Schools encouraging use of certain brands/companies

[XCherryGlamX]

The massage school I went to pushed some brands/products on us

During school, we were encouraged to order a Custom Craftworks table. During many a class discussion on different types of tables, we were scared away from buying a "cheap" one from Sam's Club, and also discouraged from looking into other Table companies, due to the fact that we got a discount if we ordered through the school. Looking back, I wish I would have just gotten a used one off of ebay, or a cheap one from Sam's Club to practice with. I ended up spending $800 on a Custom Craftworks table… and 3 years later I find that it is not suiting my needs (I guess it never really did suit my needs, but I just got around to replacing it) and I just ordered a new Earthlite table.

For our bodywork classes and for clinics, we could only use Biotone products. For clinics, we had to purchase our own (usually from the school store). The school let us know that these products were tested and hypo allergenic, and they had no problems with them with the clinic clients, and that we could not use anything else. So, thinking that Biotone was the superior product, I continued to use it after I graduated from school. That is until I did some research on different kinds of lubricants, and I decided for my health and the health of my clients, I wanted to switch to a more natural product- I now use Klecka Naturals http://www.kleckanaturals.com/ or plain jojoba oil.

During our business classes, we discussed insurance, and the AMTA and ABMP were brought up. Our instructor was a member of AMTA, so that is what we talked about the most. I can say that we were heavily encouraged and given way more information on the AMTA- so that is the organization that most of us joined as students. I have a feeling that the school was given some sort of "incentive" to have us join the AMTA.

These are just a few of the things that happened in school. I guess I'm writing this entry for all of those still in school- do your research. Just because the school backs it or sells it or encourages it, doesn't mean it's the right fit for you!

**edited to remove the term "kickback" because I don't think I used it properly

 

[moon]

What you are not seeing is a kickback, but simply retailing.

Your school is a CCW and Biotone account, which means they buy at wholesale and sell to you at a discount off of retail, which beats paying full price retail.

Biotone aint the greatest thing out there, but it does the job, is recognized and is affordable. They also donate lots of money to the massage industry organizations, which buys them a great deal of goodwill which turns into retail sales. That is no different than a therapist donating services in hopes of getting referrals.

I doubt anyone gets anything out of joining AMTA. People recommend what they know, which in your instructors case was his insurance carrier.

Your instructors also teach you what they know best - which is probably the dream of being a self-employed sole practitioner. That does not meet everyone's needs either, but it is what they know so it is what they talk about most.

 

[Cathal]

Hey, it's quite a thing to accuse your school, Custom Craftworks, Biotone, and even the AMTA of being involved in a kickback situation.

I totally I agree with you that the retail arrangements a school has set up may not be the best fit for you when you get out into the workplace. But they can't be as concerned about that as they are about their students and their clinic clients. I can see why, for reasons of consistency and liability, a school would advise the use of a high-quality table brand (they don't want it to break on you), and also would default to one brand of lubricant in the clinic. Biotone is also one of the very few lube companies that can manufacture product quickly enough and in large enough quantities that a school can keep its students supplied in a timely manner - a big selling point! CCW and Oakworks will also work out arrangements with schools under which the students may purchase equipment with a good return policy, a student discount, and ongoing customer service, not all of which are available at a local discount store.

I also don't see a problem with the school making some money selling retail. Lots of companies offer massage schools a wholesale price or student-store discount. Do you see the school's markup as a problem?

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, I know school is expensive and I don't use the products my school generally recommended any more either. I just didn't see them as shady for making the recommendations in the first place.

 

[Uchiha Itachi]

Oh, I totally didn't mean to accuse my school or any school of taking kickbacks- I simply meant that it sure seemed like they were deterring us from using anything but what they sold or endorsed or whatever you want to call it.

I was just trying to point out to students here that there are other brands and companies out there, not just what the school is selling you!

I don't mean to pick a fight with anyone here, or mislead anyone, just giving my opinion. Feel free to give yours

 

[Marven]

I think we went to the same school. I never even heard of ABMP in school. From what I could tell, AMTA was the only available association for MT's. Because we had an instructor who refused to use Biotone, we were allowed to use Biotone or a single ingredient oil, and had to review that oil. They didn't say Biotone was hypoallergic, just that it was the only thing approved for use (until the issue w/the instructor came up and they had to allow students to use a single ingredient oil, too - which I had to do, because I am allergic to biotone stuff.) Custom Craftworks was the only table we knew existed, other than to be told that we could not legally use the one from Sam's Club. (I haven't found evidence of that anywhere!)

I love my Custom Craftworks table and don't really regret the purchase, but I did feel that they had mislead me in that and the association issue. The school probably is insured through AMTA - they must somehow be insured, since we did not have to carry liability insurance while we were students. I don't have a problem with them having a preference, but I did feel purposely UNeducated in those areas. So I agree with your "note to students"......do your own research before you make any major purchases.

 

[Colby]

Schools

Hello,

I don't look at the 'student' section all that often, but I'm glad I did today. My only response to this whole subject is, 'If you only Knew!'

Sombraman

 

[Tian]

Schools

Hello,

I don't look at the 'student' section all that often, but I'm glad I did today. My only response to this whole subject is, 'If you only Knew!'

Sombraman

Tell us more! Have you tried to introduce your products to schools? What do they want from you?

 

[Peyton :]]

Schools

I thought that may raise some questions. Because we are the manufacturer and we do not sale direct, the question of doing school programs really is left up to our distributors. But, we have told our distributors to sale product at professional (wholesale) pricing to MT students, which to me, because the student is the future in the industry, should not even be second-guessed by distributors, although it is sometimes difficult for the distributors to screen the students, or at least verify that they are indeed students. When we get requests for samples from students, and most health professionals who call us do get referred to me, I just ask them what school they attend, that's my screening. I know this is why it is difficult for the school itself to sale product to students, when in fact the student can in most cases get the same pricing as the school, unless of course there is a school program. Banner Therapy and Massage Warehouse offer school programs, but I don't know which one is better. We have considered dealing with schools direct, but as a small company with only 15 employees, it has been difficult to develop a program. I'm not going to address the issue of 'kickbacks', but unfortunately it does exist!

Sombraman (Jeff)

 

[nelawala]

Jeff,
Thanks for your views from the "other side"


I wish I had known about this board and other internet resources when I was in school!