Nightmarish Experience at Slimming Sanctuary
This post is wayyyy overdue… given that my last post was in October and I promised to write about my Groupon experience, I’m more than 2 months behind my self-imposed schedule. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I just haven’t had the time because I’ve been so busy with a lot of things (as usual).
Anyway, I did write a post about a Groupon experience, but I haven’t uploaded it because it was in my netbook which I rarely used, and I kept forgetting to switch it on to post it. So now that I’m sitting in bed at 2am waiting for my hair to dry, now is a good time as any to get this posted up.
This post was written on 12th November 2011 in my netbook on the highway as my friend and I were making our way back from Johor Bahru (we were there for a wedding), so that’s why it wasn’t posted straightaway.
Anyway, here goes!
This isn’t my first Groupon experience, but I’m posting this up first because I feel that this is really important to get the word out about this spa experience.
Slimming Sanctuary. Image from www.groupon.my
I bought a voucher for a Spa package at Slimming Sanctuary for RM68 (worth RM348), which if you look at it, sounds like an incredible deal. Due to my incredibly hectic schedule of work and dance competitions, I was in desperate need for a massage, and I was fortunate enough (or at least, I thought so at that time) to be able to get an appointment on Saturday, 5th November, at the Damansara Utama outlet.
I say fortunate because I had bought a few vouchers for massage and/or spa, but when I tried to make appointments, all of them tended to be fully booked right up to the end of the year – the reason being that because the voucher was so cheap, they were oversold on Groupon. One example was a voucher I bought from Lizkhan Spa – I had so much trouble trying to make an appointment with them although they had extended the expiry date from the initial October 21st to the end of December.
Anyway, so about Slimming Sanctuary. They have 16 outlets in 5 states, so I made my appointment at the Damansara Utama outlet because it was the closest to where I stay. The voucher promised 2 hours of spa and massage, but I got less than that. I arrived at the outlet at 4pm, but I left before 6pm, which means the spa and massage experience is way below 2 hours.
When I arrived, I was asked to fill up a form about my personal details. This is normal for any service outlets as they like to keep customer details in a file which they can pull up later should the customer come again for another treatment.
I was then led upstairs to the locker area where I was assigned a locker to store my personal belongings. They didn’t have changing rooms though – I was told to go into one of the treatment rooms to change out of my clothes and into a towel. And this was the first part I didn’t like: although the room was empty, this room had someone else’s clothes hanging on a clothes hanger on the wall. Evidently the girl who had changed thought this would be her assigned treatment room and left all her belongings there – I saw her handphone left by the sink. I voiced out my concern – I told the staff who was waiting outside that “there’s someone else’s clothes here” and was told that it didn’t matter, it was only for me to change. Personally I thought this was unprofessional and it actually made me feel uncomfortable. Plus, although I was given a clothes hanger to hand my clothes, there were no other hooks for me to hang my clothes on because the only hook in the room was already in use. I had to hang the hook in what was literally a hole in the wall (I don’t know how the hole got there. It looked like someone had accidentally punched a hall in the partition wall). And just as I was about to step out of the room, the girl who originally used the room came barging in, and she looked rather surprised to see me there. I can’t blame her now, can I?
I was given a cup of water to drink before being taken to their steam room to sit for about 15 minutes. The steam was nice and hot – I’ve always enjoyed sitting in steam rooms when I used to be a member of Fitness First. After that, I was taken to a Jacuzzi bath tub where they added milk powder to the water and I sat in it for a further 15 minutes. To me, the steam and Jacuzzi were certainly the best parts of this spa experience. I felt totally relaxed.
One of the staff was already holding the hanger on which my clothes were on as she waited for me, and led me downstairs to the massage room. I was given disposable panties and for the first time, a piece of cloth “bra”. In all my previous experiences, I was usually just covered with a towel , which usually sufficed.
I was supposed to get 45 minutes of body massage, 15 minutes of scalp massage and 5 minutes of foot spa, but the masseuse gave me an option to convert the foot spa into an additional 5 minute body massage because the foot spa – as fantastic as it may sound – was merely “brushing the feet”. So I agreed because I love massages anyway. The scalp massage wasn’t a separate massage; it was part of the overall massage experience.
The masseuse – Rohaini – is a Malay lady from Teluk Intan, Perak, and she did traditional Malay massages. She had very strong hands and my body actually ached during the massage. However to me this was normal because in every massage I’ve been to, my body always suffers because I have various problems that I need fixed through massages. The masseuse said she was glad I understood that my massage was expected to ache after a massage; she said some clients who hadn’t known better had even blamed her for their aching muscles. I have a lot to say about this – I will write that after I finish writing about this experience. Please refer below at *!
Upon completion, I changed back into my clothes, and this time it was the sales staff led me back upstairs to get my things out of the locker. She hovered while I took my things, and hurried me downstairs to her office, without giving me any time to fix my hair.
At the office, she of course tried to push me into signing up for one of the packages – specially for Groupon users, she claimed – which I have to admit sounded very attractive. One package offered “buy 5 free 5″, another “buy 10 free 10″; both of which had 0% instalment payment options. However, considering how my experience so far didn’t particularly leave a good taste in my mouth, I refused repeatedly until she finally stopped trying to make me sign up. There was an immediate change in her attitude toward me; although she still stayed polite, I could see that all she wanted to do was get me out of the office.
*Now, about the massage experience. I was feeling fine all of Saturday and Sunday after the massage, and had even attempted a physical activity for a dance on Sunday. But starting on Tuesday, the muscles on both sides of my neck started to hurt, and I couldn’t turn my head left or right, as if I had a stiff neck. I slathered on heat cream and on Wednesday, the right side of my neck had healed, but my left side was even worse than the day before – in fact, it was swollen! I had to ice it to make the swelling go down. It was slightly better by Thursday, and it was only through diligent application of a Chinese wonder ointment called “Zheng Gu Shui” that I saw a slight daily improvement. But one week later, it still hurt (as of time of writing – so as I was typing this in my netbook, my neck was killing me).
So this brings to mind what she said – how some clients blamed her as their bodies hurt during the massage. In my case this time, I’d say, yes, she is completely to blame. She had also been so full of herself, saying how good she was at massage and how some of her clients always come back to her saying they prefer her massages to other types of massages (Balinese, Thai, etc).
Note added 26 Dec 2011: I mentioned this experience to another masseuse later, who was horrified to hear about my neck. She said that I was very lucky not to have contracted a fever. She explained that the neck was a very sensitive area, and that the neck must never be pressed if the client has high blood pressure.
I am very thankful I hadn’t signed up for the packages. In fact, I wouldn’t even recommend anyone going to Slimming Sanctuary given this terrible experience that I’ve suffered.
And yes, in some ways, I regret buying this voucher. Now I’m worried about the other massage vouchers I’ve bought, and am wondering about how good their massage therapists are. My friends say – and now I do agree – that they never try a massage unless they have been recommended by someone they know.
Looks like the sale of these Groupon vouchers may not necessarily be a great thing after all.
Spa experience: 2/5
Massage experience: -5/5
Service: 1/5
Overall: 0/5
Have you signed up for Groupon yet? If not, click on the following link to sign up:
Help me out by signing up from the above link! If you purchase a deal within 72 hours of signing up, I’ll be rewarded with a cashback token. Once you’ve signed up, you can get the same reward by spreading the word to your friends, too!
October 18, 2011
My Introduction To Groupon
Let’s start with my very first introduction to Groupon.
I was first introduced to Groupon when a friend sent a Facebook link to me about a deal she had bought for herself. When I first saw it, I didn’t quite get what it was. I thought that the deal was too good to be true. RM45 for a voucher to buy a service worth RM119? I wondered if it was some kind of Internet scam – who would offer such a whopping discount? But after I read their website content, I was more assured. And I don’t rely on the info from that source only – I always research by reading about them on neutral third party sources. Groupon seemed genuine enough, and anyway at only RM45, I figured if I ended up being cheated, it’s a very inexpensive lesson learnt.
So I signed up and bought the voucher. It is one of the most hassle-free online purchases I’ve ever made! Many websites, during “checkout”, always try to prompt you into buying other things by showing you a list of “items you might be interested in”. I don’t usually blame those websites… unlike physical stores, there are plenty of small items placed on purpose near the checkout counter to encourage you to make those last-minute tiny purchases. But in an e-store, there is no such possibility; hence they will come up with lots of prompts and recommendations to try to make you buy other things, so you end up spending another 2 minutes just to get past all that to pay for your items. So the good thing about these discount voucher websites (and this is not limited to Groupon only) is that you only buy what you want – and not prompted into buying more!
How to make payment? Well, like all e-commerce sites, Groupon accepts Visa and MasterCard. In addition, because it’s all about local deals, they accept online bank transfers via Maybank2U, which is operated by the largest bank in Malaysia. If you’re worried about security, fear not – the online credit card payment gateway is run by iPay88 which is a local online payment gateway. So far I have had no cases of fraud (but I could be one of the lucky ones). Anyway, it also largely depends on your credit card company to be able to prevent fraud cases from happening. I use Citibank, and Citibank usually stops the payment from going through if they suspect a fraudulent transaction; if this happens, a simple call to the bank usually sets it right.
So, the ease of genuine payment created another problem for me – the tendency to buy a lot of vouchers on Groupon…
Next story: Review of my first Groupon voucher experience!
Have you signed up for Groupon yet? If not, click on the following link to sign up:
http://www.groupsmore.com/r/zyen-hoo
If you sign up from this link, I’ll get a RM2 cashback token – and so will you!
October 10, 2011
Addicted to Groupon
Eversince I’ve been introduced to Groupon, I’ve been buying loads of vouchers for various services and adventures. It takes all my willpower to stop myself from clicking on almost every offer they have – the offers are really worth it!
What exactly is Groupon? Well, in a nutshell, Groupon is an online platform for businesses to sell specific services or products to the public at discounted prices. It is a win-win situation for both the business and the consumer – the businesses get to advertise themselves (sort of) and sell more, whereas the consumer gets to make purchases for said services or products at very much reduced prices. And mind you, some of the discounts are mind-blowingly low.
Groupon is of course not the only online platform around – there are several in the local market, and even more worldwide. So far I’ve only tried Groupon and Hahah, but so far my experiences with the Groupon vouchers were quite positive. I’ve read some of the complaints other people have made about other platforms, and it scared me so much so that I’m unwilling to try them. I’ll write more about those in another post.
You can find virtually anything on Groupon, ranging from food to beauty, hair and nail services to amazing adventures. But what’s for sale at that point in time depends on what companies are selling. All items have a deadline for purchase, and an expiry date of use (not the same dates). How does it work? Basically, you have to set up an account with Groupon. You can either sign up, or just login with your Facebook account (the wonders of Facebook!). If you see a voucher you’d like to buy, make the purchase (payment via bank transfer or credit card), and voila! The voucher will magically appear in your Groupon voucher list. The Groupon vouchers can only be used AFTER the deadline for purchase, and the expiry dates depend on the vouchers that were purchased.
Some of the things I’ve tried were very interesting, and well, since I have a blog patiently waiting for my keystrokes, I thought I’d start writing reviews as well as about my experiences.
OK, I’m aware I’m probably giving Groupon free advertising, but honestly, it really is very worth it!
Click on the following link to sign up:
http://www.groupsmore.com/r/zyen-hoo
If you sign up from this link, I’ll get a RM2 cashback token – and so will you!
Stories coming soon!
June 8, 2011
TRX Suspension Training – the killer workout
I am not a fitness addict. If you ask me whether I honestly like to work out, I’ll probably burst out laughing and say no. But what I do like is how I feel after a workout – rejuvenated, fresh, and productive. And (this is important), a lessening feeling of guilt. Oftentimes I’d wake up in the morning on a public holiday or the weekend, and if I have no plans for the day, I’d remind myself to get my ass out there and do something. But usually I’d just snort, tell that inner voice to shut up and snuggle back under the covers.
However I do try to do at least two cardio classes a week, and when possible I go jogging. I missed yoga for a while but I’m trying to put that back into my schedule. These classes are of course normally at the end of the day, so I don’t have to leave my warm bed at what I’d deem the ungodly hour, which is anything before 9am on an off-day.
I used to join a gym but I stopped a few a years ago when it became more of a drag. To be very honest, there are many gym classes I don’t like, mainly because the instructors are not engaged in the class – they merely stand in front and shout out instructions while they demonstrate the moves (read my post about what I think of THOSE kinds of classes). And doing weights became mindlessly boring after a while. I wasn’t looking to bulk up… I only wanted to stay fit and trim. There was no more motivation to go, so I stopped going.
Nowadays with my schedule packed with tuition classes, it’s difficult to find time to exercise. And honestly, because I’m so exhausted and drained, I’d look for any excuse to not go and exercise. Hence, in order to force some form of discipline, I make myself sign up for classes because that forces me to commit at least once a week for that class. And when possible, I look for new classes to try out, even if I can’t commit long-term. The problem is, given my hectic schedule, most of the classes I would like to try out all fall on the same day or time: Friday, Saturday or Sunday!
So, with the school holidays happening now, I took the opportunity to try out a new class: the TRX Suspension Training.
CHi Fitness offered a package that sounded fantastic recently on Groupsmore. Groupsmore is a website which features promotions and discounts that are offered by participating merchants on various products and services, including but not limited to food, clothes, shoes, spa, and yes, fitness classes. Groupsmore is one of the first of many up-and-coming websites – and these deals are VERY worth it if you are looking for these particular products or services. Heaven knows, I’ve bought so many deals myself – I’ve purchased deals for hair services, manicure/pedicure, feminine waxing, shoes, T-shirts… the list goes on. The discounts are honestly fantastic! Take this package I bought from CHi Fitness – I paid RM30 for one month unlimited access to TRX and Jukari Fit To Flex classes! It’s worth RM295. But even putting how much it’s worth aside, can you beat RM30?? That’s how much normally ONE fitness class would cost – and they’re offering unlimited access!
There’s a catch, of course. There is limited space for each class – only 14 for each TRX class, and 15 for the Jukari class, because the classes use straps. This wasn’t made clear on the promotion page; I only found out when I called up to redeem the voucher and to book myself a spot. And they don’t have that many classes. In fact, even when they were promoting the package on the website, the classes were not listed on the site nor the page which featured the deal; it was after many people enquired that they updated the details with the class schedule. This package was only good for the branch at PJ Trade Centre – which, fortunately for me, is very near my home. A total of 283 people bought the package – and clearly, there are not enough classes. There were only 3 TRX classes and 1 Jukari Fit To Flex class weekly; but when I checked with the counter after I left the gym tonight, they’re adding more classes in order to cope with the number of people who bought the package.
Anyway, I bought the package after I checked the schedule, when I found that I could attend at least one of the classes (I figured that even if I can’t make any other class, it would be OK as long as I attend ONE class because the amount I paid already covers the cost of one class, to me). And silly silly me, I didn’t read up on TRX or Jukari Fit To Flex. I knew that they would be tough, but I didn’t know how tough.
Tonight I went for my first TRX class. The instructor was a former instructor at Fitness First, and we both recognised each other instantly, even though I’ve never really taken her classes back then. This lady is one tough fit cookie – she made everything look effortless, and she barked orders at us to keep us working at it. And she did walk around to try to make us execute the moves correctly, although I noticed she “gave chance” to a lot of us beginners.
The class had seven beginners and four regulars, and she divided us accordingly. She gave the beginners simpler moves, and the regulars much tougher versions of the same moves. Some of the “beginners” were not really beginners; one lady was very fit and she could cope quite well, which made me think that she has either been attending TRX classes elsewhere prior to this, or she must have been doing other forms of exercise all along. The rest of us struggled, so much so that two girls dropped out halfway through the class.
As for me, I stayed till the end of the class but I was nearly dead by then…
It was a good experience though! But as to whether I’ll be going again for another class… well, it depends on whether I can get a spot in a class in the next few weeks before the month is up. And as to whether I can make myself pick up the phone to book a spot.
So what is TRX Suspension Training? I’m not an expert, so I’d better not say anything that could mess up your perception of it.
Here’s the best video that explains it. They’ve disabled the embed option so I can’t put the video here; you have to go to Youtube to watch it: Why TRX Suspension Training?
Basically, you use the suspension straps for support, and you’re using your body weight as resistance for every exercise. The people in the video make it look easy – and honestly, it isn’t! Using your own body weight is very different from using the floor, or using weights. However if you’re used to working out, you’d probably be able to adjust fairly quickly because it’s a matter of using the right muscles and maintaining the right posture. Balance should not be difficult to achieve because the straps provide support.
If you want to give this a try, I would say … GO!! GIVE IT A TRY!! It honestly is an excellent full body workout. I don’t know which other gyms offer it, but I’m sure you can run an online search to find out.
Next up: trying the Jukari Fit To Flex! *sweat*…