THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:
souNd off
do you EvEr WoNdEr how your peers would handle
a situation? Maybe you’re curious what other leaders in the spa
industry have to say on a certain subject. In sound-Off, we ask ISPA
members from differing backgrounds, countries and companies the
same question and see how their answers compare.
“What customer service
advice do you have to
help introverted staff
members succeed?”
stEvEN rosENfEld PaMEla MaEs roBErt vaNcE tiNa MorscHausEr
President
columbia skincare Assistant spa Director
Mirbeau inn and spa Retreats Director
sensei retreats lana’i Owner
rejuvination spa
BroNxvillE, NEW yorK sKaNEatElEs, NEW yorK laNa’i, HaWaii MadisoN, WiscoNsiN
We usually provide other
responsibilities for folks who
are generally averse to inter-
acting with the public. it is
better to make sure a staff
member is suitably qualified
and comfortable with their
job than to try and fit an
elephant into a keyhole. introverted staff can be
successful in this work
environment. We encourage
staff to be thoughtful and
caring to all our guests
whether it is simply acknowl-
edging our guests or
anticipating a guest’s needs.
for example, if a guest is
soaking their feet in our foot
bath, staff are encouraged
to bring them a towel. Many
gestures don’t require
lengthy conversations, but
rather simple observation
and consideration. Just be and own who you
are. often, we tell our
colleagues to treat the front-
of-house like a stage and
that you are just putting on
a show, but as our guests
evolve and the culture
develops, people see
through the facade and
question your motives if you
put on a face. it is better to
be yourself and treat each
guest like a friend that you
are having a genuine,
engaged, one-on-one conver-
sation with. our guests want
and expect care, profession-
alism and authenticity in
every encounter and that is
what we should provide no
matter if you are an
introvert or extrovert. i tell my staff that they don’t
have to be the chatty person
to be successful. one of our
most successful team
members is shy, and she
focuses on the guest and
asks the guest questions so
the guest leads the conver-
sation if need be. Many
guests want quiet anyway
and just want down time to
relax and refocus. n
KEEP aN EyE oN your iNBox for the next
ISPA Snapshot Survey, where you can answer
upcoming Sound off questions for the chance to be
featured here.
June 2018
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