“ I believe the most important thing for us to focus on is creating realistic expectations . So many times , guests come in and do not have an accurate or thorough understanding of what to expect ,” she notes ,“ and if we do not take the time to properly educate them on what we are able to provide and our treatment parameters , then we can inadvertently set ourselves up for failure . Our team focuses on educating our guests so they understand how we can work together to achieve their treatment goals .”

KarriLynn recognizes providing strong customer service may sometimes require a shift in mindset when a disconnect occurs in customer expectations and service delivery . “ We pride ourselves on providing an exemplary and extraordinary guest experience and when we do get it wrong , we take all necessary strides to correct it ,” she says .“ We listen to clients ’ needs and educate them on what experience and outcome they will have with us .”

Echoing KarriLynn ’ s comments on the value of client communications , Kerry shares Stillwater Spa ’ s process for working with unhappy customers .“ In regards to guests who do not enjoy any aspect of their experience , we always try to find out where we feel short of their expectations ,” she says , “ and if we feel that we could have done better , we invite them back as our guest for a second chance . If we feel we are not a match for their spa expectations , we thank them for their feedback and let them know that if we do offer what they are looking for in the future , we will be delighted to reach out to them .”

Acknowledging that spa resources are limited , Kerry is careful to value her employees ’ time and efforts .“ We do , however , recognize when a guest will not be satisfied ; in these instances , we do everything we can to ensure guest service is our best and leave it at that ,” she says .“ Recognizing guests who cannot be satisfied with our offerings is important to ensure that we not going to lose more than we gain from their bookings financially and reputation-wise . We always do our best to ensure we have done everything in our power to ensure a flawless experience ; however , sometimes certain expectations may not be able to be met .”

Kerry shares some advice for working with an unhappy client : “ Always remember to not take criticism personally , this has been invaluable in my career . We are all proud of our spas and teams , so sometimes we may get defensive , however it is helpful take a moment to remember that the guest may have already experienced negative situations — missed a plane , got bad news — prior to arriving at the spa , and now you might be the first person who gave them a safe space to unload and be heard . Sometimes even just being

Customer service experts advise the most successful mitigation of a poor customer experience requires quick pacification . It may be beneficial for treatment providers or spa personnel to have solution options ready to deploy when they first become aware a client is disappointed in the service level or product quality they have experienced . Resolving potential issues immediately ensures the guest feels heard and validated — and avoids the escalation of involving a manager or supervisor .

“ Empowering our team to offer ways to turn the experience around not only allows the guest to feel validated , it also allows the team member to feel that they can handle the situation and that they are an important part of the team ,” says Kerry Werner .

KarriLynn Keith notes “ often just by listening , we solve the concern .” She finds “ most issues come down to miscommunication , so our team will take the time to listen first to the guest ’ s concern and then have the opportunity to offer complimentary upgrades or discounts to a particular challenge we need to overcome .”

Discounted or complimentary services or products are a useful tool . Abbi Porter shares that her spa ’ s team has several options to offer to an unhappy customer .“ I usually push free enhancements , goodie bags or complimentary day passes for amenity usage .” Penny Kriel has her team follow a similar protocol : “ We provide a guide for them on what to offer based on the guest ’ s level of complaint , and there is always a manager on duty if they need further assistance .”

32 PULSE ⁿ APRIL 2023