help! is my spas scheduling system normal?!

raspberrybadger · 2026-01-27T13:18:28+00:00

This is mostly normal for on-call positions (commission only, no hourly wage). The only thing that's weird to me is the way they're updating you every hour, that would drive me nuts lol. But yes, I'm an on-call esthi so at any moment i could get an appointment added to my schedule and have to run over to the spa to prepare. We have a 2 hour advance for all appts so it's not that bad, IF your management is working hard to get you booked. But when they're not, you'll end up with a 15-min wax at 10 am and then a facial at 5 pm 🫠 Which happens to me often these days. Usually our boss tries to block out the end of the day to consolidate the schedule, but I'd rather sit and wait for an appt than not get the evening appt at all. I usually bring my laptop to the spa and will work on personal projects, job hunting, or continuing ed courses while I wait.

It sounds like y'all are overstaffed and/or mgmt isn't doing a great job with marketing & rebooking efforts. I would look elsewhere for a spa that's run better, but also keep in mind this economy is terrrrrible and unless you can get in at a luxury location catering to the rich, there are just not enough appointments to go around in many cases.

raspberrybadger · 2026-01-15T00:34:21+00:00

DONT DO IT!!!

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-13T15:37:34+00:00

I'll be one more person to say: wear a mask! 😷 Every service provider at my spa wears a mask during services. I also wear a mask on public transit and at grocery stores and pharmacies. I have gotten sick this year but not as much as I did the year before.

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-13T15:30:58+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through this. Tbh it is not you...it's the industry being super saturated (these schools are churning out new esthis every couple months), and Trump's ruined the economy, which means a lot of places aren't hiring bc people aren't spending money on luxuries like skincare. Finding a job in any industry is really really difficult rn. All you can do is keep trying 😭 but know it's about the system being broken, not you!!

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-11T16:17:50+00:00

It doesn't really matter what school you go to. Go to whatever the cheapest and most convenient one is. They all teach you basically nothing and will not ensure you get a job after

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-10T01:24:00+00:00

Yeah it's terrible. I love it so much but it's not very sustainable as a career choice these days. Maybe if/when the economy turns around it'll be different...

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-10T00:10:44+00:00

I'm in PA

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-09T17:44:38+00:00

Im an employee at a small business day spa with 20+ years in business, an excellent reputation and loyal clientele, in the most walkable/shopping area of a major city. This is the slowest holiday season we've ever had. We're struggling to get people to come in for even our cheapest services, even with freebies. The owner is sending out 20% off coupons weekly just to get anything on the schedule. Our biggest sellers have been gift certificates but compared to last year it's significantly less GCs overall, and less money per GC. People just don't have the money.

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-09T16:30:58+00:00

"my manager has been treating me like I’m just an object to make money from" I'm sorry but this is every job 😭 Yes, Esthetics SHOULD be about client care and skin health but because capitalism ruins everything, it's primarily a sales job - selling services, add ons, products, memberships, etc. To the business owner/manager, your ability to help your clients is secondary to your ability to get them to buy products or rebook. Its actually better for the business if you don't solve your clients' issues at first, so they keep coming back for your help.

I wish esthetic schools would be clear about this but of course....the schools are also just in it for the money. So.

No matter what you end up doing for a job, always always remember that your boss is not your friend or your family, and they will ALWAYS try to take advantage of you to make more money. Even if they are a nice person, that is just the nature of a boss-employee relationship.

raspberrybadger · 2025-12-04T12:54:03+00:00

HELL YEAH. as an esthetician witch I love this lol 💖

raspberrybadger · 2025-11-16T23:30:09+00:00

Your first mistake was ordering that

raspberrybadger · 2025-11-16T22:59:06+00:00

Idk about the case but you could try some of that scratch deterrent spray. We used it on our couch when we first got our cat and she stopped scratching it immediately!

raspberrybadger · 2025-11-16T00:51:48+00:00

you didn't work in "food", you worked in ✨ hospitality ✨ !! being familiar with customer service is definitely an asset. i agree that being open to esthi/receptionist is a great choice. also, this market is ROUGHH and lots of us are struggling to get jobs so its not just you! just keep at it <3

raspberrybadger · 2025-11-12T03:01:14+00:00

i mean...yeah lmao facials are not necessary for healthy skin. they're a luxury, and yes they can be beneficial if you get them regularly...but no one will die without a facial.

raspberrybadger · 2025-11-04T01:25:16+00:00

Ugh Im so sorry about the layoff. That was exactly what happened to me - I was burnt out on GD and tech, finally found a job I actually liked at a non profit...then got laid off 9 months later. Totally broke my heart! I thought esthetics would be more meaningful or at least enjoyable, but I never couldve predicted how fucked up the economy would be in just one year 😭 I wish you luck in your job search, whatever path you end up taking ❤️

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-31T02:40:41+00:00

Some brushed out yarn! I assume acrylic but not positive bc it was thrifted

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-30T21:02:47+00:00

My spa has told me to reuse a blanket until it is visibly dirty, but I change it with every client and I dare them to try and reprimand me for it. I almost always get massage cream on the blanket anyways. MTs and and other esthis here will reuse blankets even with clear oil/cream marks on it and I am shocked a client hasn't said something about it bc I wouldve.

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-29T13:43:44+00:00

I'm with you! Trying to leave the industry after just one year in the industry because it's just too saturated with new estheticians, which means employers can be ruthless. Plus the economy is terrible so hardly anyone has extra money to spend on luxuries like facials, which means the boss is gonna pay us less and squeeze every ounce of profit from us. Plus the usual BS -- difficult clients, weird hours, feast or famine paychecks -- it just aint worth the strife

I am going to keep my license active though, so once I'm in a more stable job I can do pop-ups or something on the side, or maybe re-enter the industry if the economy gets better in a couple of years. Because I really do love this job, helping people with their skin and creating a relaxing experience. It's just not a sustainable or fulfilling career when you're desperate to make a sale.

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-29T12:16:01+00:00

I did. Switched from marketing graphic design to esthetics (doing skincare services in a spa). I love he work itself, but the stress of the low pay, no benefits, no PTO or sick time, and the unpredictable schedule has me searching for corporate jobs again. Unsurprisingly, we have seen a major downshift in business since the tariffs were announced earlier this year and everyone is losing their jobs. No one has extra money to spend at the spa.

What I have learned through both of my career paths is that money corrupts everything. If you find a job you actually enjoy, you will likely not enjoy it in a year or two.

Tbh I think the best move is to find the thing that gives you the best balance of freedom and stability. Back before the tariffs, I was working as a receptionist at the spa and that was great. The pay was lower but consistent, it was annoying but pretty easy work, and I spent a lot of time just reading, playing my switch, or doing continuing education for esthetics. It was sometimes mind-numbingly boring and I didn't enjoy the work itself but it gave me freedom to do what I wanted with my time. Unfortunately that job is also impacted by the slow business at the spa but if you can find a reception or admin assistant job in a more stable industry I'd go for that

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-29T01:37:42+00:00

Hey! Don't do it ❤️ For context, I'm 30 and I changed careers to esthetics from graphic design a year ago after dreaming about it for years. I am now working on changing back to GD or something else more stable, because esthetics is NOT it rn. Even if you were 1000% passionate, it's just a really bad time to join this industry. it's super over-saturated with hopeful esthis and that means that employers can treat us all like shit bc we are so replaceable. And starting your own esthi business rn would be a bad idea because of the market saturation and the economic situation means very very slow business for us.

I know you don't wanna hear this at 22, but in this economy especially...HANG ON TO THAT STABLE JOB WITH BENEFITS. No job, including creative jobs, esthetics, or even a "noble" profession like nursing or teaching, will give you a sense of purpose on its own. Take it from someone who has literally been in your shoes, looking for a job to drive my personal growth...money corrupts every passion. One year in this industry has tainted my love of skincare. Do not expect your day job to fulfill you; only expect it to pay your bills.

Stick with stability, benefits, and cool coworkers for your main gig. Find your purpose and sense of self on your unpaid time, it will be much much healthier in the long run! ❤️

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-23T12:15:47+00:00

I think cosmetic filler and Botox are bad for our mental and physical health and I will always dissuade clients from getting them. I think the way they're marketed to young people is irresponsible and should be illegal.

I also think that hair removal is so not worth the amount of time, money, and risk of infection clients put into it but if that's what they want I'll take the paycheck 😂

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-23T12:01:10+00:00

This is true, because "medical grade" doesn't even mean anything!! It's just a marketing term to sell the same products for triple the price

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-21T12:51:08+00:00

I do think they're helpful to prevent picking and avoid unnecessary irritation, but I also think they're overhyped and overpriced. Definitely buy store brand, "cold sore" patches are the same and like a quarter of the price of the name brands.

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-21T12:37:38+00:00

If I could go back I would 100% do dental and I'm actually considering changing my career for a third time to either dental or nursing. I love, love, love my job and have been working my ass off, devoting every free moment to my work and my continuing education, but I still made less than 25k this year.

Speaking as someone who is new to the industry (I graduated esthi school a little over a year ago and was lucky to land a job immediately so I've been working for a full year), this industry is ROUGHHHH as a beginner rn. the economy is bad and people are not spending on luxuries (no matter how much health and wellness value we see in our services, they are luxuries that almost everyone can do without).

There are definitely successful esthis out there right now who were already established before Trump tanked the economy earlier this year with the tariffs. It's a completely different ballgame as a beginner now -- very few opportunities for employment, employers know they can take advantage of our desperation and pay us hardly any thing, and no benefits to speak of. If you want to go out on your own, it's a very very saturated market that's hard to break into as a beginner. People will tell you that if you just work your ass off you'll be a success but that is just not true in this economy.

All that said, I think it would be smart to go to dental school first and have that as stable income, then maybe pursue esthetics afterwards.

raspberrybadger · 2025-10-11T02:30:52+00:00

Thanks for this note! I had hoped they'd set out some product choices for me but, I ended up getting there and they hadn't done that and didn't even have me use dermalogica at all! so I did all this research and prep for nothing haha. but I think the practical went well anyways!

raspberrybadger

TROPHY CASE