nado]

The salon that I last used is probably the best in my town (hint, its next to a video store). Their prices are a bit higher than the rest but I like their beds the best and the rooms stay cool enough so I don't die of heat stroke . Probably the cleanest in town (my obvervation) It's a good 15 to 20 minute drive away from where I live but it's worth it IMO. Good bed selection and excellent lotion selection.
Friendly staff, and the salon is smart tan certified.

[texasblonde]

It's big, clean, and you never have to wait very long to get into a bed.

[blondie]

I didn't know anything about tanning when I started. I didn't even know anyone that went to the place. The deciding factor was location. And the place is so clean and well organized that I never thought to go somewhere else.

[Momma Tan]

I pass tons of salons to go to the one I go to because it is the best. They have the best beds, are clean, and the staff is knowledgable. They are also very professional. There must be 20 salons in my town but I drive past them all just so i can tan at the best. It's worth the 35 minutes travel time to get there.

[starbelly]

I picked my salon for its location, its 5 min from work so I can tan on my lunch breaks. Plus the staff are really nice.

[colorgod]

Location. We only have two salons in my small town, and they are very comparable.

[Levi]

I know the person who owns Sandollar, so I just go there =)

[RayP]

its the only that isnt 20 minutes away and since i dont have a car yet i have to bum rides from others. but it also just happens to be a good salon, i doubt i would go there if it wasnt sanitary but it is a bity expensive

[LordGoofy]

We picked a new salon this year for the newer beds, better prices, and closer to home. But the main reason is I was tired of having to clean my own bed. Yes that right our old salon expected everyone to clean there own beds, so I ended up cleaning it twice once before I got in and once afterwards.

[Brown Buns]

Location. It is about 3 blocks away from where I live.

[imaqt4u2nv]

Definitly price. After that it would be customer service and cleanliness. I visited a lot of different salons with friends but all the other ones were yucky and didn't have a very good selection of anything! Plus, my nail tech works at the salon I tan at so it's super convienint for me to tan and get my nails done there too!

[BrownJen]

I picked my salon based on location. It's 10 minutes from my house.

[lilmountaingrrl]

When i choose a salon i want it to be close, but it all really depends on how comfortable i feel tanning there, is the customer service up to par, and what the prices are like. If everything is wonderful, but the salon is a distance away I would definately be willing to commute just so i could go to the salon i feel best at.

[Hyperion]

Location: it's literally right around the corner from where I live...I can walk there in 2 minutes!

[palefacegirl]

I chose between the one I was tanning at and a new one that opened about a week after I started tanning again. The old one had signs on all the windows about the New beds they had, I tanned there last summer and fall. They still had the same beds when i came back this month. I tanned there 3 or 4 times, same old beds and it was not as clean or the staff as friendly and knowledgeable as last summer so I looked around found the new one opening just down the road, clean, great staff and better price and all new beds.

[sherlynn 01]

New salon open less then a month, My old salon closed down so found a new one, it has a beter price, better beds , and nice staff

[ladyboss]

It really is a combination of things but in order of priority.. cleanliness, good beds, knowledgeable staff...I travel 60 miles to go to my salon and pay top dollar. I have gone to some local ones when I can't get there

[prolineceo]

Location, equipt. and cleanliness no certain order. Anything was better than my former salon.

[Blondie41280]

I only picked mine cause it has having a deal for tanning and a gym membership. And plus it is really close to my house and theres no other good places to tan and work out at. I like to do both the same day so I dont have to make 2 different trips in a day.

[Kristygal]

I saw their ad in the paper and it's very close to where I live so I decided to check it out. Once I went there I knew it was the nicest place around.

[CincyFan]

I chose mine because they have 4 locations I can go to within a 10 mile radius from my house and the price is excellent.

[jayell79]

RESULTS!! there are too many places that don't change the lamps. I don't choose where I go by anything else. I don't care how big the beds are, if they don't change the lamps it's not worth going.

[Tpsyduck]

Well, Variety, they do nails, hair and photography along with tanning, Cleanliness, my salon is super clean looking, Variety of lotions, she carries many different brands, and specialy orders almost anything I ask for, Friendliness, from the first visit, my SO calls me by my Name or by saying "hey Girl", like an old friend, Room Prep, it's like a spa, she leaves fresh googles and a piece of candy on the pillow for every customer, and she also has 5 beds, though they're base 20 mins beds, I get awesome results still, proof of a well taken care of salon

[never2tan]

I picked the salon I'm going to because it is tanning exclusive; no hair and nail techs interfering with the works. It worls out great because all products sold in the salon are for tanners. Waiting areas are for tanners. The location, equipment, staff and cleanliness were added bonuses. If I had to make my determination on price, I probably would gone somewhere else, my salon is pricey, but there are too many positives for the one negative. I figure quit while I was ahead in my search.

[RoxyCCS]

I tan at a couple of different salons. I haven't been to the one I really like in awhile (it is like 45 minutes away) I pick salons based on first impression (appearance), bed selection & availability, & pricing. Also, if the employees are rude to me, I will never be back. There are too many nice tanning salons in AZ to have to put up with that.

[dancetan4ever]

i went to all the salons w/in walking distance of my house and then chose the one that was cheaper, cleaner, and had better equiptment. it has 5 20 min beds, 5 14 min beds w/ facials, 4 hps, a leg tanner, a face tanner, 2 cyclone standups, and a super mega monster bed w/ 6 face tanners, shoulder tanners, and its own a/c system!!!

[Val]

I picked my salon ultimate exposure because I saw Anya recommend it here

[BrOnZeDbOmBsHeLl]

Everybody and their mom's go to the salon I tan at so that's what made me choose it.

[wannatan]

Mine's simple... it's the only one in town!

[SexyKitty]

i chose mine beacuse a friend of mine would go and said its a good salon. they are always advertising in the local paper and won the readers choice for best tanning salon 5 years in a row. plus i went to buy a lotion there and they gave me a free tan. i got to try out a bed and it gave great color so i kept coming back. the salon staff were very friendly and the salon is clean and i like the beds. there are tons in my town to choose but i like this one.

[LucaBella]

I picked my first salon because my sister worked there pretty much, so I got to tan for free half the time, anyway, it also had the best beds or so I htought, yeah they are fancey, but I switched salons due to prices and nicer people and my new place tans me way better, so prices I guess was my main thing, and whether the workers are nice or not.

[Tpsyduck]

Anyone else?

[Scott]

Price.... and then equipment. some salons in my area are cheap but they have these old Wollf bed from the 80's. yuk. I love this one salon I go to because it has these 15 min express beds with HP facial tanners and the price is real reasonable. the only hang up is it gets real busy in the peak season... hard to get an appt and impossible to walk in.

[blkrose]

Cleanliness, then price. When I wanted to make a change (from a large chain), I found them in the yellow pages. One visit and I was hooked. The place is clean, people are nice (& knowledgable), and it is about 5 minutes from my house. It doesn't hurt that he gives me discounts on packages & supplies either. Right now they have 7 beds, but he is enlarging within the next couple of months, so will probably have more than 12 then. Showed me some of the new beds he is looking to purchase, and I am impressed! Hi-tech, high pressure, nice stuff!

[Amandie]

I went b/c my friend went there. Now I work there, so THAT is why I go!

[divabutterfly]

I just called many from the Yellow Pages and chose the cheapest one, and boy, I'm tired of driving so far to tan! I already cancelled my membership there because of the inconvenience. No other place can beat their rates though. I have to look for a new place now...

[rocker-tan]

I went to this salon up in northern VA the other day, man it was good! The woman who worked there was great, she helped me pick out this fantastic lotion. When I got out of the bed, I was a bronze as a bodybuilder.

[Emoore]

I actually bought a 1-year membership from a girl who was moving out of town. I'd been tanning at my gym's one ancient crappy bed, but I was able to get the last 13 months of her 2-year membership for $150!! I just bought another year and I kind of wish I handn't. This is the only salon I've ever tried and I'd like to try some more, but now I'm locked into another year. Oh well.

[honeyrose29]

I picked my salon after calling every salon within 10 miles of my house. I based it mostly on price at first. At LA Tan, you can buy a membership with them. The platinum membership gets you 1 tan per day in a base bed for max time allowed. The cost is less than $25 a month with tax. Not only that, but you get 75% off upgrades and 50% back in rebates with every lotion purchase. Those rebates can be used for bed upgrades.

Now that I am with them, I am so glad I chose this salon. They have 16 booths. 3 of them are premiums, 4 of them are mid grades and the rest are base booths which still give you awesome color! They have awesome upkeep on the beds and great bulbs as well. They do nothing else but tanning and they are beginning to carry a much larger variety of lotions. I am quite happy with them!

[tantwin2004]

i go to where i work, makes sense haha

[BrownJen]

how did you choose your salon?

[Genie]

It was the only salon in town when I first started tanning. Now, it's the only one in town with a variety of beds (other than just 20 minutes and standups).

[ohiogirl]

Well I first went there cuz I saw an ad in a discount magazine for $11.99/month unlimited so that's where I went. I did the 3 tans for $3 deal to try it out and it was much cleaner than a lot of the ones around my school (but it is near where I'm moving so it's not way out of the way). But recently I've been looking for jobs and a lot of the other places the employees were just down right rude and mean (not just to me but to their customers too). So far everyone where I go to has been nice, some are fake nice but they are at least pleasant to their customers. Plus the upgrades are much cheaper and they have a lot of nice deals on lotions and all, plus they have a good variety of lotions. Every once in awhile I do cheat to go to another salon that has a couple different upgrade beds (much more expensive though, even with their memberships which I don't have there).

[TandS]

There are plenty of salons in town and there are probably a handful that offer unlimited for less than $20. Three of them are less than 7 or 8 minutes from my house. I have had memberships at all 3 of them. The first one didn't have enough beds. During the busy season it was hard to make an appt and almost impossible to walk in. The second one had plenty of beds but the equipment sucked. Had to go way too often to get any color.
The one where I have a membership now has the right price, a good location(I can even tan at their other salon in town, which is only 5 minutes from work), 40 beds, includes stand ups and ultra beds in the unlimited price, has decent equipment and changes bulbs often.
As a bonus, they have big floor fans in every room and they have a friendly and knowledgeable staff.

[MissIceCrmBooty]

Umm...my friend had already been tanning there...and she told me to come with her and tan...it was nice and close to my home. But then they moved and I hate the new store (its joint with a hair salon too crowded) so the new place I went to, I went to because I got a free coupon. Its a really nice salon more expensive and the guy that works their is kind of freaky but I guess I can deal...

[Oobladi]

My mom picked my salon for me. When I was in high school my mom wanted me to tan she thought that it kept my skin clearer and she didn't like it when I looked pale. I haven't tanned every year exclusively but I love my salon and my salon owner.

[melivy]

bump

[melivy]

the salon i previously used was bought by another salon (sandollar) so i am curious why people go where they go... my old one was close to home and was clean and folks were friendly. ive moved since then and cant decide if i should try sandollar or not??

[Zzoester]

I think that Chunn, who owns this site, might own Sandollar?? In Alabama, right? I am not 100% positive, though - I could be wrong. Either way, I would definitely check it out! It sounds like a good salon. It looks like they have some great beds.

I chose my salon because it's the main chain in the state of Washington and multiple locations are important to me for convenience. I work out of town (about 40 miles) and I wanted a salon that has a location near my work and also near my home and this salon does. I tanned at another salon that did, as well, (Pink Coconut) but was very unimpressed with them and disappointed in customer service, bed maintenance, among other things. I am now tanning at Desert Sun Tanning mainly out of convenience of location, but boy am I happy! Their equipment is great, customer service is outstanding, employees are knowledgable and trainer properly, lotion selection good, and prices pretty good. They seem high at first but they run a different daily special everyday, so you can get some great deals on packages, lotions, and unlimited memberships, too. I love it! I could go on forever.

[RazzBearE]

I love it! I could go on forever.

That's awesome, Zoe! I'm glad you love your salon so much. It really makes a huge difference when you're happy with the place you tan.

I chose my salon (Planet Beach) because I had heard of them and always wanted to try them, but there were none in my town. When they opened one near my school, I went in during the grand opening and they were so friendly and knowledgeable that I signed up and got a great deal. The owner is fantastic and all of the employees have been as well. They always greet me by name and keep the salon spotless.

[Zzoester]

That's great, Razz. Yes, it's an awesome experience to go tanning somewhere you love and feel comfortable. I was tanning at a place I hated before and stuck in an annual membership. It was awful and I dreaded going tanning! So, now I know what it's like to really love my salon - it's a great feeling.

I have heard a lot about Planet Beach. It sounds nice!

[ladyboss]

Since moving down here I've been to just about every tanning salon in town and the one I'm at now is privately owned and seems to be one of the very few salons that change their bulbs on a regular basis. The owner is very knowledgeable and friendly. The location is a little inconvenient as far as parking goes but overall I'm happy with it.

[melivy]

I think that Chunn, who owns this site, might own Sandollar?? In Alabama, right? I am not 100% positive, though - I could be wrong. Either way, I would definitely check it out! It sounds like a good salon. It looks like they have some great beds

yeah...close to huntsville?? cool i'll def check it out then :)

[Zzoester]

yeah...close to huntsville?? cool i'll def check it out then :)


I'm not positive, but either way I'd give it a try. I think it's a great salon. :)

[melivy]

thanks zoe :)

[aLYiLiCiOuS]

i chose palm beach tan b/c i had a free month coupon and was so impressed on my inital visit that i signed up for an eft membership.... now i work there and love it more and more each day :)

[Bonnie]

Mine is top end salon with incredible beds and booths and they were willing to work out a year package for me (monthly checking account deduction). They even a nice little Zen fountain in the lobby!

[ericx]

i chose my the variety of beds. unlike most salons with one brand of beds, mine had a bit of everything. also the girl that sat at my lunch table worked there and got me to go.

[Pokey]

When it seemed like my salon was going under I started looking for a backup. My primary salon went under so the backup became primary. I stay here because it's clean, moderately priced, and the staff provide awesome customer service.

It's also secure and close to home!:D

[sampeck1324]

I picked my salon based on the fact that their base beds gave me the same results as the salon I was going to's "speed bed." Their base beds were considerably older than the salon I was going to, but their lamps were changed more, they have better customer service, and I got (get) a killer tan from their lamps.. They also had a 160 Watt stand up (opposed to my old salon's 100Watt Peacock), a 160 Watt lay down (my old salon had a 100Watt 32 lamp bed referred to as their "turbo bed" lol), and a TRUE HP! So my choice in salon was definitely based on equipment, I pay considerably more to tan where I do now than before, but the tan is so much better, that I just dont care lol :)!

[ChanelBelle4]

i actually have a salon on my street corner but i dont go there, because of the extremely long waits (only 2 beds!), high prices ($100/month unlimited!!), and my friend got a back fungus from there! theres also a chain tanning salon a block away but they were a rip off and only had 3 standups that never tanned me. so how i chose mine was as follows:

1. one of my best friends worked there so all of us started going, and the girls before me got amazing tans so i went too
2. its extremely cheap - only $50/month unlimited
3. extremely clean
4. only a few blocks away from my house (but i still drive haha)
5. their lotion samples were a LOT cheaper and definiteley more generous than the other salons!

so overall it was just a great place for me to try tanning for a third time...and this time i finally tanned!