Ms. Olsen

Spas, Health & Fitness

How to Set Your Spa Apart From the Rest

By Casey Olsen, Owner, Spa Sources

Having "been there" in the beginning and having operated what was the largest spa in the world at 65,000 square feet, 42 massage rooms and 38 facial rooms, it was tortured into my staff by me that service is our only mantra. No matter what the guest requests, we will do what ever they wish if it is at all within our power, but what really want to achieve is that no guest needs to request a thing from us, we have already catered to their every need and beyond. Certainly, at the minimum, my staff was there to care for our guests at every turn. For example, when a guest exited one of our 12 individual whirlpool baths, a staff member would be there to help them out, have a warm dry towel ready to drape over their back and gently rub their back dry and having their robe at the ready. Yes, I had a staff of over 150 able to perform such personal attentive action. You might think that my payroll costs were immense, however, my spa was the largest revenue producing department in the whole property with a net departmental profit of 50%, generating over $4 million annually, which is still unprecedented in today's spa realm.

So indeed, that old fashioned philosophy of real spa pampering is equitable to your spa facility, both new and old. Having visited what is considered one of the top 10 spas in the country recently, I was stunned at the unbelievable lack of attention that I received, especially since my spa services bill was close to $500.00. I had made my appointments in advance and arrived at the spa in plenty of time to relax prior to my appointments. Having never been to the spa I was excited about having a true day for myself, and telling myself not to look at this as work, since spas are my business, but just enjoy the experience. That, unfortunately, was not possible at this particular spa.

I entered the spa lobby, staff all giggling and paying no attention to my presence. I had to politely interrupt their conversation and tell them that I had appointments and ask where I should go from here. One of the staff members just pointed to a door. After entering through the door, I encountered two more staff members chatting. I told them that I had appointments and they handed me a locker key and said the locker room is right over there.

So, imagine spa queen Casey, trying to ignore the logistics of a spa operation at this stage, not easy to do. I walked into a cavernous locker room and searched for my locker number. No staff in site. After an extensive search found my locker and upon opening found paper shoes, yes, I said paper shoes, and a robe. I changed and started searching for the steam and sauna. A very nice lady who was wiping down the counters showed me the way. Need I continue?

OK, so maybe I'm from the old school a bit, but I think that the absolute bare minimum was not accomplished on my visit, and certainly anything resembling service was not at all present. And what is most disturbing, is that many of today's spa guests have little or no idea of what they are not receiving. Imagine if the guests of that spa had sampled just some my previous description of guest service and personal hands on attention. No matter the size, the marble on the walls, the amenities or the ambiance, if they had been pampered even half as much as my staff did in the "olden days" rave reviews would have followed and return guests would abound.

Another area that can set your spa apart from the rest is attitude. Now all of what I have written so far is not news, but when this does not occur, it becomes news. I am all too aware of how difficult it is to find reliable happy employees, but is it really. I know that I love my consulting work and I also know that when I was the Spa Director of 3 different luxury spas, I had the most incredible staff possible. It's not because I got lucky, because believe me, they did not all come to me that way, but what they did discover about working in my spas was that work can be truly enjoyable.

Staff in most spas work very hard, sometimes. If you operate a very busy spa facility, rest assured that spa staff is working and sweating. With that labor intensive work comes an attitude of "they don't care", meaning the bosses and their bosses. And often times, the staff may be absolutely correct. Managers may not care. But if you want to return to the pampering days of old, your managers simply must care. If your general or spa manager is there only to get a check, then achieving happy staff and guests will not be possible. However, if you have good personnel as managers but they may not have the know how to deliver these tools to their staff, then here's a little guidance.

I used to tell my staff that we all spend more time here (working at the spa) with each other than anyone else in our life. We have the opportunity to create a joyful atmosphere which will make us want to come to work. Believe it or not, employees want to like their job. My staff looked at myself and each other as family. They knew I cared and appreciated their hard work, and, I shared with them some of my pressures which allowed them to understand my position so they could, in return, empathize with my hard work efforts. We supported each other in every way, so when it came time for me to ask them to deliver that special service to our spa guests, they knew that it was part of the job, not separate from my expectations.

They also knew that I backed them when a guest would complain. Obviously, the guest was honored and respected, but I never denigrated the staff or allowed the guests to do so. The guest was happy if he or she had a complaint when they left my office, but my staff knew that I stood by them. Of course, when the mistake was our shortcoming, we always took responsibility and made it right...no matter what it took.

If you've managed to read this entire oratory and have made it to this point, you've discovered the secrets to setting you apart. It costs almost nothing. It's management that cares, staff that are loved and respected and trained to deliver real service. It may take some searching for that right manager, or maybe you have one with the potential to achieve what we are speaking about here or even if you need to call some one like myself to come to your property and help make this happen, but, believe me again when I say, the pampering and service offered in your spa will bring you a pay off of happy return guests who will rave about your spa to everyone they know. You can't buy that kind of advertising!

Casey Olsen is the principal owner of Spa Sources, a comprehensive health spa consulting firm. With 23 years of Spa Design and Review, Management, Staffing, Marketing, Budgets and Forecasts, Complete Spa Operation Set-up, Liability Guidance, Accounting, Equipment and Product Identification, Spa Sources provides comprehensive assistance in the creation of new, and the renewal of existing spa facilities. As one of the industry's foremost health spa consultants, Ms. Olsen provides invaluable guidance to developers planning their luxury resorts that include a health spa facility. Ms. Olsen can be contacted at 760 341-3311 or spasources@earthlink.net Extended Bio...

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