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Your Spa is Losing Thousands from Treatments-Here’s How I Know

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Recently, I’ve received several e-mails from spa managers who’ve expressed interest in retail training. Their retail area is well appointed and the products well chosen.  They ask how would I determine the training needs of their therapists. They ask what metrics I use to measure the skill of their team. 

That’s an easy one.

When a therapist is fully engaged with a guest, interacting and listening attentively, there are results that are undeniable. Like how much product is being sold.

So although I don’t have a peephole at my disposal, as a former therapist and top seller,  I have the benefit of actual treatment room experience and know the outcome of a good guest experience.

Here are the first questions I’ll asked to measure therapist engagement and effectiveness:

Was the treatment enhanced?  

A good customer consultation often indicates that treatment enhancements are in order. They are an easy way to customize a treatment and specifically target problem areas. Enhancements are a great way to boost results and customer experience. They are an organic lead-in to home care product recommendations.

As an esthetician it was not unusual for me to add enhancements to 70% of my facials.

Was service upselling or cross-selling done?

Guests tend to select treatments that they are familiar with, not necessarily the ones which are best suited for their needs. Confident therapists use their expertise to recommend the treatment which will address the issue most efficiently. They also stay alert for opportunities to offer additional services. For example, guests with dry skin from sun exposure may also have dry hair or nails- a chance to cross-sell salon treatments.

When spa/salon employees work as an entire team,  cross-selling should be a mode of operation to provide a total guest experience.

Did the guest leave with home care products?

In the afore-mentioned situations, home care recommendations are an extension of service and part of all treatments.

The likelihood is great that if a guest upgrades their service they will also purchase home care. When they add an additional treatment the opportunity for product recommendation is increased two-fold.

If your therapists are skilled at engagement, they should never have to sell. Recommendations should occur naturally and organically in their guest conversation starting with the consultation.

Did the guest reschedule? (or recommend a friend)

People return to what they enjoy most. If your guest retention is low, this could be a strong indication that your therapist’s engagement could be higher.

Want more information? Connect with me at Linda@MoontideConsulting.com

Linda Harding-Bond
Linda Harding-Bond is shifting the paradigm on spa retail training. Her Express Online Retail Training Course is exactly what's needed for post-COVID-19 spa re-openings. Designed to bring your therapists' retail skills up to speed, it will quickly position retail as a robust alternate revenue stream. Linda has provided training for many world-class organizations including The Oberoi Group, St. Regis Hotel, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels, The Resort at Pedregal, GoldenEye Resort and Spa and Six Senses Resorts. She is author of "Listen, Engage, Sell!: The Foolproof Method for Increasing Spa Sales in 7 Days or Less" and "The New Esthy Handbook: an Essential Guide for Novice or Nervous Estheticians". Connect with her at Linda@Moontideconsulting.com .
Linda Harding-Bond

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