TJ

Well.......I started this thread and I'm glad to see some response to it. I am just a salon owner who has been in the tanning business for over 9 years and my wife has been in the skin care business much longer. All I'm saying is that I was led to believe by an RAI rep that the national advertising was in place and if I got in on the ground floor, I would have a devise that would eliminate my slow season in my tanning business. That was the selling point. I was never told that I would have to spend the biggest part of my time promoting and selling the thing. I have three salons and with this business being as slow as it has been for the last few years, I have to spend much more of my time running the salons than I used to. I'm not in a position to invest all of my time and money in to lumiere. If I had been told that I would need to do that, I wouldn't have bought the machine. I am *******and moaning because I was mislesd. S*** does happen but I feel that the the people who created the **** should do something to help the people who have gotten themselves into financial problems over this divice. I'm not alone here. I personaly know another owner of the divice who feels the same way I do. We know what we were told and we know what we got from RAI after we signed the papers. In the beginning, the company was all about helping tanning salons eliminate the slow season. But now I feel the company has become all about selling the machine. Oh yeah, that brings another point of interest to mind. Iwas also told that RAI would never sell to Franchises. Well, guess what? I heard that Planet Beach bought 30 units at the Las Vegas Tanning show Last summer. Guess what? I have a Planet Beach right up the street from me.

how’s $60,000.00 in sales in the first 12 months and the last three have all been over $9,000.00 with Jan. finishing up at $12,000.00 (Again, feel free to come to my salon, you can look at my books if you wish.

That sounds great. Although I'm way to busy to come to your salon, maybe you can tell us a few things.

1- Where are you located?
2- What kind of a salon are we taling about?
(are you a tanning salon elimitating your slow season
or a stand alone store front)
3- How much money are you spending on advertising?
4- How much time are you spending promoting lumiere?
5- What are you netting after expenses?
6- As a rep.........what did you pay for the units
7- Are you still in the tanning business?

I only wish we could hear some success stories from regular tanning salon owners in small town USA who have eliminated their slow seasons and still operate a tanning salon.

mikeytan

I feel for those salon owners that purchased the Lumiere device expecting to make great returns. I believe it is a great add on in the right market and an established salon that has the income to invest in advertising can make it work. We were very interested in placing this device but were realistic in what it would take to bring customers into our salon and use it. We knew we just didn't have the $30,000 for the machine and an additional $30,000 for advertising.

I think House of Tan has the perfect market for this unit and the right set up. Although I believe he is spending a good deal of time and money to market this.

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Tan Talker

Hot, No offense taken from me. TJ brought up a good point, the PB across the street from us just got the Lumiere and we are in a small town with a very saturated tanning industry and a very saturated skin care industry also.

With all of this competion for tanners, who are a very limited % of the population and now another skin care alternative mixed in with the skin care only franchises in our area you have to fight for every customer and it cuts into everyone's purse strings.

I guess that is the American way of capitalism though, but eventually someone's not going to make it. Nice debate though. The original topic was making money and HOT is, some aren't and everyone else has to do the research based on their specific demographics and hope for the best.

Success to all,
Jim

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House of Tan

on #3 we always get a positive return on our advertising investments.
on #7 we can make more $ with less work selling and promoting Lumiere
on #2 if I had an upper-end tanning salon with foot traffic of 200+people a day I could be doing over 30k a month in Lumiere. [Off the top of my head, I can think of over 10 salons (chains, franchises, or singles) that are doing great (some better than I)
on #1 the mid west is not the best market for Lumiere right now, but I do fine.

Some salons are making a killing with Lumiere some are not. If you are like me and have seen the tanning market shrink like crazy since '98-'99 and want to go off in another direction or just add another revenue source (AND HAVE THE TIME AND RESOURCES TO DEDICATE TO IT), Lumiere can be very good to your bottom line.

Remember I can support an entire salon on one machine, can that be done with a tanning bed.

CLUBTAN1 - Sorry.

Mr. B - I have tried.

Best of luck to everyone no matter what direction you go.

I never want to see anyone fail.

“It took a few capitalist to show the communist how the shrink the middle class.”

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TJ

[Off the top of my head, I can think of over 10 salons (chains, franchises, or singles) that are doing great (some better than I)

That's great. Are any of them in the mid west?

the mid west is not the best market for Lumiere right now, but I do fine.

Well then why did RAI continue to sell lumiere machines to salons in the mid west as their savior to a three year slump in the industry. As a way to ELIMINATE YOUR SLOW SEASON!!!!!!. That was their sales pitch.

Ray Mead told me that I " had expressed discontent regarding promised national advertising campaigns for efforts in media relations" BULL CRAP !!!! I didn't misunderstand anything. I was lied to. My list of unhappy purchasers is growing and I think Raymond Anthony International needs to help make things right with them. We were all told that the campaign was already in motion and that by getting in on the ground floor, we would be the ones who would profit the most from this $30,000 pruchase. I don't have investors behind me and I'm not independantly wealthy. A company with this much faith in their divice should have test marketed in all areas of the country and sold where it would be an asset to a business instead of a liability.

All I wanted from this thread was to hear from some salon owners (in areas other than LA, Las Vegas and Miami ) that were making money with lumiere in the setting that it was sold to them under. Not an entirely different business.

A tanning salon ad on that would eliminate there slow season.

Well, so far I haven't heard from anyone.

House of Tan

"All I wanted from this thread was to hear from some salon owners (in areas other than LA, Las Vegas and Miami ) that were making money with lumiere in the setting that it was sold to them under. Not an entirely different business."

1.) A salon in Branson MO. is doing great, btw Branson has a population of like 6,050 people. If they can make it anyone can. I sold the device and trained them, their staff was attentive and asked many questions; now they are doing good with Lumiere.

What is the population of your town?

2.) Dekalb, IL - Another salon doing good

There are more than just 10 in the midwest that are doing good. I only know PERSONALY (not hearsay) of ten that are kickin butt. I am just one rep of several for the United States.

"an asset to a business instead of a liability."
Well then make it an asset, or do you have to have someone do it for you?


I am tring to be nice (clubtan1).


"the mid west is not the best market for Lumiere right now, but I do fine.

Well then why did RAI continue to sell lumiere machines to salons in the mid west as their savior to a three year slump in the industry. As a way to ELIMINATE YOUR SLOW SEASON!!!!!!. That was their sales pitch."

"not the best" does not mean "not a good"

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TJ

A salon in Branson MO. is doing great

Dekalb, IL - Another salon doing good

Could I please have their contact information? I'd like to talk to them personally.

What is the population of your town?

Way more than 6,050. That's why I'd like to talk to them.

Well then make it an asset, or do you have to have someone do it for you?

I don't have to have someone else do it for me. I just need the help that I was promised before I signed the dotted line. I had a lot of encouragement and motivational help when I had an area rep. Since the rep that sold me the machine isn't a rep any more, I don't hear from anyone. The new area rep in Ft. Wayne called me once after I complained to the home office and I haven't heard from him since. I think that might have been you. :-)

I'm not trying to be mean, and I'm sorry you are having to try to be nice. It's too bad that you have to try and defend a company that made a lot of false promises to a lot of people. I'm sure you have all the support anyone could ask for since you have purchased so many machines from them. That's what they are all about now. Selling the machines. I'm not alone here. I thought maybe I had a misunderstanding for a while. I've come to find out in the last couple of weeks that I have a lot of company.

By the way. How can you spend all of your time promoting your business when you are a Lumiere Rep for RAI? The other rep was on the road all the time trying to sell more epuipment and taking care of her existing clients. Just wondering.

Hey Mike, I'm sure lumiere will do as much for her as any other procedure. The thing really does work. I've never denied that. If you have her contact information, let me know. I need to sell a package. I have another payment coming up.

House of Tan

Are you in Michigan?
Was your Rep. Jenny?

She was my rep also, and a good one, no doubt there.

I remember calling you, but you are not actually in my territory (I cover Indiana and ILL.)

I send about 4 hours a day as a rep, and about 5 hours a day on my store, the other 3-4 hours of my work day are spent on my other business.

I wanted to work with you, but you fall under another rep. However, I have no problem working with you over the phone if you wish.

Sorry for the harshness, I just get very mad when salon owners give up on this.

Remember I TOO WAS PROMISED national advertising and PR. Yea, it does suck that we don't have it yet, but we (you, I, ohter) salons can make it happen on our own in our respective market.

Belive me, I have NEVER made any promisses of national PR when selling a device.

My appologies for my rude response. PM me with your phone # and I can get you the contact info for these other salons (after I get their permission)

And yes...I am in Fort Wayne IN (POP. of 220,000)

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TJ

Yes, that's me. Who is the rep in Michigan? I'm glad you are doing well with this. It just seems like I should have gotten a response from at least one person besides an RAI rep who is doing well. :-)

House of Tan

Those that are doing well are not talking for a reason. Trust me, I wish they would talk.

Please PM me and I will send you a link to private forum I started to discuss ideas concerning Lumiere. It has help a few out. It is by inventation only, so I need your E-mail addy. I can also send you names and numbers of other salon owners w/Lumiere as well.

Your Rep. is Al, but I have not heard him on the weekly sales call(s) in a long time; maybe he is not with us anymore???

Remember, I was an owner LONG before I was a rep. I rep for RAI because, I love Lumiere and the results that it produces. Call Corporate and ask if Al still works for RAI and if he does not, maybe you can request that I become your rep.

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