Does Your Spa Service Suck?
Last week I traveled to the Middle East to discuss spa training and increasing retail sales with a well-known resort company. I was impressed by the opulence and beauty of their spa, it was the type of place designed for indulging in luxurious treatments all day long with your girlfriends.
What I found most interesting however was the passion of the senior executives to provide a level of service which 
matched the elegance and appointments of the facility. There was no doubt in their mind exactly who their clientele was and who they wanted to attract. They stated that since their customers were affluent, global citizens of various ethnicities, it was imperative that their therapists have an understanding of a wide range of skin types. This, in their minds was fundamental and non-negotiable.
They said, armed with this information along with additional training in other areas, their staff would know the right questions to ask which would ensure that the proper treatments were administered to their guests.
After beating the drum for so long on this topic I found myself doing mental cartwheels and hand flips!
Many companies are spending millions of dollars in marketing campaigns to attract new clients to their spas. More money is spent creating new treatments and fantastical service offerings. Rarely is attention or training given to the communication which should be taking place between the therapists and customers. It’s what constitutes the foundation of a good customer experience.
So why does it often suck? How is this missed?
I believe that those organizations which provide the best service will become (o
r remain) market leaders; the organizations that don’t will fail to gain momentum and will lose their market share. Period.
For senior management this may mean having a broader perspective which focuses on the real needs and desires of the global spa customer. What does this mean? As rapper 50 Cent would say “If you don’t know, you betta ask somebody”!
Linda Harding Bond is President of Moontide Consulting. Follow her on Twitter @Lindaskindiva
Linda Harding-Bond
