- Which day(s) you are interested in
- The earliest you could come in
- The latest you would need the session to end
- Whether or not you would be likely to be available last-minute
- The best way to reach you quickly
- Which practitioner you would prefer (otherwise we will assume either will work)
- "%20" equals a space (e.g. "http://www.emeraldvine.net/accounts/view/kiyoshi%20akidau/" will mean that the username is "kiyoshi akidau").
- "%40" equals an "@" (e.g. "http://www.emeraldvine.net/accounts/view/kiyoshi%40emeraldvine.net/" will mean that the username is "kiyoshi@emeraldvine.net")
- “%21” equals an “!” (e.g. "http://www.emeraldvine.net/accounts/view/kiyoshi%21/" will mean that the username is "kiyoshi!")
- This deal is for new clients only (meaning new to Emerald Vine Massage, not new clients to a particular therapist).
- The second, half-priced massage must be redeemed within two months of the initial visit, by date, and is nontransferable and not redeemable on the same day as the initial visit.
- This deal may not be combined with any other offer or used in conjunction with insurance-covered visits. It is valid for all therapist and you are not required to see the same person for both visits.
- This deal works for, both, 60 and 90 minute appointments. If you wish to extend your second, complimentary massage (i.e. from a 60 minute to 90 minute), you can do so by paying the price difference. If you are purchasing a gift certificate for a new client and this special is in effect, they are eligible to receive their second massage free.
- If a client schedules an appointment within one week of their last visit, they will receive $10 off their upcoming visit.
- If they schedule an appointment within four weeks of their last visit, they will receive $5 off their upcoming visit.
- Redemption of this deal is strict according to date.
- This deal may not be combined with any other offer, may not be used with insurance-covered visits, and is nontransferable.
- If you wish to make the purchase in person, you can do so when you come in for an appointment, yourself, or, given enough warning, hash out a time someone will be able to meet with you to complete the transaction.
- If you don’t require interacting with a person, you can give us the necessary information (the receivers name, the giver’s name, the amount you wish it to be for), and we can either leave in our waiting room for you to pick up at your convenience during an agreed window of time (to insure that we will actually be open) or, if you include the recipient's address, we can mail it to him/her. In this case, you would have to drop off or mail us payment for the certificate.
- If you don’t have time to do any of these options because you need something immediately, the best thing to do is to just forgo the physical certificate and, instead, give the recipient a sealed envelope with a check enclosed - which can be presented to us when they come in for their appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Appointments/Account Management/Scheduling
What’s the best way to schedule an appointment?
The best way to schedule an appointment is online at http://www.emeraldvine.net/appts/. It’s up-to-date, immediate, and can also be used to schedule same-day appointments up to 75 minutes before your desired start time (assuming the desired appointment time is still available). Since we do not have a receptionist, if you try to schedule via phone it is likely you will end up playing phone tag with us, and the appointment time you want may end up going to someone else booking online. Also, by scheduling online, you will have access to your user account, where you can manage your appointments and account information, as well as book future appointments.
Do you have a wait list?
While there is currently no way to join a wait list online, you are welcome to email us at massage@emeraldvine.net if you wish to be informed if/when your desired time/day open up. When contacting us, be sure to let us know:
You may also call us to request being waitlisted, but keep in mind that, not having a receptionist, this is typically a slower way of getting your request in.
How do I reset my password?
You can reset your password from the login page, which you can access by clicking on the “Login to your account” link in the upper right portion of our webpage menu. Once there, scroll down to the “Reset password” section. You will need your username to reset your password, so if you’ve forgotten it, see "How Can I Find My Username?" below.
How can I find my username?
You can find your username by viewing the link to your account page (which you can find on any old appointment confirmation or reminder email). It will be the last part of the link (e.g. the account link "http://www.emeraldvine.net/accounts/view/kiyoshi/" will mean that the username is "kiyoshi"). Occasionally you will see a % sign followed by some numbers oddly placed in the username section. This indicates that some sort of special character or space is in your username that had to be encoded for the account URL to be valid. Some examples are:
A more complete list of URL character encodings may be found here. I apologize that this is confusing and odd, so please feel free to email us if you are having problems deciphering your username.
What is your cancellation policy?
We require at least 24-hours notice to cancel or change appointments, otherwise charges will be made for the time reserved. If you are using insurance, they will not cover a missed appointment, so you will be required to pay for it personally. If you are feeling ill or there is an emergency of some kind, please let us know as soon as possible and allowances may be made. You will often receive a reminder email two days before your appointment; as it is a courtesy, in the event that you do not receive a reminder, you are still responsible for remembering your appointment time. If you are late for your appointment, we will do what we can to give you the best massage possible within the remaining time scheduled for your session.
How do I cancel/change an appointment?
If you created an account online prior to booking the appointment (even if you, perhaps, booked this particular appointment in-person or over the phone), you can manage your appointments online by logging in, visiting your account page (in the top right of our website menu), scrolling down to the “calendar” section, and clicking the "cancel" button next to the appointment you wish to let go. You can then reschedule your appointment, if you wish, by visiting our appointment page and booking a new time, day, or length of massage. If, however, you have never created an online account, you will have to email or call us to cancel/change your appointment.
How do I update my account information and/or change my password?
This can be done by logging in to your account and visiting your account page - by clicking on your name in the top right top of our webpage menu once you’ve logged in. Scroll down to the “client information” section and click “edit” to make changes.
Do you do additional length appointments (e.g. 2 hour, 1/2 hour)?
No. We only offer 60 and 90 minute minute appointments. Part of the reason we keep limited to these options is because we like to make our day as efficient as possible and, by the nature of offering more than one choice, we end up with odd gaps between appointments. By limiting the number choices, we limit the incidence of these gaps.
Facilities
How do I find out the door code?
The door code is given out once you’ve made an appointment. It will be mentioned in two places. First, when you confirm your appointment pages, it will take you to a “receipt” page, where you will find the code, along with some details about parking, paperwork, and our location. Second, it will be included when you receive a confirmation email that your appointment has been booked.
Are you wheelchair accessible
While there is only one step up to get into our entrance and the upstairs portion of our space (which has one of the treatment rooms), there is a short flight of stairs into the downstairs, which houses the waiting room, restroom, and an additional treatment room. Clients who are able to walk, but are worried about stairs are encouraged to contact us in advance so we can make sure the upstairs treatment room is available. There is a single chair in the entryway that can be used in lieu of the waiting room, but if the bathroom facilities are needed, that would still pose a bit of a problem for folks.
Do you have parking?
While we do not have our own parking, there is nearby street parking available. The street parking in the area is largely all-day parking so, depending on the day and time, there may be some competition from folks working in Fremont. There is, however, one two-hour spot directly in front of the building. Also, the further west and/or north you get from us, the easier it tends to be to find a spot. Be certain to allow yourself plenty of time to find a place to park to ensure that you don’t lose part of your allotted massage time to the search.
Insurance
Do you take insurance?
Yes, we are providers for many insurance plans; though Shaina is a preferred provider for more plans than Jaclyn, so please be sure that the provider you sign up for can accept your specific insurance plan. To view the specific insurance plans that are accepted by Shaina and Jaclyn individually, you can either visit the insurance section of the Appointments Page or check out their profiles under the Therapists Page (Shaina & Jaclyn). To find out if you have out-of-network coverage, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card.
Do you take Regence/Uniform?
No. We have tried multiple times to become a preferred provider for Regence over the years, but were told that they have a wait list for new providers in our area going back 10 years. Apparently we are on that wait list, but new spots do not free up unless current Regence providers report retirement.
Some of our signage states that we take Uniform; but they were created before the switch-over at the end of 2010. We used to take Uniform and attempted, again, to become Regence providers after Regence bought out that contract, but to no success. If you are finding it difficult to find a preferred provider who takes Regence because of their lack of allowing new providers, it is not inappropriate to contact Regence and/or your HR department to encourage them to open their doors.
Do you take (still) Aetna?
We currently are not accepting any new clients who have massage coverage through Aetna, pending an investigation into a problem with their billing department and a state-wide issue with contracted rates not being paid in full. We're doing our best to reach resolution (which is a very slow process) but there is a possibility that, if resolution can not be reached, we will discontinue being providers for Aetna entirely.
Does my insurance plan cover massage?
It depends on the insurance provider and individual plan you have. If you plan on using insurance, please note that you are responsible for verifying your coverage, as well as supplying a prescription for treatment if your plan so requires. For your convenience, we have an Insurance Verification PDF that you can use as a guide of what questions may be helpful to ask when calling your insurance company. Even if I am not a preferred provider under your insurance, your plan may have out-of-network coverage (in which case you can submit your own claims for reimbursement), so it may be helpful to see if that's an option. If your insurance does not cover your massage appointment, you will be responsible for payment at the time of service.
What length of massage will my insurance plan pay for?
Insurance will only cover 60 minute massages. Some clients wish to extend their appointment to 90 minutes and pay the difference themselves, in addition to the copay or deductible.
While booking a massage, I received a notice that a particular therapist does not accept my insurance. What does this mean?
When you've reached the "confirm details" portion while booking a massage online, you may run into a notice that states "NOTE: [therapist name] cannot currently accept your specified insurance." If you were not planning on using your insurance, you can ignore the message and continue booking your appointment. If you are unsure if Shaina or Jaclyn take your insurance, please take a look at our "Do you take insurance?" FAQ entry. If you are an existing client that has previously seen us under your Aetna plan, please take a look at our "Do you (still) take Aetna?" FAQ entry.
Specials/Payment/Gift Certificates
What are the details of the buy-one-get-one-half-off special?
What are the details of the loyalty/frequency specials?
Are you still doing the buy-one-get-one free deal?
-
No, this deal expired on 8/10/11 and was replaced with a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal for new clients (BOHO). New clients who had their initial visit prior to 8/10/11 still have until two months after their initial visit to redeem their second free massage if they present a coupon or business card featuring the deal.
Do you sell gift certificates?
Yes we do. However, since we only accept cash or check and do not have a receptionist, this can make things a bit tricky. There are several options to get around these obstacles.
What kind of payment do you accept?
We currently only accept cash or check. In the unfortunate event that a bad check is written, the client will be responsible for paying the bank fee in addition to original amount due. If you write a bad check, you will be responsible for paying the bank's "returned check" fee in addition to the original cost.
Can I extend the length of my discounted / gift certificate visit?
Sure. You're welcome to upgrade the length of your visit by simply paying the difference in cost.
Massage Session
What style of massage do you offer?
You can find out about our individual massage therapists’ style on our Therapists page.
Do you do pregnancy massage?
Yes. Both Shaina and Jaclyn have been trained in pregnancy massage. If possible, please call or email and give us a heads up before your appointment to let us know how far along you are; that way we can make sure that the proper bolstering preparations are set up in advance.
What should I bring to my appointment?
Bring cash or check, as we do not accept credit card payments. Bring your completed paperwork (found on our appointment page under “Intake Forms:” http://www.emeraldvine.net/appts/) or arrive early to complete the paperwork in the office (found on the coffee table in the waiting room). If you plan on using insurance, bring your insurance card and, if required, a prescription. Optionally, some clients enjoy bringing their iPod or a favorite CD to listen to while they receive their massage.
What do I wear on the massage table?
This is perfectly dependant on your individual comfort level. Some folks wear nothing and some choose to leave on their underwear. For those that wear nothing, rest assured that your privacy is insured by a sheet and careful draping. Often times, clients that would benefit from glute work will forgo underwear so that more a specific and extensive treatment can be carried out effectively. Whatever your preference is, we will work around it, so do what feels best for you.
Misc
I heard Shaina had a baby; how is this going to change her availability?
