You’re probably thinking “ok,” “yea, right,” so let’s be honest. You’re not going to go from a single treatment room to a destination resort overnight, but there are things that every spa and wellness professional can do to change their spa today and improve the client’s experience.
1. Your philosophy
The Four Seasons has a customer service philosophy. Seriously. Not “like a philosophy,” there’s actually a book that details their business philosophy and the values they used to create a legendary brand.
“The reason for our success is no secret. It comes down to one single principle that transcends time and geography, religion and culture. It’s the Golden Rule – the simple idea that if you treat people well, the way you would like to be treated, they will do the same.”
–Isadore Sharp–
Founder and Chairman, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
What do your customer service policies look like? Do they make sense? Do you have anything that several clients have complained about? Fix it now. Don’t let one more customer have a bad reaction and suffer the same pain points that previous clients have made you aware of.
2. Your process
Let’s start by accepting this will not be easy. If you’re not ready to hear that, this is probably a good time to stop reading this article. This is going to take mental heavy lifting. Whether you’re a student, new to the spa industry or consider yourself an experienced expert, it’s always a good time to reevaluate your process. We mean the process of everything. How you train your staff? When do you order backbar products? Order new sheets? Plan events? GET MORE CUSTOMERS!! We know it can be overwhelming. Take a deep breath – count to three. Ok, we’re back. The point is that if it makes sense to think about these things and they are important factors to the success of your business, you should probably spend some time thinking about them. If there is anything you do repeatedly, figure out a way to make it easier to replicate. A smart man once said, “beat the stupid out of the process.” Process takes planning. Without a plan you won’t have direction. It’s impossible to have consistent outcomes if you don’t document your process. Write things down! Make them better. Remember we told you this would take mental heavy lifting, but the benefit of streamlining your processes is that you free yourself of making the same decisions over and over again. You’re essentially making things easier for your future self. According to multiple sources on the internet, “the average amount of remotely conscious decisions an adult makes each day equals about 35,000.” You’ll thank us if you’re able to lower that number.
3. Your products
Is this where we tell you to buy ExPürtise? That is tempting, but no. But if you somehow choose to do that we’d really appreciate it. Back to your current products. Ask yourself, are you a retail superstar? Why not. Why? Let’s be clear – your clients are YOUR clients. When they’re in your treatment room, your waiting area, your website, they’re not Amazon’s customer. Your client is not simultaneously at Walmart, Nordstrom and your facial bed at the same time. Own your clients. This time is valuable and the products you use for treatments and retail should be improving this experience for both you and your client. And this doesn’t just apply to skincare. Everything you sell should delight and please your customer. Is there a “wow factor?” Are your products easy to sell? The reason to change your products is if this isn’t the case. It’s not that you can’t use the same products that you were trained on in esthetic school, but so can everyone else. That could be ok and maybe you don’t appreciate this advice, but this article is about change. So, it’s simple. It might be time to rethink your products if you don’t love them and your clients don’t buy them. If you are happy with your products, we recently wrote a different article for DERMASCOPE magazine that you might find helpful. It details how creating memorable spa experiences can help you offer a service that is truly unforgettable.
4. Your purpose
The why behind the wellness industry. Why did you become a spa professional? Why do any of us do what we do? Why do clients even visit spas? “Spa therapies have existed since the classical times when taking bath with water was considered as a popular means to treat illnesses.” People have been living the #spalife for many years and now the wellness industry is one of the fastest growing sectors, but we still haven’t answered why you’re here. Since you are present and if you work at a spa or own one, you need to know understand this is a service industry. You might have gotten into the spa industry for lots of different reasons, but that shouldn’t matter. You are here to serve. That is your purpose when you’re taking care of your client. Nothing else. Adjust your mindset and live to serve when you’re working in the spa.
5. Your people?
This is a difficult, but necessary topic to cover. If you’re a single practitioner, don’t worry and keep reading, this is good for you to hear too. You need the right people. Your business will ultimately suffer if you make mistakes in hiring and your reputation can evaporate if you allow problem employees to linger. Don’t hire out of desperation and don’t keep poor performing employees on staff out of fear of replacing them. It is not fun to terminate anyone’s employment and interviewing to fill open positions can be time consuming. Luckily, since you already read 3. Your process, you know we’re going to recommend that you have processes for your people. Not only how you hire and onboard, but also how you evaluate your team over time. You should schedule employee evaluations at least twice a year. This helps your people grow and develop their talents. Use these opportunities to give staff positive feedback and set expectations for what you want them to improve upon going forward. Make the evaluations constructive, but be blunt. You can’t expect an employee to alter a behavior if you don’t tell them to.
Remember time is cumulative. Start changing these five things in your spa now and maybe one day your spa will be the envy of the world. We’ll come visit.
