“ When providers are comfortable and confident in protocols and products , they deliver a better guest experience .”
— ABBI PORTER , Stonedrift Spa at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa
“ I am truly blessed to have a seasoned team of therapists and front desk staff , so I can honestly say the feedback from other team members and guest experience is what we focus most on along with regular staff evaluations throughout the year .”
Abbi says her spa conducts similar customer service training and evaluations , and adds that “ my motto that I preach to my leads is , you must ‘ coach in the moment .’ If you see or hear something , address it then and there — that way , we are correcting the behavior before it becomes an issue .”
WHEN A CLIENT HAS A BAD SERVICE Even with a customer-focused culture , devoted training and ongoing client service monitoring — on top of extraordinary services and the best products available — spas sometimes fall short of complete customer satisfaction .
For Abbi , unhappy customers are an inevitability . Stonedrift ’ s director empathizes with clients : “ From being in the treatment room myself , I am a firm believer that not every client and provider vibe together . Sometimes you just have a personality difference between the guest on the table and the provider performing the service . Not every guest is for every provider , and that ’ s okay .” She prepares her staff for the rare cases when a customer cannot be made happy .“ I try and train the team to be neutral on all fronts with guests ,” she notes ,“ but sometimes you can ’ t please certain guests no matter what efforts .”
Abbi points to a belief in the value of making additional efforts to avoid a customer ’ s walking away unsatisfied .“ We usually have guest resolution goodie bags available when this happens or offer them a complimentary enhancement or day pass to come back and utilize the amenities ,” she shares .“ I don ’ t believe there is decreasing return on trying to win the approval of every client . As leaders we set the tone for what guest experience our employees are providing . If you are leading by example and creating passion for the work you ’ re trying to achieve , then employees will already be in the mindset to give an exceptional service .”
At Kilaga Springs , KarriLynn tries to set customer expectations to avoid misunderstandings or disappointment .
APRIL 2023 n PULSE 31