MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
REOPENING A SPA IS A MONUMENTAL TASK, as spa directors
around the world are currently discovering. There
are a myriad of topics—marketing, hygiene, training, pricing,
communication, employee retention—that demand
careful consideration during the reopening process. And
when theory meets reality, even the best-laid plans often
require alterations.
In this month’s “Member Perspectives,” Pulse takes a
look at the reopening process of Gadabout SalonSpas, a
Tucson, Arizona, chain of salons offering hair, skin and nail
services as well as traditional day spa services such as
massage and body treatments. In doing so, one can see
how a successful reopening plan is one that is well-designed
and well-executed, but is also flexible and adaptable.
No Time Wasted
Gadabout SalonSpas’ five locations shut their doors on
March 20, a week before the state of Arizona mandated
the closure of salons and spas. By the time all locations
reopened on May 11, they had been closed for 35 business
days.
During this time, Gadabout’s leadership team worked
hard to maintain customer relationships while preparing
for an eventual reopening. “We spent a lot of our time
working on the guest connection and the hospitality side
of the business,” says Megan Jasper, Gadabout’s director
of operations and marketing. “We spent hours actually
picking up the phone and calling our guests.” Accordingly,
Gadabout set two main goals for this time period: guest
retention and team retention. The staff was furloughed
except for salaried team leaders and general managers,
and Gadabout strived to retain every employee throughout
the reopening process. Jasper and the Gadabout team
frequently called their employees, held Zoom meetings
and hosted virtual happy hours. To maintain a revenue
stream and stay front-of-mind during the salons’ closure,
Gadabout’s marketing team ran promotions, primarily on
retail products, and its distribution center fulfilled online
sales. At the same time, the operations team—including
Jasper and Co-Owner Jana Westerbeke—worked on Gadabout’s
full reopening plan. Although many spas tweaked
their menus before coming back, Gadabout chose to keep
its menu more or less as-is for its reopening, discontinuing
only its nose waxing services and offering to-go lipstick as
part of its makeup service.
Preparing for Reopening
Gadabout developed a robust plan for reopening well
ahead of any anticipated reopening date. This proved to
32 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2020