Texas Center for Massage Therapy

Called to make an appointment for 2 Saturdays from now and I was transferred to someone who was supposed to help me. The lady (if you could even call her that) that answered was EXTREMELY rude and all she said was «the clinic is closed until Monday». Um okay I am looking to make an appt 2 weeks from now not this weekend… She kept repeating, loudly, «the clinic is closed until Monday». I asked if that meant she couldn’t even MAKE the appointment until after Monday or if she was saying I couldn’t come in until after Monday, and if she couldn’t SCHEDULE the appt then why was I transferred to her to do so? She once again just repeated in her loudest, rudest voice «The clinic is closed until Monday» like some sort of robot. Wow. I’ve never been treated that way by a place I’m attempting to give my $$ to.

It is really unfortunate how quickly this place has declined. My husband and I have been coming here regularly for almost 2 years. The price is outstanding, if you get a decent massage. However, the stress of booking and getting your massage will almost certainly outweigh any benefit you receive from the massage itself.
The past FOUR times we have been here, one of the following things has happened:
1. They «lost» our appointment, even though we had a confirmation number. They did not honor the appointment and did not offer to make up for it.
2. My husband got called back for his massage, and I waited… And waited… And finally asked the front desk lady if everything was ok. She responded «oh I’m sorry, we don’t have any other therapists available right now, so you’ll have to wait until they’re done with their current client.» My husband was done with his hour long massage and they still had not called me back for mine. We asked for a refund for my massage.
3. My husband and I both got called back at the same time for our appointments (great). When we were done, we met back up in the break room to fill out paperwork. He looked furious and said he had already been sitting there for 10 min. I looked at the clock and realized my massage had been cut short and was only 32 min long, which means his was 22min long. We paid for an hour and were on time. They would not give us a refund, but said next time we came in that one of us would be free.
4. Came in today for a 5:50pm appointment, the last time of the day. My husband got called back 10 min after we got here (not unreasonable) and I sat. Déjà vu kicked in. After 25 min, the girl who had checked me in came up to me and said «So, apparently your therapist left.» He was here when we got here. I said hello and he said he was grabbing something and would be right back.
Now, I’m sitting here waiting for my husband to finish his massage, and writing this review. I’m not trying to be spiteful at all. In my opinion, it is worth the extra money to have a massage less frequently in an atmosphere that won’t add to your stress level. This defeats the whole purpose of massage.

How do I loath the, let me count the ways! Seriously, Unilocal needs at least one NEGATIVE STAR or a Black oval that looks like a Black Hole… just one is all I need. The crappy business practices of this place is WHY I do Business with Hands-​on Approach /​The Spa at Preston now. SO much more professional, and the best attitude of any massage place I have done business with recently.
This place is awful! Walk In Welcome my ASS-​inine cat! OK here we go…
I had previously gone to Texas Center for Massage Therapy; who I stopped doing business with months ago! I called for over 3 hours trying to get an appointment, it went straight to the machine every time and I tried over a period of two days! Then, when I went in to maybe get a walk in, (I would wait a few hours if I had to) and I needed a deep tissue badly… they were all booked up ‘from that morning’ per the woman at the little desk… FROM THAT MORNING?! I asked her I had tried for over three hours over two days, she looked at me with a ‘don’t give a crap sneer’, «Well sir, that be the way it go sometimes.» I just walked out… I could not believe I was going to pay for a friend and me to get a massage there, where the students did a good job on my Ex Wife and me previously. But now this oratory genius was telling me in no uncertain terms… ‘TOUGH, WHO CARES?
OK so I get a Coupon for a massage in the mail, I am thinking. Again I call for a couple days, same monkey and circus. Bit I think ‘OK, why not, maybe the place has had an about face’… WRONG!!! Just as AWFUL! I had set an appointment ALMOST TWO FORNICATING WEEKS AGO!!! All because they were ‘booked up’ and had no openings available… I laughed and asked, «What about walk ins?» at the time of the appointment, I guess they didn’t get the joke. They called back at 9:30PM after I am in bed, make the appointment. Great now I have an appointment.
Anyway they just called and CANCELED MY APPOINTMENT 45 minutes before I was to get my massage?! After I waited two weeks for this… I have to call them a business; to fulfill their appointed obligation and to use this worthless coupon.
This is piss poor business practice! I have been and am in a service industry. Someone calls in sick you rearrange stuff, you get a supervisor to do it, you get someone to come in if you can or… you get a supervisor to do it! You do not call a bunch of people and say, «We are canceling your appointment because someone is sick.» I have had doctors offices do this, but they at least try to get me into see a Physicians Assistant or Nurse Practitioner!
What is worse… They had the nerve to ask if we wanted to reschedule sometime NEXT WEEK? WTF, why not Sunday or Monday after noon? Look I am not hard to get along with, you make an appointment, you fulfill the obligation even if you have to move my appointment to later in the day, OK I can deal with that.

They don’t honor appointments. Better to pay a bit more and get a good massage that you can count on.

I like this place overall. I have received good massages from the students and they are very inexpensive. (2 for 1 at $ 25!) they do have bad problems with scheduling and canceling last minute but it’s still worth it to go… especially if you live close. The facial I had was very good. I had a senior student who was about to graduate (Also 2 for 1 at $ 25) and they seemed to have more students then patrons so it seems easier to get in.

My situation was a little outside the norm, so I’ll explain: A coworker of mine is friends with a manager at Massage Heights in Waters Creek. She was there looking to hire some newly minted massage therapists and needed some volunteers to undergo the massage portion of each student’s interview. Both students had graduated but had not received their licenses yet.
I volunteered to take the male student (since not everyone is comfortable with men and I don’t mind) and I was not disappointed. Perhaps he was bringing his A-​game because it was an interview, but in my limited experience he was very good. Very professional and successful at giving me the type of massage (relaxing Swedish, medium/​light pressure) that I requested rather than the type (deep tissue and trigger point) that he was more interested in.
Also, prior to the massage he inquired what I do day-​to-​day. During the massage he seemed knowledgeable about what areas my muscles were likely to be tight in given my desk-​bound profession and explained this to me as warranted. As I asked him general questions about massage he seemed knowledgeable to me.
Outside of that I did not request any extra attention to any particular area, but I felt he kept the pace well and was thorough… he covered all areas including hands, face and a bit of scalp. I have no doubt that if I had asked for a deeper or trigger point massage he could’ve worked out some of the muscle knots he located and identified to me.
If this had been a paid for massage, my money would’ve have been well spent. Given that it was free for me due to the circumstances, it was extraordinary.

I made an appt over the phone 1 week in advance for a massage to be done at the public clinic. I was told it would be $ 25 even after I said, well my contact told me she paid $ 12.50 and a student did her massage. So I settled with $ 25 because it’s coming from the company and whatever. I arrive 30 minutes early. When I approached the check-​in counter, the check-​in women glanced at me and seemed to avoid eye contact. I locked eyes, smiled, and kept walking toward her. She was in a side-​conversation with a women sitting in the waiting area. I said, hi, is this where I check in for a massage appt? She seemed taken back by the fact that I interrupted her side-​conversation and summoned her to work. Nonetheless, she was pleasant to me. I checked in, paid $ 12.50 after I asked for a student to do the massage (this was a clinic for them to gain experience)…and then I small talked with the women as we had a few things in common.
A few minutes later, a customer walked in and I naturally moved aside and thought she would also get the hint that a customer was coming in… that means stop small-​talking with me and take care of her. She glanced at the customer, who by this time was awkwardly standing behind me (and I was backing away, trying to give her the floor), and the receptionist continued to talk to me, avoiding eye contact with the new customer. Wow… not good customer service… but that’s none of my business. I went, used the bathroom… it was atrocious. Whoever used the stall before me left their «nest» of toilet paper ON the toilet seat… ummm, yah, very confusing… someone was obviously concerned about cleanliness, but didn’t care enough to clean up after themselves… Classy (throwing up in my mouth a little bit here).
I returned to the waiting area, sat down, and started overhearing a women who was kind of irritated with the do-​do bird male receptionist (the one that did not take care of me)…I disregarded it because it was none of my business… Then when she was getting ready to leave, she told her family, in the waiting area, that she couldn’t believe that guy still worked there, he was useless.
Then about 25 minutes later, the female receptionist came out to the waiting area and told 2 people that there weren’t enough students and they wouldn’t be able to get their massage, but would get a refund. They accepted and left. I was so glad it wasn’t me. But, I thought too soon…
About 10 minutes after that, 3 customers got called back for massages… then the receptionist came out and got the attention of the entire waiting area (me and about 4 other people all waiting for the appts)…she said there aren’t enough students and we can’t get our massages… then she said, maybe come next time at an earlier time of day… the afternoons get like this… (i’m loosely paraphrasing)…I was already frustrated about the headache I had… plus the drive there (20 minutes away), plus the lost time I spent that could’ve been used for studying… since I’m a nursing student, my time is very valuable… free time doesn’t really exist for me right now.
Plus, they tried to make nicey-​nicey with a free massage certificate for «next time»… but they couldn’t guarantee that making an appt would mean diddly-squat…nor could they guarantee that we would have the student we request… ummm, okay, so what CAN you do… other than completely inconvenience people and run your reputation into the ground?
Without hooting and hollering, I got my refund and gift certificate and left, but not before I calmly told the receptionist, «This institution should really think about developing some time-​management skills,; they really need some work. Customers should come first… if you don’t have the staff, don’t make the appts, or at least make efforts to reschedule people to accommodate them. I’m not livid, like another couple had been, who stormed out and refused their refund… I know things happen, but come on, this is absolutely asinine. Get your shit together!

I thought I’d update my review since service has really gone down. I took a break from Texas Center for Massage Therapy after they began having issues with my appointments. Either my appointments were not booked or not enough students showed up. I decided to give them another try after a 3 month break. Surely, I wouldn’t have yet another issue the first time after my break right? Wrong! After I paid for my massage, I waited just under 30mins only to be asked if I’d rather have a facial instead as there were not enough massage students available. I just told them to give me a refund before storming out. I understand they cannot account for students that will not be no-​shows but this repeatedly happens and it is a major inconvenience when I have to travel 25mins to this location.

You get what you pay for — $ 25 for an hour. That’s an insane price! My sister invited me to this place when I went to visit her in Dallas because she’s somewhat of a regular here. Here’s how it went for me.
Booking the appointment. This was not a smooth process. I called several times on Saturday during regular business hours trying to book an appointment for the following Sunday. However, the phone was never picked up and I had to leave voicemails that were never returned. So I just ended up going in first thing Sunday morning hoping for a walk-​in, where they did say that they were having issues with the phone system. When we showed up, two of the therapists had a last minute cancel and was able to fit me and my wife in for a quick 30 minute massage.
While we were sitting in the waiting room, we could overhear the conversation among the receptionists about having to cancel multiple appointments that day because several of their student therapists didn’t show up for the day.
The therapist and massage. Ehhhh. It was what it was. You have to keep in mind that these are students and you’re only paying $ 25 bucks. My massage basically felt like the therapist was rubbing lotion on my back and not much else. I think my mistake was that you have to be explicit with what you want.
The ambiance. Guys, this is NOT a spa. This is a school. The space is basically an office park where you walk into a large open room where they setup curtain dividers to create 8 – 10 massage stalls (kind of how hospitals are set up). So you’re getting your massage in a stall and there’s some person right next to you on each side doing the same. There’s not much privacy here. You can’t come here expecting namaste music and nice aroma therapy. You’re here for a massage, and that’s all. So close your eyes and enjoy.
Overall, I’d come back the next time I’m in Dallas. You just gotta know what you’re getting into. For this price, you can’t complain.
TIP: Look for/​ask about the 2-​for-​1 special if you can go with someone else or book 2 hours, which makes it $ 12.50 per hour.

Really hit or miss. It’s a massage school so it really depends on the student you get.
The first time I came, my instructor did not do as I asked. I wanted firm pressure with trigger point as needed. I’m not sure if it was early and she was still tired at 8am, but I had to keep telling her to increase the pressure. Halfway through, i just gave up. I pretty much just got a very light back rub and it did not really do much for me.
The second time i went my therapist was MUCH better. Not the best id ever had, but very good for $ 12.50. She worked out my knots in my upper back and shoulders and she knew the right areas to target. I felt great afterwards and drank plenty of water since I could almost feel all the toxins that were released and I wanted to wash them out.
To get the 2 for 1 special, go with a friend or make an appointment for two hours. There really is no better deal out there. $ 12.50/hour, it’s almost unheard of! But because it’s hit or miss, 3 stars.

I was really excited about getting a massage here a couple of Fridays ago. My appointment was set and everything but I got a call less than 2 hours before my appointment to inform me that my appointment was cancelled. The woman on the phone didn’t seem the least bit sympathetic and did not try to offer any solutions, like maybe having another student to perform my massage. Needless to say, I will not be trying this place out after a cancelled appointment with no time to make alternate plans.

I tried this place on a tip from Venus C. I actually got a massage at no cost. It did take 2 days to get my appointment confirmed because they said they had current and former students that were scheduled first. They were very professional on the phone.
On the day of my massage it was kind of hectic not only were students getting massages but hey were also having an open house so they were really busy. I did have to wait about 10 minutes from my scheduled time but no worries.
The student was very professional, she explained about being in a curtained room so would keep conversation to a whisper level. The massage was great, she focused on the areas I asked and got rid of some stiffness in my shoulder. I would recommend if you need an inexpensive but good massage to try the school I just wouldn’t go again on another open house or «free day».

We had an appointment for two at 5:50 and we got there at 5:56 exactly, and they decided not to see us. The receptionist said we were actually late and he’d get in trouble if he let us in.
Ridiculous attitude and just not worth the drive. Of course we won’t be back!

My wife and I made an appointment for 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon. We arrived early and found a large standing room only crowd awaiting their massage. We were told there would be a slight delay. While patiently waiting we observed several complaining people requesting a refund because they could not wait any longer. One couple stated they had been waiting for two hours! Refunds were problematic because the manager, Darci Lavonte, had to be called to the front to especially approve refunds. Darci’s attitude was less than appropriate. Her excuse to complaining customers was, «This is a school, not a business.» After waiting 45 minutes and more people were requesting refunds, we chose to get our refund while Darci was present.
Overall a poor experience. Don’t waste your time.

Went today and the front desk was nice enough but the appointment was for 2:45 pm so I expected the massage to start at well… around 2:45 pm. I asked at 3pm when I should expect to go in and the receptionist went through the motions of looking at her monitor and then replied «15 minutes». I really don’t understand how they do «appointments» because I was not the only one waiting for one. At 3:37 pm I was called in by Jerry who was a pretty chill person. He gave me a really good massage for 45 minutes and then i left.
The massage therapists are all training so you won’t know who you will get every session but if you like the therapist you can schedule an appointment to see them by name and you can pay 12.50 instead of 25 $. It’s already cheap as it is so I can’t complain too much about the place except that they really shouldnt set up «appointments» that way.
Also, They only do massages for the public on weekends so if you don’t mind the wait and the student roulette you’ll play it’s really worth the money.

I’ve never gotten a massage before but my back had more knots than a garlic bread basket so i decided to get a massage. Being cheap, i used the $ 12.50 coupon for a 50 minute massage i got in my valpak.
I wanted to really target my back and shoulders so i told my masseuse that. She did a great job in making sure i was comfortable and relaxed for my first time. I really wish i had told her that she could be aggressive because she didn’t really go that deep into the massage. Maybe thats how a swedish massage is, i have no idea.
Next time i will notify my masseuse to give me a deep tissue massage. Thanks Valpak!

$ 12.50 for a Sunday morning relaxation session? Yes, please! Now, don’t expect some fancy quiet room with soothing music and aromatherapy. You will be in a massive room with many other clients and only a curtain between you but it’s still relatively quiet and you can always take a pair of ear plugs. My masseuse, Tiffani, was fantastic! I already booked my appointment for next week!

I received a professional massage, but my now ex: female partner received a couple of happy endings by continuous buttock attention and was inappropriately brushed time and time again by an erect penis of her therapist. I learned they engaged in some sort of sexual interaction. If your a real «lady» avoid this place for the sake of your dignity. I informed the school of these actions. With me being a third party she must take further actions. I have taken action by no longer involving myself with her.
*Please note all male students may not be this brazen, but those that are must be reprimanded.

Value trumps all! I can’t stop raving about how great the massage was in comparison to the measly $ 12.50 I spent to enjoy it. As expected the atmosphere is lacking but I don’t care one tiny bit. The student (Niki) I had was amazing. I asked for swedish and that’s exactly what I got. No elbows, no excessive pressure. She was more fluid in her movements than a masseuses I had at Red Door.
You should make an appointment a few days ahead of time. When we got there they were fully booked and weren’t taking walk ins until 1:30pm. We only waited 10 mins before we were taken back. I originally was assigned a male student but when my boyfriend hinted that I wanted a girl they easily made the switch.
The masseuse your assigned to will ask you what type of massage you want (Swedish, deep tissue, sport, reflexology, etc.) and then lead you into a large room with curtained off massage beds. It was surprisingly quiet considering there were probably 40 people in the room even though I only saw 4. All I heard was the relaxing music that was playing. The massage is a full 50 mins plus time to dress and undress. At the end you fill out a short questionnaire and your done!
It’s a great trade-​off for the experience you get!

Have you ever thought, «Dude, why can’t I get a decent massage that’s not from a shady Asian foot massage place?»
Well, now you can! From a shady mixed-​racial school! Just kidding. It’s not mixed-​race. Just kidding again. It’s not a school. I KID. I KID… It’s all around fine.
What’s so good about this place? It’s $ 25 for TWO people. It’s Saturday and Sunday only. You can’t put in a reservation, you just have to show up and the two times we’ve been, the wait was no more than about 10 minutes. We usually go before noon.
Now, the massage isn’t the greatest massage out there, but for $ 12.50 each, you can’t really complain. I’ve been having some muscular pain in my lower back and glutes. I told my masseuse that I’d like her to concentrate on those two spots and what do you know? She didn’t. She started with my arms and went to my neck and shoulders… etc. etc. When she got to my lower back, I said, «that’s where it’s tight.» and she said, «okay,» and then like a minute later, she’d moved on to my legs. All of them are students learning their massage trade and are practicing on you, but they’re all very nice and do a good job. I think this last time I nodded off a couple times and woke myself with my snoring. Very relaxing.
«Whaaa…t just happened here?» I thought to myself. Then I put it in perspective. «12.50.»
But again, it’s well worth the money. We’re thinking of making it a weekly thing. =o)
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