How to Explain to Your Massage Clients That You Will Temporarily Be Closing Because of COVID-19

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In this Post: Learn how to explain to your massage clients that you will temporarily be closing because of COVID-19. Not an easy call, what’s next. 

The decision to temporarily close your massage practice during the global crisis we are now facing is not an easy one! 

I’m sure it has taken you a lot of thought and emotion to come to the decision to do so! I feel you. I was a weepy mess trying to figure out what was right for me, my staff, and my family. 

But, somehow, we got here. We decided that it was a prudent decision. So now comes the fun, (j/k) letting our clients know. 

How to Explain to Your Massage Clients That You Will Temporarily Be Closing Because of COVID-19

For clients that you already have scheduled, how do you usually communicate with them? Continue with that method to let them know that their appointments will have to be rescheduled once the dust settles. 

In terms of informing your entire clientele, do you have an email list that you communicate through, or are most of your communications done through social media? Or both? 

Draft a letter to send via your preferred method of communication. 

Here is the letter I sent. I hope you might be able to draw some inspiration from my verbiage. Please feel free to modify for your own use. 

We made a decision here at Kneading Hands. We made the difficult decision to close our doors for the time being. As COVID-19 sweeps through the country, we realized that we could play a small part in slowing the spread, thus giving healthcare workers more time to respond to this crisis, and save more lives. 

Some may feel that this is a drastic measure; others may find it entirely appropriate given the current situation. Either way, I wanted to share the article that really caused us to pause and consider our options. 

Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now Politicians, Community Leaders, and Business Leaders: What Should You Do and When?

We chose to close because we care about the health and well-being of our communities. 

We are sorry if this inconveniences you, but we truly felt it was the socially responsible thing to do. At this point we are not sure how long this closure will last, but we will let you know as soon as we have plans to reopen. 

In the meantime, please feel free to continue to purchase gift certificates through our website. While we cannot honor them at this point, we will be happy to get you in once the dust settles. 

Sincerely, Kneading Hands

Client Response

All of the clients I have communicated with directly thus far have been extremely receptive to our closure. Though that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to hurt! 

For my business, March is one of our busiest months. It’s a month that helps get us through the rest of the year. With that in mind, I will continue to send updates to my clientele, reminding them that if they would like to purchase gift certificates during this trying time that it would be much appreciated! 

Run Specials or Remind Clients About Packages

You may want to run special deals that incentivize your clients to consider gift certificates or package purchases. 

Check out my post: How to Support Your Massage Therapists During COVID-19 Crisis, it’s basically a letter to massage clients across the nation to remember us and our immediate needs during this hardship. 

Please stay strong out there. This too shall pass!