“ We do not allow cell phone usage in guest facing areas of the spa,” says Ingrid Middaugh, spa director at Spa Anjali at The Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek in Avon, Colorado.“ There are always tasks that need to be accomplished each day and therefore we also discourage the use of social media while at work.”

Pankey agrees by saying,“ Unless you are the dedicated social media manager, you should not be on social media unless posting a job related post.”

To help employees understand and stick to a social media policy, include a clear and concise written policy in all orientation materials. This way, your employees know from the very beginning what is expected of them.

“ Our social media and cell phone use policy has its own section in an associate handbook and is reviewed during orientation for all new hires,” says Pankey.“ Our spa managers enforce the policy on a day to day basis through training, coaching, encouragement and counseling, if needed. Just as with any other policy; communication, setting clear expectations, training, monitoring and coaching is the key to success.”

Employee social media ambassadors at Gadabout SalonSpas are encouraged to post work-related images on social media to promote Gadabout ' s overall brand.

Employee Representation on Social Media Because social media is so prevalent, a bigger problem spas might face is the impact their employees’ posts can have on their brand.

JANA WESTERBEKE, owner and president of Gadabout SalonSpas in Tucson, Arizona, has created a social media ambassador program for her employees. The program includes guidelines and education that teaches employees how to market their services through social media, which in turn increases Gadabout SalonSpas’ influence and reach.

“ Our philosophy is that social media

is so prevalent, let’ s help our team use it in the most professional way that will not only help them build their business, it will in turn help build our brand and guest awareness,” says Westerbeke.“ Social Media is the new word of mouth.

We wanted to help support this new tool and help our team use it to their advantage. Rather than leaving it up to them to figure out what to do, we created an education curriculum to help set them up for success.” These employee ambassadors are encouraged to post guest before and after photos( with guest permission), treatment photos, spa interior photos, positive inspiration and celebrations. They are also required to tag the spa in all posts and respond to comments encouraging guests to visit them at the spa.

If an employee is interested in participating, they must go through a social media education program and sign agreements as to what they are prohibited from posting.

“ We sit down one on one when an ambassador is just signing up and go over the details and our expectations,” notes Westerbeke.“ We also connect with them when they are posting things, or if we notice something that isn’ t posted correctly. Education is the most important part of the policy because if we don’ t teach the expectations, we cannot hold a cohesive team accountable.”

If you’ re interested in learning more about implementing a similar ambassador program, head to pulse. experienceispa. com to download an example of Gadabout’ s Ambassador Agreement and Tips.

40 PULSE ■ June 2017