Renew Magazine - July/August 2008 - (Page 39)

they discuss service and retail goals, resolve any staﬀ issues and together contribute to building a better spa. “We’ve found that keeping the lines of communication open has greatly improved our working environment,” says Grossi, “and this helped grow our sales.” Rethink your cancellation policy. Like many spa owners, Maryling Yu of Pavia Day Spa in Saratoga, California, was at a loss about how to enforce a cancellation policy that was fair to both clients and staﬀ. Clients became upset when they were charged for missed appointments, but her service providers were also frustrated when they lost income. “It seems like goodwill is lost, no matter what,” she thought. Finally, she came up with a solution that she shared via newsletter with 2,300 clients and asked for their feedback. Her new plan? “Basically, it goes like this: As a spa, we want repeat business. That means we’re interested in a long-term relationship with our clients, not just one-night stands. So if ‘life’ happens to them, then we want to be understanding of that fact. We will charge a 50-percent cancellation fee, but we will then allow the client to use 100 percent of that fee towards their next service, so long as it occurs within three months of the original appointment that was canceled. This way, the client doesn’t ‘lose’ the value of their money. They will simply have pre-paid for part of their next appointment. “That preserves their goodwill, and meanwhile, it also ensures that they will, indeed, come back—if they want to use up their credit on ﬁle.” According to Yu, client feedback has been very positive. Green practices bring greenbacks. Many spa owners have embraced eco-friendly practices as being in line with the mission of their spa. Cheryl Currao, owner of Bella Vita Salon & Day Spa, in North Andover, Massachusetts is one of them. “We have set up an in-house recycling center where our clients can return old bottles and jars from products they have purchased here and, for each one they bring back, we reward them with a discount towards their next retail purchase.” Not only do clients respect Bella Vita’s goal, but they appreciate their rewards as well—and take full advantage. The spa’s assistants created the program, and they take all the old bottles to the town recycling center, making it a win-win program for owners and the Earth alike. 6 Be upfront with staff about your retailing expectations. If you expect your estheticians to sell as much as they service, let them know their goals. Lysa Kustek, owner of Le Petite Retreat in Los Angeles, California, says, “We tell our estheticians that 50 percent of their job is to promote product.” Think it won’t work? Kustek claims an average retail on a facial in her spa is $100. And the spa’s facials run $100-$150, so that’s nearly a 1 to 1 retail to service ratio. Kustek says it helps that they carry only a private label line, which is used in all their treatments and promoted in the spa and on their website. “It’s great, because you can only get it from us.” And when her staﬀers have clear instructions on retail goals, they’ll start aiming high from the beginning. 8 “We’ve found that keeping the lines of communication open has greatly improved our working environment and this helped grow our sales.” —Nicole Grossi Make booking a breeze. Rowena Yeager, owner of Studio Wish, in Streetsboro, Ohio, oﬀers eyebrow shaping and hair removal services to her clients— services that require particular maintenance schedules. Fortunately her software, Harms Milennium, makes it a snap for clients to book their next visit. At the front desk, a scheduling screen pops up automatically upon client check-out. “A coordinator always remembers to book the next appointment, and the system makes it easy for them to scan weeks ahead, or search by the type of service the client is looking for,” says Yeager. Even easier: Clients can book their own appointments online, cutting down on the need for front-desk staﬀ, back-ups at the checkout desk, and ringing phones. “We have our clients’ e-mail addresses and we give each person a password to book on our website,” explains Yeager. “They just search for availability, check the time slot they prefer and click ‘Schedule.’ Their appointment immediately pops up on our screen, and they get an e-mail conﬁrmation. Now, they can make an appointment any time—even at 1 a.m.!” R 9 7 july/august 2008 renewprofessional.com 39 http://renewprofessional.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Renew Magazine - July/August 2008

Renew- July/August 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Renew Face/Body/Mind/Spirit Reflect Editor's Picks Your Business Spa Spotlight Decor Ultimate Business Boosters Role Models Secrets of the Solo Esthetician Green Science Solutions Inside Ingredients

Renew Magazine - July/August 2008

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