Ms. Borgman

Spas, Health & Fitness

Hotel Spas: The Guest Host Program

By Peggy Borgman, President, Preston Wynne, Inc.

These changes were driven by higher expectations on the part of customers. Spas, promising experiences of bliss, nirvana, heaven and sanctuary, had to make sure that this happy hallucination wasn't rudely interrupted by poor service at the front desk.

Today's spa guest is even more demanding. And today's spa competition is much more fierce. It is no longer possible to differentiate your spa's customer service with efficient, friendly support staff. Fielding a capable team is simply the price of entry into the increasingly high-stakes spa game. Many spas have already specialized their teams, separating the reservations function from the front desk. Spas have also separated checkout from checkin desks, permitting a less harried feeling when customers are departing.

Continuous improvements in effectiveness, product knowledge, and technical skills also help. But to really differentiate, you need to turn your customer service into a "treatment."

Support teams in spas are typically designed around the spa's work flow needs. Checking a guest in and out, scheduling appointments, and other activities drive the design of most teams. But an ideal customer experience would actually include none of these activities! These pieces of the spa visit are where the "real world" collides with the fantasy.

The most important element of these interactions is the opportunity for a client to feel valued and to experience a sense of belonging or connection with your spa. That sense of belonging can blossom into loyalty. This is our most important goal: customer loyalty is a key driver of profitability in a service business. Excellent service indirectly helps foster these warm and fuzzy feelings. But we took it a step further.

The Guest Host program premiered in our spa about a year ago. The Host is a dedicated position, a specialty. A Host's job is to ensure, as much as possible, that a bond of loyalty is formed between our new guests and our spa. The Host shepherds the guest through their first three appointments at the spa, or until the guest has made those important connections and forged a loyalty with us.

The courtship begins with the first visit, when the Host conducts an informal consultation with the new guest. She finds out about their interests and needs, and helps make sure they're having the right treatment. For example, a new guest who schedules a Swedish-Esalen style massage but really needs the Deep Tissue modality to address her problems may leave our spa disappointed. If we simply "fill the order" for the Swedish massage, she may never discover that a more effective and satisfying treatment is available. (Our reservationists are also responsible for ensuring a good fit, but it's not always possible to do in-depth consultations during peak phone traffic periods.)

The Guest Host also makes sure the guest has a complete tour of the facility. For example, our facilities are intimate in scale, and our resources, such as showers and lounges, are limited in size. We actually schedule time for clients to use these resources in order to prevent traffic jams during peak usage. During the tour, the Host explains how to ensure that these amenities will be available when the guest wants to use them, letting them know to request them when scheduling. Helping a guest avert even a seemingly minor disappointment can mean the difference between loyalty and willingness to visit your competitor. Guests also need to see and understand how to use your amenities. Simply mentioning them in your brochure doesn't make them real to your clients. And not all guests schedule appointments that expose them to everything you have to offer; the Guest Host can make sure that your spa is presented in the best possible light. Some clients are shy and won't explore your facility unless invited. The Tour is an important element of the introduction.

Following their appointment, the Host checks in with the guest to ensure that the services met their needs and expectations. It's nearly impossible to tell the massage therapist that just labored over you for an hour that you weren't crazy about her style, but a friendly and solicitous person who knows a bit about your tastes and expectations can be a confidante. The Host's solution here is to reschedule the new guest with someone whose style is more appropriate and provide them with a strong incentive to return, such as an upgrade, a discount, or even a complimentary service if they want to return with a friend.

The Host also ensures that the therapists' home care recommendations are reviewed with the guest. She presents these as part of a New Guest Welcome Portfolio, which also includes some perks and goodies, as well as a copy of Spa magazine and gift certificates from other local businesses. A $50 hair color gift certificate from an outstanding adjacent salon is an impressive perk in this portfolio.

She describes the advantages of purchasing treatments in a series to enjoy discounts, and talks about how to benefit from our Frequent Guest program. In short, the Host gives a thorough, focused New Guest introduction to our spa.

The Host also follows up with guests after their departure. She asks permission to check in with them to review the outcome of their services. For example, the client won't be able to fully assess the benefits of the facial treatment for a couple of days. Asking them what they think of the service immediately afterward isn't an accurate gauge of their satisfaction. So the Host will give them a call. Guests are dazzled by this follow up.

The Guest Host fulfills other functions on the support team, including backup for the concierge and reservations team, and assistance with special events and internal marketing activities. But her mission and passion is forging close relationships with our new guests, so she can't be allowed to be sucked into the busy workflow of the support team. More than one employee must serve in the Guest Host position in order to ensure optimum coverage.

The feedback has been tremendous. Guests are amazed at the amount of time and attention they receive. The special focus has created some surprising moments for us, too. Perhaps the most memorable occurred when a couple dropped in one Sunday to see what services we offered. The Host was available and provided them with the same tour and consultation she did for all her new guests, even though they didn't have appointments.

It turned out that the husband had brought his wife, who was in her final stage of terminal cancer, to the spa in hopes of setting up some appointments to ease her last weeks. This isn't something he could have shared at a busy front desk, nor would he have thought to! The three of them sat together and planned out her special program. The trust and confidence created by the Host provided an environment in which the spa experience took on greater meaning for everyone involved. Our entire staff was touched by their story, and it reminded us all profoundly why we do what we do.

We consult with spas every week that are wondering which new services they should add to their menu to entice more guests. They're worried about competition and experimenting with new trends in equipment and products. We think that turning our customer service into a "treatment" will deliver a far greater return. The Guest Host Program is a way to provide focus and personal attention in the support function that guests enjoy with their spa therapists. Our Guest Hosts make the connection, and our business, stronger.

Peggy Wynne Borgman is President and founder of Preston Wynne, Inc., which operates day and hotel spas as well as Preston Wynne Success Systems, a spa consultancy and training organization. PWSS seminars train management employees for the top tier of the international hospitality industry, as well as independent salons and spas throughout the US and Canada. Ms. Borgman is a frequent speaker at events such as the IESC and ISPA conferences and author of Four Seasons of Inner and Outer Beauty (Random House). Ms. Borgman can be contacted at (408) 741-1750 ext 30 or pwb@prestonwynne.com Extended Bio...

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