Pulse November/December 2021 | Page 20

“ Looking at the provider ’ s perspective , timing is hard . How much time do they need to listen to the guest ? Some guests open up really quickly . Others , not so much .”

— LAURA MARTINEZ scenes , managing back bar inventory is also made more difficult by customized treatments : it ’ s harder to anticipate product use when offering custom treatments rather than treatments with set protocols .
Todd Shaw speaks to ways that customization adds to the burden of responsibility , too . This is especially true for Fountain Life , which works with a client on a total healthcare evaluation that includes traditional medicine as well as spa , wellness and fitness .“ Right now , a doctor can feel comfortable because they ’ re playing within the standards that have been approved ,” says Shaw . At Fountain- Life , which uses advanced diagnostics in order to proactively measure and improve health , they don ’ t have the luxury of convention , and this adds to their responsibility . While the stakes at a spa might be different , the para-
Guests enjoying a massage at a Tereza Zanchi spa .
18 PULSE n NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 digm is the same . In providing a customized experience , service providers have to feel comfortable and confident in stepping away from standardized protocols ; in doing this , they take even more of the spa-goer ’ s happiness into their own hands .
Getting Started
None of those challenges are insurmountable , though ; says Martinez , “ At the end of the day , all of this is worth it when you see the guest blown away by their experience .” If your spa wants to implement new ways to customize treatments , there are small but smart ways to start doing so .
One way is to offer a single custom treatment that is sold only in one time length . Allow your service providers to use any methodologies and products that they feel will benefit the client ’ s needs at the time of service .
“ When we create a customized massage or facial , I send it to my providers and I say ,‘ No protocols , use your whole toolbox and do whatever is necessary ,” says Hercik . This allows your spa to offer a customized experience at very little additional cost by eliminating the need to spend time guiding a client to book the correct service at the time of reservation . Hercik adds , “ I think sometimes we overthink it by trying to find too many wellness counselors when the practitioner can do all that for you .” Echoing Hercik ’ s advice , Martinez adds that you could also start even smaller by offering an exclusive customized experience to only your spa ’ s most frequent customers .
If you ’ re hesitant to begin offering fully customized services , you can still make the spa experience more unique by personalizing your services ; while the methodologies might be standardized , smaller aspects — like aromatherapy oils , beverage choice , etc .— can be altered to suit a client ’ s specific preferences . It ’ s especially impressive if your spa remembers these preferences , says Shaw , by actually attaching them to a client ’ s profile in your spa booking software .“ When my hairstylist says ,‘ I know how Todd likes his hair ,’ that ’ s arrogance . Where are the notes ?” Shaw adds .“ What if my hairstylist said ,“ Last time we did a one on the sides , a two faded up , and we had a one-and-a-half inch fade on the top . Is that still working for you ?’ I ’ d be amazed ! That ’ s the idea of personalization — it doesn ’ t have to be crazy . Just show people that you care about the details .”
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