The life of a spa professional is a continuous cycle of daily responsibilities that help make the spa world go round. Pulse asks ISPA members to give us a sneak peek into their daily lives to help us understand the roles they play and the difference they make on a daily basis.

CAROLYN DOE • Spa Director, Umstead Hotel and Spa

Cary, North Carolina

“ I’ ve always enjoyed all aspects of the spa industry and the more I learned about the ins and outs, the more I wanted to be part of it,” Doe says.“ I think my path to directorship has really helped me, as I’ ve had the opportunity to learn different perspectives of the operation, having worked in several areas of the spa as an esthetician, spa sales manager, interim spa operations manager, and now spa director.”

She directly leads three spa managers, but as a whole, works on a daily basis to help lead 56 staff members.“ My advice to other spa directors when it comes to building their team is to take their time during the selection process and hire the candidate who will not only fit with the team, but will also add value to the team’ s morale and your goals for the spa,” she says.

She starts her day early, prepping the spa for opening at 7 am.“ I walk through the spa to make sure everything is set up for guests,” she says. Here’ s how she typically spends the rest of her work day:

★ 8 am Reviews the appointment books looking for special notes or surprises. She also checks the projected numbers for the day and compares them to numbers of the previous year.

★ 9 am Conducts staff briefing or manager briefing to review any special notes and hotel information that may be important for the day.

★ 10 am Walks through the spa, greets guests and checks in with the team to ensure operational success for the day. Manager walk-throughs happen throughout the day.

★ 2 pm Reviews activity reports on treatment lines and retail product activity.

★ 4 pm Reviews the revenue numbers and takes note whether the spa will be on target for that day’ s goal. Doe also prepares her schedule for the next day and assigns any needed tasks to the appropriate associate or manager. ■

Customer service: Doe says, like any other spa or business, meeting guests’ expectations at all times is difficult.“ Being in the moment during guest interactions and looking for opportunities to‘ wow’ the guest and create a memorable experience can be challenging,” she says.“ But hearing our guests’ feedback on their wonderful experiences and then seeing them return is most rewarding.”

Retail and menu: Doe pays close attention to finding retail items guests can’ t live without and creating exciting and effective new treatments to add on the menu. She makes it a point to challenge her team to stay knowledgeable about products and understand how each product may work well together for additional benefits so they could recommend the right selections to guests.

Spa Trends: When it comes to trends in the spa industry, Doe says she continues to see a growth in partnerships with other integrative health services.“ For example, I see an active trend in acupuncturists and reiki therapists partnering with spas to provide value-added services to existing relaxing or therapeutic massages,” she says.

August 2016 ■ PULSE 51