Your spa schedule is completely booked, but a VIP guest requests an appointment. How do you handle it?
SOUND OFF
Your spa schedule is completely booked, but a VIP guest requests an appointment. How do you handle it?
SOUND OFF GIVES VOICE to the many perspectives that shape our industry. Each issue, we ask ISPA members from different roles, regions and company types the same question— and discover how their responses align, differ and inspire.
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KRISTIN PALANT
Spa Director
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Trilogy Spa Holdings
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA
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ASHLEY DALE Director of Spa and Wellness Salamander Middleburg
MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA, USA
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RAKESH THAPLIYAL
Spa Director
The Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay
HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA, USA
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SARAH HALSTEAD
Director
Stonedrift Spa at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa
GALENA, ILLINOIS, USA
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“ I would tackle the nearest therapist in the building and beg them to stay an hour longer. Seriously, that is what I would do minus the tackling part.”
“ We make it happen!( To an extent:)) We are in the business of never saying no, which can be difficult, but we exhaust all options for accommodations before declining their request. Of course, there are times we have no wiggle room to add in additional treatments, but we do our best to get creative and accommodate!”
“ Customer service is a company-wide responsibility.”
— TONY HSIEH
“ At our spa, we focus on creating flexible solutions to elevate the guest experience. If the spa is fully committed and we receive a VIP request, we have the ability to open the spa after hours, offering a private and more exclusive experience at a premium rate. Additionally, we maintain a strong bench of on-call and parttime therapists who can support last-minute requests. For critical situations, both our spa lead and property admin are certified therapists and are always willing to step in when needed, ensuring we never miss an opportunity to serve our VIP clientele.”
“ If the spa schedule was completely booked and a VIP guest requested an appointment, I would first review the schedule to see if there were any opportunities to accommodate them without impacting existing guests. If no availability existed, I would personally step in and perform the service myself. As both the spa director and a licensed esthetician, I am able to provide facial services and would gladly do so to ensure the VIP guest receives exceptional care while maintaining our commitment to guest satisfaction and service excellence.” n
PULSE n SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2026 46