Sal Capizzi, Book4Time’s VP of Marketing, and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. 

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal, what are some easy ways to show appreciation for my employees without spending a lot of money? 

A. Fabulous question! Times are still tight for a lot of businesses, and you’re probably walking a fine line between managing your P&L and wanting to keep your staff happy so that you can continue growing your business without losing any members of your team.

Here are some great ways that you can show your team appreciation without breaking the bank or upsetting your finance team!

Verbal recognition can go a long way. How many times have you been complimented on a job well done or even your looks (which is also a job well done) and walked away thinking that was really nice of that person to notice my hard work, and it just put you in a better mood for the rest of the day? The same goes for your team! Take a moment during team meetings to individually acknowledge and thank employees for their hard work and contributions. Write personalized thank-you notes expressing your appreciation for specific accomplishments or efforts. Did someone pick up an extra shift? While a client was checking out, did they call out someone’s amazing work? Be sure to communicate all of this to your employees!

Invest in your team within constraints! Most times companies will have an allocated budget for continuing education for their staff. Make sure by the end of the year, every dollar is well spent on your staff that expresses interest in wanting to continue expanding their skillset. Whether it’s required continuing education or a new certification, your staff will appreciate the gesture of not having to come out of their own pocket to invest in their career. You will create longevity on your team if you and your brand continue to invest in your team members.

Focus on WELLNESS! Your team is working just as hard as you are. Treat them to a complementary service at your spa. Let them try a new service that you recently added to the menu. Partner with the General Manager at a local cycling studio to see if you can work out a deal where your team can take a class together during off-peak hours in exchange for the GM getting a treatment at your spa. Get creative with your team-building activities that will ultimately focus on their health, happiness, and wellness!

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The post Dear Sal, what are some easy ways to show appreciation for my employees? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. 

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal,

What small, unique touches can we add onto services and spa treatments that don’t add much extra cost for us – and at no cost to the guest – that can help make the experience stand out and become more memorable? 

A. Hi there, this is a great question especially for a smaller style spa! There are several things you can do at little to no overhead for yourself and no cost to your guests. Start with the basics and look within. If you were to walk into your spa right now how would you want to be greeted? What would you want to smell and how would you want to walk away from your visit?

Let’s start with a warm greeting! Adding personalized or handwritten welcome notes for your guests and having them on the treatment table upon the guests arrival is a great way to express gratitude for their visit and setting a warm tone for their experience. This next one may be common knowledge but it has stood the test of time and little bit goes a long way! Introducing aromatherapy elements in treatment rooms by using essential oils or scented diffusers to create a calming and inviting atmosphere not to mention it will also address some of the concerns your guests are probably coming in for. 

Another way you can get the guests talking is by offering infused waters, herbal teas, or light refreshments in the relaxation area to hydrate and refresh guests before and after their treatments.

Now, I get it… you said low cost. Partner up with your vendors to send you more samples so that you can have guests leave with light goodie bags based on the treatment they received and offer them post service skincare samples. Provide guests with small samples of skincare products used during their treatments, allowing them to extend the spa experience at home (and also enticing them to make an actual retail purchase from your spa in the future.)

Remember, the key is to enhance the guest experience subtly and thoughtfully, creating a lasting impression without imposing significant costs. I hope these suggestions align with your commitment to providing exceptional service! 

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

The post Dear Sal, what low or no cost extras can we offer to enhance the spa experience? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. Here he talks about how to hire the best spa employees.

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal,

We have a regular massage customer at our spa who smells terrible. She comes once every two weeks for a massage, is pleasant to deal with, and tips well. But the two therapists she asks for regularly have a bad time because she smells like she doesn’t shower. How can we approach this topic with her without hurting her feelings or driving her away? 

A. Ah, the delicate dance of addressing the aroma in the room—literally! While it might seem like a tricky situation, fear not, because I think I have an idea for you.

First things first, let’s acknowledge the positives. She’s a regular, she’s pleasant, and she’s tipping well – talk about a trifecta of spa-goer excellence! Now, onto the olfactory challenge.

How about we flip the script and turn this into a spa-tacular upgrade for her? Consider crafting a sweet and subtly scented note that expresses how much you value her as a client. You could say something like:

“Dear [Lovely Client],

We hope this note finds you in the pink of relaxation! It’s always such a joy to have you at our spa, and your presence brightens our day. We’ve been brainstorming ways to enhance your massage experience even more, and we’re thrilled to share a few delightful options with you.

We’ve recently introduced a selection of heavenly scented essential oils that can add an extra layer of tranquility to your session. These oils not only elevate your spa journey but also ensure that you leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

We understand that personal preferences vary, and we want to make sure every visit is tailored to your liking. So, we’re excited to offer you the opportunity to customize your massage experience by selecting the scent that resonates most with you. It’s a small change that we believe will make a world of difference.

Thank you for being an incredible part of our spa family, and we can’t wait to continue pampering you with the utmost care.

Warm regards,

[Your Name – as the Spa Director]”

This way, you’re framing it as an enhancement rather than a critique. It’s all about creating a positive atmosphere and making her feel special while subtly addressing the aromatic concern. After all, who wouldn’t want to bask in the sweet scent of success and relaxation? Happy pampering!

This is one way to go about things. Another is, if you have the option on premises, to encourage a relaxing pre-massage shower with gorgeously scented products as part of the experience. 

If there is a deeper hygiene issue that could be putting your practitioner’s health at risk (And you know what I’m talking about.)  You may have to address the hygiene concerns with the client and be prepared to have an explanation as to why it could affect your therapist’s wellbeing during the service or their ability to do the service at an exceptional level. 

I hope this helps!

Sal

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The post Dear Sal, I need advice about a customer who smells terrible appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. Here he talks about how to hire the best spa employees.

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal,

I have a therapist who is very direct and well-intentioned, but sometimes their approach can come across as abrasive or inappropriate in a spa setting. Do you think it’s worth having a conversation with them? They are one of my top performers, so I’m concerned about upsetting them with this type of feedback.

A. Hi there! This is a fantastic question, and it’s one we don’t often discuss in our industry. Most of the time, when we hear about “inappropriate actions” in a spa, it relates to some form of discrimination or sexual harassment. Even though you and your team might have accepted the notion that “that’s just the way this person is,” the reality is that your clients don’t know this person or that they mean no harm.

This could affect your business in many ways, with the most significant impact being that the guest might not return or, even worse, they might leave a negative online review, discouraging more potential guests from visiting your spa.

Now, let me share a personal experience. When I was managing spas, I once had a therapist ask a client what color their urine normally is, and then proceeded to inform the client that their urine might be darker after the treatment due to toxins leaving their body after the massage. While those of us in the spa and wellness industry know this to be true, and the therapist was trying to educate the client, this particular client was taken aback by the question. She brought it up at the time of her checkout, but also mentioned that she had received a phenomenal service and left a 25% gratuity. However, I knew I couldn’t just ignore this feedback.

I took this therapist aside and asked about their typical intake conversations, the kind of questions they usually ask, and so on. They explained that they had been asking this question for years before a particular type of treatment. Trust me, I understand—I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist myself. However, in a luxury spa setting, I didn’t think this question was appropriate to ask. So, I asked her to stick to treatment-related questions and to avoid asking guests about the color of their urine. We never had the issue again.

Feedback is your team’s best friend. They’ll respect you for addressing something that a guest might have found offensive, potentially affecting your business. It shows that you care about their paycheck as much as they do, and while they might have lost this particular guest, addressing these issues can help them retain more clients in the future.

As always, if a boundary is crossed, everyone involved needs to be heard. Your therapists should always feel comfortable stopping or pausing the session to get their Director or Manager on duty to handle the situation appropriately. This could range from anything from hygiene issues to clearly inappropriate behavior.

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The post Dear Sal, what can I say to an employee with no filter? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. Here he talks about how to hire the best spa employees.

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. “Dear Sal, Can you share some best practices around hiring quality over quantity? I need to build my team but I’m afraid if I go on a hiring spree I will get some bad eggs in the mix and the company I work for prides itself on employee retention.”

A. Hey! I get it you’re probably faced with a staffing shortage while still having a monthly goal to hit, am I right? If so, I get it. 

You should probably first optimize your schedule to make sure your current team players are filling up any available prime time slots when your spa is the busiest such as evenings and weekends. But that wasn’t your question. Have a team meeting with your current set of staff and ask them if they know anyone dependable and reliable looking for a job. This is the spa industry. We all know each other in some capacity. Don’t forget, your therapists probably went to school with at least 20 other future therapists. Trust your team and follow up on any potential leads they give you. I start out with this because a team member isn’t going to risk putting their name on the line for an unreliable candidate. 

My next approach would be to reach out to your recruiter and make sure they know your needs and come up with a game plan to have X amount of interviews in X amount of days. Get creative and maybe work with your GM to offer a hiring incentive for the spa if budget allows. Make sure your recruiter does not put the spa on the backburner as you are an important ancillary revenue driving department. 

My third approach would be to hit the job boards like the one that the International Spa Association (ISPA) provides in their online career center. They have candidates at all levels in the industry looking for work and you could post your openings there as well. This industry is all about networking after you post your openings for the team members you’re looking for. Maybe you ask a sister property if they have any staff members available looking for extra shifts on certain days of the week, maybe you partner with a local trade school and interview recent or upcoming graduates and advance whoever performs a great practical session. There are a ton of good ways for yourself to make connections and grow your team with the resources you already have! 

I hope this helps and you and your team knock it out of the park in the upcoming months! 

Sal

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The post Dear Sal, how can I hire the best spa employees? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions.

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal: “I’m trying to come up with downtime tasks for my concierge team so they can stay productive during downtimes.”

A. This is a great question because no team is free from the occasional slow day at the spa. The first thing you want to do is assess why you are having a slow day. Is your team pre-booking appointments? Are they incentivized to pre-book appointments? Creating healthy competition amongst your desk staff is a surefire way to have as many pre-booked appointments as possible. But maybe operations are solid and this is a one off.

Start with outreach. Have an outreach plan for your desk staff to start chipping away at instead of playing Candy Crush. This can be anything from clients who haven’t visited the spa in 30/60/90 days to reaching out to clients who have open gift card balances and reminding them there is still pre-funded money on their account that needs to be spent!

Create the ultimate guest experience.  Send a thank-you email or write a phone call script for your staff to begin communicating. I personally wouldn’t suggest calling someone who visited the spa more than 30 days ago but thanking clients for coming in for a visit within the first 48 to 72 hours is essential. This is also a great time to offer these clients a pre-booking incentive just in case the team “forgot” at checkout.

Correct that wear and tear. Your spa is busy and chances are the equipment you use will have seen better days as time goes on. Have your team take an audit of table mechanics, towel warmers, oil stains on walls in treatment rooms and common areas, and double check any amenities that see a lot of traffic. This could involve your lounge area down to your steam room.

Generate visibility. We don’t always have the chance to grab our phones and post on social media during a typical work day. Use your downtime as a chance to showcase any new services or products that you are offering in your spa.

Plan promotions. As a business operations manager it is your responsibility to create promotions during the holiday season and for special occasions throughout the year. If your spa has been busy and you have been putting that Mothers Day/Father’s Day/Family Day promotion off, now is the time to plan it from start to finish! Once your promotion is create, let your concierge staff take it and run with it. Have them run a report to see who visited the spa during the same time range or for the same promotion in past years and have them reach out to these clients to let them know the promotion is happening again. Chances are they enjoyed their experience and the promotion so much that they will purchase it again. Want to take it a step further? Create that healthy competition amongst your staff and reward them with a signature treatment or a monetary bonus for whoever books or sells the most promotion packages!

Good luck!

Sal

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

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The post Dear Sal, how can I keep my spa team productive during downtime? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions.

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal: To be honest, I’m a bit scared about my business weathering the turbulent economic times. Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep revenue coming in when business seems to be a bit slower?

A. Great question! 

There are several successful ways I’ve run a business during slow times and new ideas that are being talked about in a major way throughout the industry as it stands right now. 

My first rule of thumb is to always pre-book as much as you can. I was leading a business where it was almost a requirement to have 40% of the next month’s “goal” pre-booked the month before. For example if my next month’s goal was $70,000 – I would aim to have $28,000 of that already booked. 

Incentivize your practitioners. Your practitioners don’t necessarily need to be the ones telling clients about any pre-booking discounts if they come back again, but if clients know that their LMT or esthetician is invested in their well-being, reviews a solid treatment plan with them, and gives them take-home care advice, you are sure to see that client again. An incentive for a practitioner could look like a cash bonus on number of sessions performed or pre-booked, a self care treatment of their choice, or even a promotion. In order for someone to move up the ranks by tier in my business they had to have at least a 30% pre-booking rate for consecutive months. 

Incentivize your guests. At checkout, let your guests know of any benefits that may come with pre-booking their next appointment or buying a series/package of services. Most times both of these come with a small discount on each service, or an add-on to a treatment that adds no additional time to the service, costs pennies, and guarantees you revenue for the weeks or month ahead. 

Promote any in-house promotions, specials, and offerings weeks to months in advance. You are the leader of your business and have the ability to create as much (or as little) hype as you’d like around an upcoming promotion. Hit those outreach lists – an educated client is a happy client and you’re likely to see a few faces in your spa that may have simply forgotten to schedule some time for self care after their last treatment. 

Use the new technology your spa software system offers such as an online booking site to generate passive revenue after hours. Put a direct booking link in your email signature and QR codes around your resort (where allowed). Another tool is Yield Management. This powerhouse of a feature has been used in the hospitality industry since the 1970s. From airlines to hotel rooms, prices can always fluctuate based on demand. For example, if there’s a huge sporting event taking place near your hotel of choice, you’ll likely be paying more. Simply put, yield management is the practice of adjusting prices based on demand.

During the past couple of years, the spa industry has begun to catch on and utilize this practice to make up for slower days without having to discount their services or offerings, which can actually harm a business.

Yield Management gives spa directors and general managers the opportunity to use new sales and marketing techniques to fill their treatment rooms during these slower times to entice guests to make a visit to the spa and to make up for potential lost revenue. On a slower day, your system could automatically lower prices for you. Pairing these prices with a smooth marketing campaign for hotel guests could turn your entire schedule around.

I hope some of these tips help for the upcoming year ahead and I wish a ton of success to your and your team! 

Good luck!

Sal.

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

The post Dear Sal, how I can keep revenue coming in during slower times? appeared first on Spa Executive.

Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. 

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com.

Q. Hello, Sal.

I have been happily working at my hotel-resort spa for one and a half years as a spa coordinator. My manager has informed all of us that our hours would be cut because of this slow time.

I was hired full-time before the newest part-time coordinator, yet she has more hours than I have weekly. I really enjoy my career and do not know what to do or who to turn to about this unfair amount of hours that has been given to me. Please advise me.

Thank you.

A. Hello, 

First and foremost I am sorry your hours have been reduced. The past couple of years in the spa and wellness industry have been a bit volatile for everyone from management to practitioners, especially if you are working at a resort that is highly dependent on travel demand. 

My first thought would be to have a discussion with your boss to learn the hard facts. I would be curious to know if this happened last year as well, I know you had mentioned you have been with this brand for a year and a half. Do they have a slow season each year or was this a one-off decision? 

Nonetheless, frustrating because you may have a family to take care of or other people depending on you. 

I would schedule a time to meet your manager and ask questions like: How long do they anticipate this “slow period?” If it is an annual occurrence, why wasn’t it mentioned to you when you were hired? Is this solely based on the slow period and not because of performance related issues? But also tune into what your gut is telling you. Have you noticed a change in foot traffic? Does the spa seem slower? If yes, then budgeting in that department is definitely coming into play and that’s never easy for anybody from the messenger to the recipient. 

But this isn’t the end of the world. The majority of people in the industry are wearing many hats right now. Do you see yourself in a management position in the future? Now may be a great time to segue. Let your boss, and their boss know that you are interested in picking up additional hours across other departments if possible. Highlight your strengths and the transferable skills you have learned in this department and from the brand itself to showcase your worth. Hopefully they see that you’re eager to not only learn more but your commitment to stay with this brand. 

I do hope this helps and that they have additional opportunities for you before the spa needs you back full time again. 

Sometimes all hands are tied when it comes to certain things and it may be time to see yourself at another brand or even begin passively or actively looking for another opportunity you are interested in. It’s always tough to make that call especially when you love what you do and the co-workers with whom you have spent the past year and a half building relationships. But if it comes to that point, you should rest easier knowing that you put your best foot forward and opened yourself up to your boss and the company by expressing that you wanted to learn more and take on more with them! 

Good luck!

Sal.

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

The post Dear Sal, help! My hours have been cut while a newer employee has more hours than me appeared first on Spa Executive.

In a new regular feature, Sal Capizzi, Marketing Director at Book4Time and a former Director of Spa and Wellness at NEXUS Luxury Collection, shares his expert insight into your reader questions. 

Send your queries about managing staff, operations, and anything else you want to know (challenge him!) to scapizzi@spaexecutive.com

Q. Dear Sal,

I recently hired a new massage therapist. This person looked great on paper and came across very well during the hiring process – thoughtful, professional, attentive, willing to upsell, work hard and go above and beyond, etc. And for the first month they were all those things. Then it was like everything changed out of the blue. The employee called in sick a few times, started being less meticulous, their sales decreased, and they have even had a complaint from a customer about their attitude during a treatment. 

I’m stunned at the turnaround and not sure what to do about it. They are still in their first three months and within their probation period, so I could let them go. Or I can try to fix it, but it feels a bit like it wouldn’t be worth the effort. How can I address this issue or should I even bother and just let them go? I am reluctant to do this because of how hard it is to find employees these days. What do you think?

Sharon

A. Hi Sharon, 

I’m sorry to hear that performance has been an issue with this massage therapist. It sounds like there was a lot of hope during the interview process and well into the first month of employment. Personally, I like to take an empathic approach to situations like these, life happens and we don’t necessarily know everyone’s story or situation and a lot can happen over a month. Even though it has always been encouraged not to bring “personal baggage” into the workplace, you liked something about this person, personally. Maybe it was the way they carried themselves or their warm approach to a conversation, or maybe they were funny. 

I think the best course of action here would be to have a 1-on1 conversation with this therapist, maybe over coffee or tea. Perhaps angle this as a 30 or 60 day check in. This allows both you to express your thoughts on how performance has been going and you also open up the floor to allow the therapist to express themselves or state their case on any of the findings you bring up during this conversation. 

Maybe this therapist is going to tell you someone close passed away and they haven’t had time to grieve. You can then come up with your own course of action as per policy and how you see fit for your spa. Or maybe this opportunity didn’t pan out to what they thought it was going to be and didn’t know how to come right out and say this. The conversation allows you to open that door and come up with a mutual solution that benefits both parties. It also allows you to go over metrics and reassess expectations, maybe provide an action plan without letting the current situation continue on.

This therapist is a provider and provides treatments to people in what can feel like vulnerable situations, so you cannot let their “new” attitude go into the treatment room with them or reflect on customer experiences. When employees feel cared for and heard that has the trickle down effect into what they put into their craft and the energy they bring into work. I would say nip this in the bud and have that conversation!  

Spa Executive is published by Book4Time, the leader in guest management, revenue and mobile solutions for the most exclusive spas, hotels, and resorts around the globe. Learn more at book4time.com.

The post Dear Sal: my new massage therapist isn’t working out like I planned. What now? appeared first on Spa Executive.