PERSONALIZATION WITHOUT THE PERSPIRATION
TOWN HALL
PERSONALIZATION WITHOUT THE PERSPIRATION
Make It Personal, Not Painful
7 ways to wow spa guests and strengthen your team while making personalization work harder for the business
PERSONALIZATION IS POWERFUL. But if it requires 14 spreadsheets, six staff reminders and a guest choosing between 27 essential oils, something has gone sideways.
During ISPA’ s July Town Hall, spa leaders shared a simpler formula: Remember what matters, make it easy for employees to act on it and leave room for genuine human connection. Ready to get personal? Start here.
1 SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF Favorite tea? Remember it. Birthday? Acknowledge it. Back for a second visit? Say welcome back.
➤ Kristi McLaughlin of milk + honey noted that consistent guest
l notes help teams recognize preferences without making clients repeat themselves. THE BUSINESS BOOST: Feeling known can turn satisfied guests into loyal repeat-revenue machines.
2 MAKE EXCELLENCE BORINGLY EASY McLaughlin calls it“ simplified excellence.”
➤ Standardize the must-dos— greeting, consultation, service flow,
l checkout— so employees can focus on what should be personal: conversation, recommendations and thoughtful moments. THE SIMPLICITY SECRET: Stop making employees reinvent the wheel. Give them a better wheel.
3 STOCK YOUR“ WOW” TOOLBOX Not every birthday or anniversary needs a brainstorming session.
➤ Keep a few ready-to-roll options on hand: cards, small gifts, complimentary enhancements, celebratory beverages or handwritten notes. l THE WIN-WIN-WIN: Better guest experience. Less employee pressure. More consistency.
4 TURN GUEST INTEL INTO A TEAM SPORT A great detail trapped in one person’ s head is a missed opportunity.
➤ At Pier Sixty-Six, Linda Higgs described employees sharing guest“ Golden Nuggets and plus ones.” At Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Kelly Gasspari-Fleming’ s team uses a“ celebratory list” to map out who is celebrating, what the spa will do and when. l THE LEADERSHIP LESSON: Don’ t just collect information. Build a system for passing the baton.
5 LET AI DO THE DIGGING Technology should make hospitality feel more human, not turn your spa into a robot convention.
➤ McLaughlin shared how an AI-supported guest report helps
l milk + honey summarize guest history, preferences and milestones. THE TECH TEST: Does this tool remove friction for the employee or guest? If not, why is it there?
6 PLEASE STOP MAKING GUESTS CHOOSE EVERYTHING Pick a scent. Pick a pillow. Pick the music. Pick an oil. Pick an enhancement.
➤ Congratulations— you’ ve personalized someone straight into decision fatigue. Panelists discussed simplifying menus while preserving thoughtful customization. Higgs summed it up:“ We just want to eliminate any potential fatigue.” l THE CHOICE CHECK: Sometimes the most luxurious option is, Don’ t worry. We’ ve got you.
7 GIVE EMPLOYEES PERMISSION TO MAKE SOMEONE’ S
DAY You can’ t write a protocol for every birthday, breakup, promotion, loss, or much-needed escape.
➤ So don’ t try. Give employees clear standards and useful tools,
l then trust them to respond to the person in front of them. THE CULTURE CUE: Empowered employees create more authentic moments— and a stronger service culture.
SPONSORED BY PREVENTION DISINFECTANTS
Congratulations to attendees Melanie Blinn, Jamie Peterson and Diane Scott, winners of the random drawing giveaway for full cases of Virox’ s Prevention Disinfectant.
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