Let’s all admit it together: a massage therapy intake form is no fun.

And can be seen as the obstacle to the path of relaxation.

But as much as we dread all the initial paperwork, massage therapy intake forms have a serious side to every massage therapy business.

In fact, in most states a client health history or massage therapy intake form is a legal requirement.

So clients can think of forms as a necessary evil that covers both yourself and them.

But as massage therapists, we could turn these tedious and tiresome process into something productive and meaningful.

We could use massage therapy intake forms to our success, here’s how.

Use Massage Therapy Intake form to give the Best Massage Experience

According to the Body in Mind Massage Institute, clients complain about these top 3 things during a massage:

1. Too much pressure or the lack of it

2. Distracting odors

3. Lack of therapists’ focus

In an article by massage expert Debra Rilea, she said her new clients say it all comes down to one thing; “the massage therapist didn’t listen to me.”

So, in summary of bad massage experiences is when clients didn’t end up with the massage they wanted and never came back to their therapist and found another therapist. All these pitfalls could be prevented if we pay attention to the client intake forms and formulate a plan of care.

What was the client’s goal for that massage session?

Did the client specify her aroma preference on the client intake form?

Music or no music?

What are you allergic to? Are you currently taking medication? etc

If these types of questions are not on your current massage therapy intake form then you should be adding them to it so you can better understand how you can best make your clients comfortable during each massage session as well as their current medical condition.

Take Walter Snell, Managing Director of Thai Sports Body Works. Their unique approach includes being focused to help and serve clients.

And the in-take form is a big part of that process.

“When a customer comes in, we learn all about them. We have a very serious and detailed medical intake form, much like a hospital. Therefore, we know why they are here and what their problems are,” Walter shares to Kolau.

“We work very hard on solving their problems, not just taking their money.”

As Massage business-and-marketing expert Irene Diamond, R.T. also shares to Massage Magazine, “Many therapists never really think about why their client is coming in. Once you’ve nailed down the exact reason for their visit, you will have a much easier time advising them on the frequency and number of visits.”

Of course, the massage therapy intake form is just part of the intake process but at the start of every session, we need to listen, ask and assess our clients to give them the best-personalized treatment, to show our compassion and care.

This builds trust and fosters a loyal relationship. We all know loyal clients lead the cornerstone of our success: a full appointment book.

Use Massage Therapy Intake Form to Protect your Practice

Your client intake form should always include a waiver that specifies your policies and limits your liabilities.

Accidents can start small like an allergic reaction to a massage product or minor bruising. But it can end up being worse like ruptured discs or cracking a client’s vertebra.

Massage Therapist Marie Kimpel learned this the hard way even with a proper intake, she found herself faced with a $70,000 claim when the client was allegedly burned by hot stones.

While she did manage to come out alive unscathed, she now applies stronger principles: a thorough massage therapy intake form, precaution and improved client communication.

Tip: Explore a client’s health history in your intake process, from allergies, worst massage experience, medications and illnesses you should be aware of.

Add a safety net in your massage therapy intake form on what clients can expect during a massage and how you can protect yourself in case accidents happen.

Letting your clients know about your policies and limitations can help you fend off those unwanted extensive medical bills and litigation expenses you’ll never see coming.

Massage Therapy Intake form can Improve Your Marketing

One of the things we all to often skip as massage therapists is the marketing side of the business and defining who our target customers are.

Guess what, you already have that information at your disposal by simply just using Facebook to analyze insights from Facebook Analytics.

The massage therapy intake form is a powerful source of your audience research from basic information like a client’s age, gender and specific needs. Not to mention, email address and perhaps permission to be part of your email group.

You could also review your client profiles to help you understand who your clients are and who your potential clients can be.

In turn, you can tailor your marketing approach to address the needs and behavior of your customer group or the variety of it.

For example, if you know your target clients are mostly comprised of people over the age of 40, and you have an idea of their interests and needs, it won’t be hard to figure out what makes them tick.

You can create a blog content or social media posts that will appeal to your target clients or run a promo you believe will click in your customer group.

Another thing is you’ll know where your clients are coming from if you ask how and where they found about you. Where they referred? How did they learn about you?

These questions are simple ones and the answers could mean a lot in improving your marketing channels and referral system.

Improve your Patient Intake Experience

Some massage therapists have a 5-page client intake form. How on earth can they get all clients to fill that out?

By leveraging on the more convenient intake form process: online intake forms.

The top reason to go digital: clients love them. Despite some health practitioner’s reservations, studies say 90% of clients in most practices prefer an automated system.

Not surprising. Millennial’s prefer to do things online. And who doesn’t? How about elderly patients? Is this too advanced for them? Think again. Seniors just prefer to take it slow because they want it more accurate. Filling out a form online at their own time and pace is much more convenient.

At Massagebook we make massage therapy intake forms not just convenient but more useful to your practice by adding our own improvements.

• We let you customize our client intake forms. If you’re clueless about what to include in your intake forms, we already completed the job for you. Then you can simply add custom questions to make our pre-made intake forms your own.

• We flag any client medications or contraindications so you never miss any vital detail.

• Secure all your client’s health and treatment history and access them quickly and easily. Search any client information with just one click or tap.

• Include our customizable waiver form too, so you have more peace of mind when it comes to your liabilities.

Massage Therapy Intake Forms for Success

It’s so easy to set up your online intake forms with us.

Then you have the option to email your booking clients a secure link they can follow to complete their intake forms online.

Filling out sections like personal details, complaints and existing conditions with our customizable forms can be easier than everyone thinks.

All you have to after is reap the benefits for your practice: do more with your additional free time, gather more info and make forms a more enjoyable experience for everyone. A win-win situation.

Make your client intake experience faster, hassle-free and more meaningful. Try Massagebook Now.