The massage I got here was really terrible. My therapist stank of cigarette smoke and as he was touching me I could feel how exhausted and sick of things he was. It's amazing how you can communicate how much you hate your job through touch alone.
As it turns out they really give their employees the runaround here, with very high turnover rates due to dissatisfaction with working environment. It's a massage mill, located in a dingy and creepy strip mall. It made me nervous being there at night.
Also they try to trap you by making you buy "packages" and all but forcing you to become a "member" (read: pay a lot more in the long run). The very low price per massage is basically a scam. The employee loses by cutting into his/her tips with supposedly bargain basement prices that mean they work for very little in the end, the customer loses because they get a crappy massage, and the company wins because they pocket the cash from each terrible experience. Their repeat clientele are doubtless those who simply don't know any better or who have never had a massage from someone who is really caring and enjoys their work.
For me, it's worth it to pay more for a single massage I know I'll enjoy than it is to pay a little bit for a poor one. There is something about being touched by an angry employee that makes you want to go anyplace but Massage Envy to relax.