We try to be as honest as possible in our blog postings. Let readers know exactly what’s going on in our business, whether good or bad. Some would say that’s not good marketing strategy, but truth is, we’ve got nothing to hide, so why not share it all.
That brings us to a recent article in Atlanta Magazine. It’s one of the “Big” magazines in the ATL and to be “honest” (as we always are), we were really putting the full court press on them to write about our place prior to opening. They took a pass, citing all the other positive press we had received down there and the fact that they aren’t just an also-ran publication. That’s fair. We actually really like the magazine, especially the op-ed they had this month about luxury public bathrooms
That said, turn to this month’s issue and you’ll see the magazine’s “arbiter” came into the shop and has written a review. In a nutshell, the review is neither negative nor positve. What it basically comes down to is that the writer thought the Grooming Lounge “wasn’t any different from the other men’s spas he’d been to” and that he thought it was pricey. Oh yeah, he also railed against the building we are located in and the construction challenges that has posed.
Nothing personal to the writer, but if you’re going to write about a business and tell the “world” about it, an in-depth review is certainly warranted. We’ve worked extremely hard to build a great reputation and work to exceed expectations everyday. Our Atlanta store is no exception. How do we know? We ask our guests point blank and fix what’s broken. Here are the main issues with the piece:
- It said that our store looks like all the other “men’s spas” the writer has been to: We take umbridge with that for two reasons. 1) We’ve seen the other places and no disrespect meant, but they can’t hold a candle to the quality and amenities of our place (lord knows it cost enough) and 2) It would be fairer to say any other men’s spas looks like ours since we were the first such place to open in the country to offer both barber and spa services exclusively for men in a high-end environment. We set the standard and not to sound bitter again, but the others kind of dove-tailed off our concept. We’ve been improving the same basic model since 2000.
- The writer only tried one service: He said nice things about his facial, but how can you review a “guys place” like ours without testing out a shave or a haircut. It’s all part of the experience.
- They had an issue with our prepscription system: At the end of every service we offer, guests are provided with a prescription pad outlining the products we recommend they use at home to enhance thier personal grooming. Whether it be a hair styling product or a skin care treatment, these are the items we think guests should use on a regular basis to maintain their look. Wouldn’t a guy who gets a great haircut and style want to know what product to use at home to maintain it? Same for a guy with oily skin who wants to know how to stop the greasiness on a regular basis?
We hope this doesn’t come off as us being defensive — as it’s not meant to. As stated before, the review is really not a bad one. It’s just that we’re used to running our stores in a manner that leaves only the option of a stellar review. When we get one that our mothers wouldn’t show their friends and brag about (shout out to Goldie and Judy), we have to give our side of the story. Thanks for reading and for your support of Grooming Lounge.
What’s wrong with a National Review magazine?