Is Your Spa Good Enough for Your Family?
When I first met Khun Kate we hit it off right away. She had just opened her anti-aging clinic in Bangkok around the same time that I’d launched my online retail training class. We spent two hours bonding over the topics of favorite vacations spots, anti-aging treatments and perfect customer service.
Her personal story was interesting and glamorous; she began her career in design and production control for very high end Italian fashion brands. After 17 years she needed to shift gears. The beauty industry was a natural fit as it is imperative to look good in order to be highly successful in the fashion world.
As Kate researched career options in beauty and became interested in a wider range of spa treatments, she found it challenging to find knowledgeable experts who could answer her questions. She wanted somewhere that she could go but also a place that she would feel comfortable sending her friends and family members. . She wanted to feel secure that they would receive impeccable caring service.
Not finding exactly what she needed was the motivation to open her own clinic. In this way she could control the level of training and quality of her customer’s experience.
She invited me to have a treatment and I did. I wanted to see the difference in customer service at her establishment and spas I’d visited across Asia and the U.S.
Here’s what I found; Kate takes each customer’s visit personally. She is genuinely delighted when they walk through her doors. I watched as she greeted each one and spent a moment to confirm that the treatment was correct for what they wanted to resolve. The clients who had questions or seemed unsure, she took to a private area for another consultation. It was important to her that they received the treatment which would provide the best results.
Even though most of her staff does not speak fluent English, her assistant does. Kate feels that communication is important to put customers at ease. I agree with her.
Kate’s assistant checks on the comfort of the guest once they are in the room, prior to the service. She is the “hand holder” and liaison between the guest and therapist and Kate. At the end of the service she provides information on home care and makes product recommendations. She offers reassurance if needed and contact information in case questions should arise later. At no point during my service did I feel isolated. In fact I felt like a celebrity.
This is the type of customer experience that I want for my family. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
So when was the last time that you or your senior manager brought a loved one to your spa?
Linda Harding-Bond
