Dr. SpaFish Camberley 0.2 1 review

This is an email I sent to the Dr SpaFish head office after my disappointing visit to the Camberley shop.

My friend and I were given gift vouchers for our birthdays and decided to take our friends and their children to Dr Spafish at Camberley for a really special treat for all of us. My 10 year old daughter has a verruca so, although she was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to have a pedicure, I told her she could have a hand treatment instead. I rang ahead because I wanted to check the Camberley shop had a hand treatment facility and to let them know that we had about 8 people and would we need to book.

I want to let you know that I was a bit taken aback by the curt telephone response that we would have to be at the shop by 2pm because they were closing early due to a shortage of staff. I really felt that I was asking a big favour to be allowed to go! We arrived at the Camberley shop just after 2pm and I have to say frankly, and because I have no better adjective, that the Supervisor was a complete bitch. I told her my daughter couldn’t have the foot treatment because she had a verruca and she said “Let me see her hands then”. My daughter had a very small scab on one of her knuckles, (which would probably have come off with a scratch) and two blood blisters, which she has had all her life, but the Supervisor waved her hand over my daughters hand and said thoughtlessly “She’s got all these scratches, she can’t do it”. I asked if her friend’s feet could be checked before we went through the process of payment, but was told that I would have to pay and if the assistant deemed her feet to be unsuitable I would have to return to the desk for a refund. Needless to say my daughter and her friend were very upset, although her friend was subsequently allowed to partake. We decided to go ahead with everyone else but thought at least Gemma could watch the process. The rest of us were led through to the pods and the assistant started to explain. I asked if my daughter (who was in tears on the other side of the barrier) could at least sit with me to see. The assistant went to the supervisor and asked but came back and said “Sorry, she’s not allowed. Head Office says health and safety means only people who have paid for treatment can be this side of the barrier.” Considering that one of her 10 year old friends was allowed to have the treatment, without adult supervision, but Gemma was not allowed to even sit and watch under my supervision was completely baffling to me and to her. I truly feel sorry for anyone that books a children’s party at the shop as I’m sure there must always be one or two with at least a small scab, and I dread to think how they feel if they are rejected after having filled in the forms and making payment, then being told to go back to the desk for a refund.

As we left, I told the supervisor that her treatment of us had completely ruined our treat – that even a smile on greeting and a friendly attitude may have made the whole thing easier and maybe she could consider this when future customers visited. Her reply that “Head Office....... health and safety....” served only to irritate me more. I want to assure you that we were not a rowdy crowd – but a perfectly considerate and polite group who had their treat spoiled by a surly and inconsiderate supervisor’s handling of the situation.

At some point I would like to enjoy this experience with my daughter, but just in case, I would like to know if this is really the attitude of “Head Office”. I certainly won’t be going back to Camberley and I will tell anyone that asks about it very frankly what my experience was, but I would like to know if I would encounter the same attitude at all of your franchises.