How to Create an Effective Massage Therapy Client Intake Form
A massage therapy client intake form is the best way to learn about a prospective client. The more detailed the information you get, the easier it’ll be to provide outstanding service and turn them into repeat, loyal customers.
If you don’t use client intake forms, you’re missing out on the opportunity to build client rapport, streamline the client onboarding process and organize the backend of your business. It pays to have one, and this post will show you how to create a practical form.
What is a Client Intake Form?
Client intake forms are simple contact sheets designed to get information about your client and their needs before an appointment. They’re essential in helping you gather data, improve services, and build client relations. They also serve as an opportunity to determine whether a client is right for you.
In addition to requesting preliminary information like name, birth date, contact details, and medical history, the form should also include a client’s goals for the massage.
Consider using a client intake form to:
- Collect information for marketing purposes like email campaigns.
- Receive essential information about client preferences and past experiences.
- Share expectations with clients and relay anything you’ll need from them before the appointment.
Questions to Include in Your Massage Therapy Intake Forms
An effective client intake form will help you meet client expectations and keep them coming back for more. Be sure to include these questions in your intake forms:
- Tell me about your lifestyle and daily routine.
A client’s lifestyle information is a great way to pinpoint why they may want a massage and how they’re hoping to benefit from it. For example, knowing that a client sits at a desk for 10 hours a day can help you properly treat and address their back pain and provide tips for future vitality.
Once you know the client’s lifestyle routine, you tailor the massage to their needs and advise them on preventing and easing the pain. Remember that some clients may not be in tune with how their routine affects their quality of life.
- What are your main goals for today’s massage therapy session?
Finding out a client’s goal for the massage allows you to get a satisfactory result. For example, if their goal is to relax, a deep, painful sports massage probably won’t have them coming back for more. If you cut to the chase and help clients achieve their goals, they will be back for more.
- Are there any specific areas you’d like me to focus on?
Unless prompted, a client may not tell you that an area is stiff, a calf muscle is tight, or that they have lower back pain. And, if they walk away unrelieved because you didn’t work on that area enough, they might view it as a lack of thoroughness on your end.
Once you know where to focus, you can give this area extra attention.
- What are your preferences? Do you prefer light, medium, or firm pressure? Are you ok with music and scented oils?
Knowing a client’s likes and dislikes is also extremely important. Maybe they only like light pressure and prefer no music in the background. Knowing these details allows you to tailor the massage to each person and keep the client happy.
- Do you have any injuries or allergies I need to know about?
To relieve pain and not make it worse, you’ll want to ask clients if they have pre-existing injuries or allergies before they come in for a massage.
Final Thoughts
An effective client intake form should be mutually beneficial for you and your client. Take the guesswork out of creating the perfect form with Massagebook, the all-in-one software solution that will streamline and improve all facets of your massage therapy business.
The Massagebook software provides massage therapists with digital intake forms that they can access from anywhere in the world with internet service. Clients can fill them out at their convenience, and the forms will alert you to critical intake information that you’ll need to know before your appointment.
In addition to providing innovative client intake forms, Massagebook simplifies your day-to-day business tasks with management software to grow your business. Enjoy simplified scheduling, unique marketing tools, and a boost in sales with a beautiful and easy-to-use website. MassageBook scheduling is free for the first year, making this decision toward your improved business a no-brainer.