Best Spa Practices. By Leslie Lyon Thursday, 10th May 2007

Spas are hot and are mushrooming everywhere globally; from top notch luxury hotels to the individual entrepreneurs with their own edge and uniqueness.

However operating a spa is a different game, it requires knowledge and at the end of the day you're in business....

Below a number of valuable tips to get the most out of your spa!

Monitor Top 3 Priorities
Staffing - Maintain a deep pool of talent with ongoing recruiting, evaluations and fine-tuning.
 
Finances - Compare service and retail projections to actuals - weekly, monthly and annually.
 
Customer Attraction - Graph your seasonality - always plan campaigns two months in advance of slow times, ie. Print Christmas brochure with January specials.

Involve & Evolve Staff
Share business pitfalls and win falls; train in advance of all promos and intros; staff write their own Job Descriptions; ask what they need to succeed; don't set them up for failure by not giving them the tools; endorse deliberate development.

Develop & Envelop Clients
Evaluate and refresh "Service Opportunities" often; tell clients what you SEE & HAVE; always pre-book next visit; get VIP's in for promos first; promote "programmed" skin care; set goals; get their permission to educate- recommendations become service extensions, not a sales.

Watch the Trends
Stay progressive by understanding globalization, current technological revolution, economic changes, environmental concerns, customer priorities, staff demands.

Know your Competition
Know their 4 P's - Price, product, promotions and placement. Never copy or steal from them, keep your business ethics in tact, be "faster paced", not "fear based". When they yin, you yang.

Manage the Money
Promote high margin services only; sell services that generate retail; adjust staff commissions if discounting; up charge spa packages; pay staff based on performance; up-sell service add-ons; cross-sell aggressively; use perceived value to increase prices; control staff usage.

Be a Leader with Presence
Walk the floor; get involved; one on ones; recognize accomplishments publicly; know what each staff hold important; teach something to your staff daily; learn something from your staff daily; encourage them to do the same; reward good behaviours.

Think it, Ink it, Get it Signed
Show you mean business by having your staff sign an Offer of Employment; Probationary Agreement; Spa Policies, Behavioural Conducts; Service Procedures; Job Descriptions; Evaluations; Compensation Packages; Privacy and Non-Compete Agreements.

Get Online
The visit or phone call to your spa earlier, may prompt an online purchase or booking later; Spa goers visiting your city find out about you; email programs and campaigns take almost no time or money; shows you are on the fast track, not the extinction list!

Take care of You
Be self-ish, not selfish. Your ability to shed a positive light will be the single most important thing you do.

Spas2b is a full-service Spa Development, Consulting and Training company based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Spas2b draws on the extensive experience of its President, Leslie Lyon. Leslie has evolved with the Health and Beauty Industry for more than 30 years and has participated in many aspects of the Spa trade. An Aesthetician and Electrologist for 25 years, today Leslie enjoys her profession as an International Consultant, Educator, Key Note Speaker, Published Columnist and Freelance Writer. Over that period of time, Leslie has gained a reputation as a creatively inspired, conscientious industry professional.

www.spas2b.com