SPAtacular at Coral Medical Health Spa

There’s nothing quite like being pampered. Some may feel it is overrated, but that’s probably because they haven’t engaged in a true “spa” experience. Well, I think I could probably change the minds of many, after spending time at Coral Medical Health Spa here in Windsor, Ontario. I must say that I was a little nervous going there because you just never know what to expect, but upon opening up the door, I was greeted with a smile and a hello by the receptionist. She guided me to the massage chairs (what a way to wait; doctors, take note!) where I could relax and offered me a beverage until the aesthetician came out to get me. They also have a lovely waterfall right in front, which really created an atmosphere of total bliss.

After filling out some routine paperwork (known allergies, medical history, purpose of my visit, what to expect before/after services, etc) before I knew it, Jena (the aesthetician) came out and introduced herself. She led me down a long hallway into a very quaint room, while dimming the lights and turning on some meditative music. I was very pleased to see how impeccably clean everything was. After a short discussion on what she would be doing and if I had any questions, I proceeded to the comfy bed, in which I would spend the next 2 hours inside.

I was given Coral’s “therapeutic facial” treatment, along with a neck, hand and arm massage. Since I have sensitive skin, Jena designed a customized facial that would not only hydrate my skin, but also help heal and repair it too. The products she used were from a high-quality skincare line called Dermalogica and were the perfect choice. Every step of a skin care analysis, called face-mapping to exfoliation, was done with absolute care and precision. The hot towels that she applied to my face were soothing and I must say, her massage technique was like the touch of an angel. During the treatment, Jena was more than happy to answer any questions I had about my skin or even just about skincare in general.

At the end, Jena gently awoke me (I dozed off a few times because of being utterly relaxed) to let me know that I could take my time getting up and she would meet me in the hallway. Coming out, my skin felt rejuvenated and smooth as silk. We talked about her recommendations to keep my skin in good shape now and throughout the rest of my life. She was extremely knowledgeable and I was surprised at how few products I really needed, compared to what I had experienced with other spa places.

I was also given a goody bag that was filled with all of their other services and coupons for future visits and a great incentive for 25% off for any referrals.

For some people, spa treatments often feel like luxury items that are only affordable on special occasions or for the affluent clientele. All of Coral Spa services are very reasonably priced for the quality and professionalism that you will receive. Don’t spend money on your beloved Tim Horton’s coffees and late-night fast food jaunts that only give you a temporary fix. Save up those coins and bills and invest in yourself and give your loved ones a day at the spa, Coral Medical Health Spa!

Visit Coral online and on Facebook.

Below you can read my Q&A with Ken Sherman, who is the General Manager at Coral

With all the beauty trends that continually come out in popular media publications, do you follow a certain protocol when deciding which products/treatments will be offered?

(Ken Sherman, General Manager at Coral) – Absolutely! Before we consider whether to bring on new technology, treatments and/or products to our menu, we make sure to research the treatment/product in detail. We first determine where it’s made, origin of ingredients and technology, how long the company has been in business, third party certification and reviews, and first-hand accounts from other clinics that use the products/technology. We gather this information to determine if the products/technology is really effective, safe and uncomplicated. The next step is to invite a representative from the company to come in and give us a formal presentation on the products/technology and answer any questions we may have. During the presentation members of our team will sample a treatment if it’s new technology we’re looking at, and/or take samples of the products home to use for the duration of a skin cycle. If all goes well, we proceed to offer complimentary treatments to our clients that we feel to be most suitable for the treatment, and get their feedback. Lastly, once we decide that this treatment is safe, effective, with great outcomes, we will train and certify our professional team on how to use and recommend the products/technology and encourage everyone on the team to use it.

“Upselling” is a common sales tactic that is well-known in any establishment, especially when it comes to aesthetics, health and wellness. I will admit that I’ve been duped into spending money on products that I didn’t really need nor would add any benefit to my life because of fear-mongering and clever persuasion. How is your staff trained to assure a client is being offered an honest experience?

(KS) – Our team is trained from day one to offer only those treatments and products that would benefit their clients. If we feel that someone is making recommendations just for the sake of a sale, they will quickly realize that Coral Medical Health Spa is not the right place for them. It’s something we take very seriously! In business (regardless of the industry), when you make empty promises and recommend things just for the sake of profit, you may do well initially, but quickly people catch on and the reputation of the business is tarnished. In fact our mission statement reads as follows: “Our mission is to provide the residents of Windsor and Essex County the absolute best in age prevention services, day spa services and medical cosmetic treatments available, by focusing on restoring youth, enhancing beauty and improving health outcomes through disease prevention and health promotion, under the guidance of specialized health care professionals, working in close partnership with their clients, in a way that exemplifies value, honesty, integrity, and above all, care and commitment to everyone involved.

While looking through your website and seeing a variety of services, I am very impressed with the fact that Coral offers a Women’s Center that focuses on prevention, treatment in many area’s of a woman’s life, especially chronic pain. Can you explain more about what someone can expect when walking-in the first time? Why does addressing the holistic aspect play such a vital role in women’s overall health?

(KS) – This is a great question! Dr. Sherman our founder and Medical Director, began her professional career as a family physician (she continues to do this today). Dr. Sherman’s focus has always been disease prevention and her passion was working with Women. Prevention is so important, combining a medical approach with nutrition, exercise and stress reduction to improve health outcomes rather than just masking the symptoms. Dr. Sherman’s focus and passion was combined to create the Women’s Health Centre. When clients join the centre, Dr. Sherman and the nurse practitioner perform a detailed health assessment including a full physical, blood work (in our lab on-site) and lifestyle analysis. After the assessment is complete, Dr. Sherman together with the client devise a lifestyle plan which may include medical treatment, nutrition programming with nutritional supplements, and stress reduction techniques. With the medical spa we can actually offer all of these treatments under one roof… by utilizing our nutrition and lifestyle programs, personal training studio (on-site) and day spa for pampering and relaxation. Once the program begins, the client will come for regular follow-up visits with Dr. Sherman, the Nurse Practitioner and Lifestyle Educator to monitor their progress and make adjustments as needed.

Are there any plans to have a Men’s Center to address the growing concerns for the male population?

(KS) – The same concerns that exist for women also do for men. And, to that effect all of the same programs we offer in the Women’s Health Centre, we offer for men as well. In fact, many of our clients in the centre have brought in their spouses and significant others for treatment! This is very exciting for us, as we continue to grow our male clientele and offer more treatments and products directly to them.

In all your years as a business owner, has there been any inspirational stories from clients that you can share at Coral that really affected you in a positive way?

(KS) – Too many to list. We have had hundreds of clients tell us how much better they look and feel after they come to see us. Specifically, I recall one client that starting coming to the centre as a patient and slowly began utilizing the other services we offer. She was in a very unhealthy state when she started. On various medications, over weight and overly stressed. We worked closely with her and with the lifestyle and nutrition programs, the personal training and medical aesthetic treatments we offer, she lost over 50 pounds, stopped taking the cholesterol and blood pressure medication and freshened up her look. She told us that she hasn’t felt this way since she was in her twenties!

Being in business since 2005, and building a solid reputation within the community, do you feel there are any aspects that can be improved upon, as the needs of individuals change?

(KS) – Absolutely, there are always ways to improve… we constantly survey our clients and our team to get their feedback on their experience with our company, and what we can add or do better. Furthermore we want to know that we’re delivering the absolute best client experience we can! That means maintaining a clean and sterile environment, friendly and courteous team, safe and effective treatment outcomes and a pricing strategy to allow nearly every individual to take part in what we do. In addition it’s always important to be aware of what’s happening in the industry and be aware of trends. By researching carefully we know what we can add and do to improve.

a nice area to relax 

*Update: Buyer beware!  I had some reactions with the skincare products that were recommended to me and I must say that I was not pleased with the customer service at Coral when their tone was completely different and only pushed to buy MORE products. I went ahead and contacted the actual company to figure out a amicable solution, as the products were incredibly expensive! They were very quick to handle the situation professionally and contacted Coral, who I will say was very displeased that I went directly to their supplier. Needless to say, I will not return to Coral for any treatments, nor can I truthfully recommend them due to this unfortunate incident. Also, I find that some of their treatments and products that they carry are very questionable and not a business I can support. Customer service is key to any establishment, and they surely blew this one.