Do you ever wonder how your peers would handle a situation ?
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 .
“ How do you proactively manage employee scheduling to resolve common time management issues like staff call-outs , client cancellations and training priorities ?”
ERIC WILKINSON Polo Club Boca Raton Director of Spa and Fitness
“ Call outs are rare . We have such a high work ethic — and part of that is culture — that nobody wants to miss work . There is a group text where anyone can ask for coverage . Our team knows when they need to be here — holidays , peak time , etc . Think about the culture you want to define : Listen to your team , know your team , set the standards and lead by example . Let them know what is acceptable and what is not . We believe in the Four H ’ s : honesty , hard work , hospitality and humility .”
VIRGINIA LARA Encore Boston Harbor Director of Spa and Salon
BREANNA SAMEK The Edge Spa at The Lodge at Blue Sky Spa Manager
“ We do charge guests 50 percent of the service if they cancel within 24 hours , and the full 100 percent at six hours or less . In our casino environment , we have to be fairly strict with these policies , but we show empathy when true emergencies happen and even will follow
“ We arrange the schedule so our senior therapists are not fully booked . This allows room to adjust the schedule based on guest and team member needs . We also up with guests a few days later to see how they are doing . When we are unable to process cancellation charges to the guest , we still take care of the therapists . We don ’ t cover gratuity , but we ensure they get commission for the canceled service as well as the hourly rate .”
have on-call therapists to help as backup if multiple therapists call out on the same day , or for a longer length of time .”
JENNIFER HOLZWORTH Montage International Corporate Director , Spa Operations
“ We like to start with getting feedback from the teams . We ask , What would you like to learn ? What would you love to see on the menu ? Then we base our budgeting and training off of that . As for onboarding training , ours is
10 days long for all associates and includes administrative training and online modules . We give them different avenues to learn the standards of our brand . All of our providers are paid an hourly rate during training .” n
IN JANUARY , A PANEL of spa professionals discussed “ Employee Scheduling and Time Management ” as part of ISPA ’ s Town Hall series . Quotes on this page were pulled from the discussion . ISPA thanks Wincore Wellness and Staffing for sponsoring this important Town Hall discussion .
74 PULSE n APRIL / MAY 2024