Risk of Buying Daily Deal Site Cosmetic Services Often Outweighs Reward
A few years have passed since daily deal sites first took flight, when consumer interest skyrocketed and flaws were overlooked. While the products and services offered are deeply discounted, what is fulfilled by the deal is often less than desirable, especially for progressive services like laser hair removal.
Daily deal sites operate by businesses paying a fee to participate in marketing lower prices in hopes that the increased exposure will add up to more sales and a repeat customer base. While these deals do generate a good bit of traffic for most med spas that offer them, they can also create major expense and revenue deficits for business owners. Moreover, deal sites require profit sharing of 40-60% of revenue from deals like laser treatment specials. For businesses offering the deals, it becomes a fiscal necessity to book a certain number of customers from the sites to make up for the investment. This can easily lead to overbooking and compromised patient service and treatment results. This is one of several reasons that Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center does not participate in or honor daily deal site offers.
While buying $100 gift card for $50 at your local steakhouse may not pose a health threat, patients considering buying a deal for procedures such as laser hair removal, cellulite treatment, or Botox need to be educated on the risk of buying into offers that may be too good to be true.
Many customers do not inquire about the qualifications of the person who will be performing their discounted procedure. If the business in question is new, it is important to ensure that they have a qualified staff that will take the appropriate amount of time for consultation, testing, treatment, and follow up. Additionally, if the business is using the daily deal to generate customers out of desperate need and has to close before consumers have finished their series of treatments, they may be out of luck. Most laser skin treatments average 5 to 7 sessions to be fully effective. If a deal affords fewer than this number of treatments, the results may be questionable. When bought upfront from a deal site, there is no choice of backing out of a deal after an unsatisfying or uncomfortable experience. You may end up wasting money on services you may or may not use.
If a new or disreputable spa hires unqualified employees to perform these discounted treatments, laser settings could be incorrectly set too low, rendering the hair removal treatment ineffective. The more conservative your treatment level, the more times you need to visit the office; thus, the more treatments you must buy from these companies. In the process, if the untrained employee happens to set the laser too high, you could risk developing burns, skin discoloration, and scarring. At Laser Lights, we hold patient safety as our highest priority. Our Owner & Laser Director, Dr. David M. Whiteman, is a member of ASLMS, which emphasizes excellence in patient care for laser therapy.
Dr. Susan Weinkle, president-elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) warns that providers may try to make up for loss of revenue with unacceptable product distribution. She cautioned that there are ways to dilute Botox so that the quantity looks like a steal for the price you paid—but really you are just paying for a lesser version of the service you were looking for.
While there are exceptions to these instances and some qualified, reputable businesses on these sites, you should be aware of the trade-offs these deals create for businesses and how it could potentially impact you. At Laser Lights, we believe in working closely with patients beginning during consultations throughout treatment and beyond to ensure we devise the best care plan for your needs as well as provide the best possible results. We offer competitive pricing year round and a qualified staff that is dedicated to safely and effectively performing the latest laser and cosmetic skin procedures. For more on laser specials and treatment options without the risks of daily deal cosmetic offers, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.