A prospective client, the manager at an iconic Five-Star hotel spa in the Maldives told me that she lives on pins and needles every year because her staff is extremely weak at selling retail products.
When I asked how she explains her revenue numbers to senior management, she said “I only do an end of year reporting. We have a very rich client who flies in on his plane from the UAE each December. He brings his entire family and they purchase everything on our shelves.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yet how many of us go to work each day with fingers crossed hoping for sales? When I first started out 19 years ago, that’s exactly what I was doing.
Well, there’s no need to be on pins and needles any longer.
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Despite the proliferation of introverts in the industry, old school methods of training are still being used in spas around the globe! This may be due in part because hospitality companies don’t often conduct personality assessments for their employees.
However, those of us who work in spas know that the serene atmosphere and mellow vibe tends to attract a more laid back soft spoken kind of person.
In the case of sales training, 99% of programs are designed for extroverts. Read More
Social media can be very powerful. A well positioned customer review can make or break a business. It can also elicit feelings of relating to the writer’s experience.
This week my friend Mark A. McKenney, a media consultant, posted the link to an article highlighting a woman’s birthday spa experience. It was published in Luxury Daily a leading trade publication.
Here is an excerpt:
“I am a mum of two young children and I am also client services director for an agency specializing in beauty, luxury and healthcare brands. So the time I spend in a day spa is at an absolute premium, carefully chosen based on trusted recommendations.
My expectations are high, but spas are everything that luxury should represent: immersion in a sensorial and physical environment that is a total escape for mind, body and soul.
However, my recent birthday visit to one of London’s hottest five-star day spas was distinctly lukewarm. Yes, there was beautiful interior design and excellent products. But all the little things that add up to make this an exceptional day out were absolutely wrong.
When luxury brand experiences rely 100 percent on attention to detail to elevate things to the extraordinary, this spa was not worth the five-star price tag.
Suffice it to say I did not leave as a brand ambassador. Things went awry from the moment I arrived and was greeted with the wrong customer’s booking details.
Then there was the couple next to me incessantly swiping smartphones in a no-mobile phone environment, the staff sounding like a training brochure recitation, and I was asked for payment as I was leaving even though the bill had already been settled.
It could have all been so different.
Pressing issues Let us start with the personnel. Throughout my stay, hospitality staff and therapists seemed to lack the empowerment necessary to deliver a great, personalized luxury brand experience.
My companion explicitly mentioned it was my birthday upon arrival, but it was never once acknowledged. A glass of bubbly or a gift of nicely wrapped samples has a minimal cost outlay, but could have paid huge dividends in terms of my brand loyalty and advocacy.
Staff members that are allowed to flex treatments and service rather than follow a set script are the difference between a competent and excellent customer experience.
There are thousands of beautifully designed spas and beauty products globally. Delivering an exquisite, personalized experience over and above a beautiful setting with some nice smells will be the only way to survive.”
By not revealing the name of the spa, Sara Jones, graciously gifted our industry with a teachable moment. As a hospitality professional what did you learn and how will you put it to use in 2016?
Every year from family and friends on I had to hear “I can’t believe you have to work tomorrow. I’m off the entire weekend!” they’d croon. I hated it. I knew that they would be in various stages of enjoyment of the day after the holiday; shopping, relaxing and eating more of those great tasting leftovers. I sighed. And went into the place where I worked, the spa. Read More
Here are five important facts about customers that all spa managers should be aware of. This will help to explain why it’s important to provide a great customer experience and avoid the bad.
As we come into the holiday season most spas will begin to experience an upturn in their customer bookings and overall sales. But is your staff delivering the kind of positive experience that will have your new customers craving more? Read More
There’s a lot of noise in the spa consulting marketplace today. Everyone has a product that they want you to buy. You sign up for various mailing lists to ensure that you receive their newest information first. But what about the 100 people on the list before you? Read More
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. Read More
As reported by Skin Inc magazine, The International Spa Association (ISPA) released its annual 2015 U.S. Spa Industry Study yesterday, covering details about the industry’s growth statistics, a picture of U.S. spa facilities and treatments, and a profile of the spa industry.
The study is jam-packed with in-depth insight about the spa industry over the past year—including the fact that total industry revenue has well surpassed the $15 billion mark—but we are highlighting six key takeaways that stand out.
1. Employment in the spa industry stands at record level.
Employment in the spa industry is estimated to be at 360,000 as of May 2015, which is a 2.9% increase (more than 10,000 new jobs) over the same time last year.
Increasing staffing levels was strongest among day spas—48% said they increased employment levels.
Although both full- and part-time positions rose, the number of independent contractor positions fell by 6.5%. ISPA notes this reduction has been occurring yearly since 2010.
2. Individual spa establishments are making more money.
The average revenue for a single spa location has risen to $749,000 in 2014, which is an increase of 2.9% from the prior year.
3. Spas’ marketing tactics are attracting clients
Total spa visits were 6.7% higher in 2014 than the year before. And average visits per spa rose 4.3% (8,500) from 2013 to 2014.
4. Revenue per spa visit has declined.
Despite a strong rise in spa visits, the amount of money spas are making on an average visit has dropped slightly by 1.3% from $89 in 2013 to $88 in 2014.
ISPA suggests this could be due to several factors, including: due to busy lifestyles, clients may be visiting more frequently, but choosing shorter treatments; spas introducing express treatments; discounting; and raising prices competitive marketplace proves challenging for spas.
5. Spa visits are being integrated as a staple of a healthy lifestyle.
ISPA asked survey respondents on what they believe the next trend to shape the industry will be, stating that trends related to wellness, health and fitness were the most frequently cited trends. One in two respondents mentioned one or more wellness-related trend.
6. Spas are building on this momentum.
When ISPA asked spas about their plans for 2015, most spas said they intended to take actions to enhance their business. A few things spas plan to add in 2015 include:
Tony is a veteran stylist who works in Philadelphia. He’s been in the beauty industry for over 20 years and consistently has the top retail sales in his salon. He’s tried to retire several times but his clients won’t let him. His client base, amazingly, ranges in age from 19-82! Read More
Despite the proliferation of introverts in the industry, old school methods of training are still being used in spas around the globe! This may be due in part because hospitality companies don’t often conduct personality assessments for their employees.
