Getting it Right
How to reduce ‘pain points’ to retain customers
By Monica Schuloff Smith
Originally published in Skin Deep, July/August 2009. Copyright 2009. Associated Skin Care Professionals. All right reserved.
While attracting new clients always seems to be the biggest challenge for any skin care or spa business, in worrisome times like these, the greater challenge has now become client retention. Lately, our economy has all of us a little annoyed and less tolerant of small issues. This couldn't be more true for spa and skin care customers who are stringently watching their wallets as they brace for the media's newest reports and ask themselves, "Is it worth it?" before they book a facial, says Sherry Taylor, advanced paramedical instructor for Steiner Education Group in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
"For those directly affected by job loss or investment disaster, I am sure spas are moved from the 'must' list to the 'when I can afford it' list. Even those not directly affected have become more cautious--adding a few extra weeks between visits and perhaps scaling back on the length and number of services," says Julie Register, managing director of operations for SpaQuality, LLC, and owner/editor of Discoverspas.com.
Pain Points and Customer Service
Richard Rosenberg, a business and product development consultant in River Vale, New Jersey, says spas must focus on how they can make client visits better than ever to keep customer retention high. In other words, the new face of business requires that professionals evaluate their pain points and correct them.
Pain points are tied to customer service. They are a level of difficulty or a problem that motivates a client to seek a solution or an alternative. Each of your contacts or interactions with a customer can be a pain point if situations aren't handled well. In baseball terms, pain points are strikes against you. If customers experience too many pain points, they may simply stop doing business with you.
Lydia Sarfati, founder and CEO of the skin care product manufacturer Repechage says that as a spa's budget shrinks, customer service should not suffer, but improve. Janet McCormick, skin and nail care educator and spa consultant, agrees and adds that customer service is really the easiest, least expensive, and most effective way to market your business.
"We can cut other things that won't directly affect the customer experience," says Amy Waldorf, esthetician and owner of Harmony Day Spa in Caldwell, New Jersey. "We need to give clients reasons to come back and unwind."
Spa consultant Tom Kuhn, owner of Qnity in Minneapolis, says it's more important than ever for teams to step up and fill roles outside of their normal job functions, so the client is always taken care of.
"One mistake so many of us make is not setting standards and protocols for your guest's experience," says Kimberley Comiskey, president of Kimberley's a Day Spa in Latham, New York.
Wait Time
Waiting is by far the biggest pain point that a skin care or spa business must remedy, and fortunately, with a little organization, the easiest to fix. McCormick says simply adding more front-desk people can reduce wait time. "Professionals must watch the clock and know what can be added without running late," she says.
Rosenberg says if you're running late, make it known to the client that you are aware of the delay and offer some sort of interim treatment, free of charge, such as a unique beverage or guided meditation so he or she can relax. If more than one service is booked, and it makes sense, you could switch the service order. If not, offer a gift that could be used afterward or a certificate for use at a follow-up visit.
Sarfati feels professionals should be on time no matter what. "Schedule 15 minutes between appointments to clean and prepare the room so it does not run into a customer's appointment time," she says. "In the case that the scheduled esthetician is running late, someone must at least get the client started. You must always take the client right away."
Clean and Friendly Environment
No matter how fast you take a client in, if your business is unsanitary or staff is rushed and unfriendly, you may strike out on keeping that client happy, Taylor says.
"Professionals must be trained on how to respond properly to clients, in every part of the service, from entrance to exit. An example would be how to escort a client to the room or dressing area--never turn your back on them. They must walk beside you and know your eyes are on them," McCormick says. "And, speak quietly."
Register agrees and suggests spas create a quality system that is guest-focused. "Making your guests feel valued costs nothing," she says. "It must be part of the culture of the spa. It is the responsibility of spa management to ensure staff understands and acts accordingly."
"An unprofessional and/or unknowledgeable service provider and also one who doesn't seem to really care, but just seems to be going through the motions--these traits come through to the client loud and clear. Practice universal precautions and keep everything spotless, including the locker rooms and restrooms," Taylor says.
Beyond cleanliness, experts say to evaluate sensory issues such as a room being too cold or too hot, distracting voices or noises from outside treatment rooms, or unpleasant aromas. Also, see that the provider doesn't become too chatty or overly personal. "Teach staff to take clues from the client," Sarfati says. "If the client is calm and quiet, do not try to make it social and chat about personal life. The client is there for relaxation."
The professional needs to be intuitive, McCormick says. "Watch a customer's eyes and his or her physical response to everything. Pay attention and you can correct pain points by eliminating irritating activities."
Ounce of Prevention
In order to get it right every time, experts agree it comes back to education and asking guests for their feedback. Register also warns simply asking how a treatment was as the guest checks out is meaningless unless the spa keeps data on the responses.
Kuhn believes the team should work together using collective experiences with all customers to predict pain-point risks and create systems to prevent them. He advocates that spas only promise what they can deliver.
"Create and distribute surveys, thank-you gifts, cards, and questionnaires with incentives for services and/or products attached to them," Rosenberg says. These can be done online, through direct mail, or by telephone.
E-mail surveys conducted twice annually work for Waldorf. "They are very detailed and give us an accurate idea of whether we dropped the ball and where," she says. "Also, we are rolling out a more formal follow-up system post-appointment to ensure a great experience. If we missed something, we really do want to know and fix it."
For solo estheticians, discovering pain points may be a tad more difficult, but the principles are essentially the same as those used in bigger venues. Experts agree you just need to ask. McCormick says wording can soften your questions and make them less personal and direct. "Ask the client if she would change anything in the service to be more comfortable and enjoyable," she says.
Sarfati says you'll know you are failing when your clients are not returning. "Clients may not be truthful with you when asked directly," Rosenberg says. "Asking can be done anonymously. This is important as you really want the truth, not to be told that you are doing great when in reality people aren't truly satisfied."
Some in the industry feel it's wise to hire a mystery shopper or have a friend or relative visit a spa and report back. Taylor has used mystery shoppers and reports weaknesses always seem to be at check-in, checkout, and on the telephone. Other spa owners have uncovered issues with robe length and size, the comfort of the facial beds, and even the hygiene of the esthetician.
Regular Reviews
Depending on the shape of your business, the number of rebookings, and the feedback given, reviewing your pain-point risks should occur rather frequently. If everything is running smoothly, evaluate quarterly. If things are not smooth, evaluate monthly or even weekly, until everything is working smoothly.
"Collecting, evaluating, and acting on guest feedback should be part of a spa's formal continual improvement process," says Register, whose company offers anonymous guest assessments by trained and certified quality assessors.
Kuhn says he's a firm believer in short, daily meetings, as many of his clients have experienced transformations by adding a 5-10-minute huddle each day. "Pain points should come up and be addressed as part of these daily meetings," he says.
With customer service at the highest levels and pain points in check, a spa should not have to suffer needlessly from client retention problems. No pain means your gain.
Monica Schuloff Smith is a Miami-based freelance writer, industry consultant, and editor and is the former editor in chief of Les Nouvelles Esthtiques & Spa. She has authored hundreds of articles related to the skin care and spa industries. Smith is serving her third governor-appointed term as a member of the Florida Board of Cosmetology. She can be reached at monsmith@bellsouth.net.
While attracting new clients always seems to be the biggest challenge for any skin care or spa business, in worrisome times like these, the greater challenge has now become client retention. Lately, our economy has all of us a little annoyed and less tolerant of small issues. This couldn't be more true for spa and skin care customers who are stringently watching their wallets as they brace for the media's newest reports and ask themselves, "Is it worth it?" before they book a facial, says Sherry Taylor, advanced paramedical instructor for Steiner Education Group in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
"For those directly affected by job loss or investment disaster, I am sure spas are moved from the 'must' list to the 'when I can afford it' list. Even those not directly affected have become more cautious--adding a few extra weeks between visits and perhaps scaling back on the length and number of services," says Julie Register, managing director of operations for SpaQuality, LLC, and owner/editor of Discoverspas.com.
Pain Points and Customer Service
Richard Rosenberg, a business and product development consultant in River Vale, New Jersey, says spas must focus on how they can make client visits better than ever to keep customer retention high. In other words, the new face of business requires that professionals evaluate their pain points and correct them.
Pain points are tied to customer service. They are a level of difficulty or a problem that motivates a client to seek a solution or an alternative. Each of your contacts or interactions with a customer can be a pain point if situations aren't handled well. In baseball terms, pain points are strikes against you. If customers experience too many pain points, they may simply stop doing business with you.
Lydia Sarfati, founder and CEO of the skin care product manufacturer Repechage says that as a spa's budget shrinks, customer service should not suffer, but improve. Janet McCormick, skin and nail care educator and spa consultant, agrees and adds that customer service is really the easiest, least expensive, and most effective way to market your business.
"We can cut other things that won't directly affect the customer experience," says Amy Waldorf, esthetician and owner of Harmony Day Spa in Caldwell, New Jersey. "We need to give clients reasons to come back and unwind."
Spa consultant Tom Kuhn, owner of Qnity in Minneapolis, says it's more important than ever for teams to step up and fill roles outside of their normal job functions, so the client is always taken care of.
"One mistake so many of us make is not setting standards and protocols for your guest's experience," says Kimberley Comiskey, president of Kimberley's a Day Spa in Latham, New York.
Wait Time
Waiting is by far the biggest pain point that a skin care or spa business must remedy, and fortunately, with a little organization, the easiest to fix. McCormick says simply adding more front-desk people can reduce wait time. "Professionals must watch the clock and know what can be added without running late," she says.
Rosenberg says if you're running late, make it known to the client that you are aware of the delay and offer some sort of interim treatment, free of charge, such as a unique beverage or guided meditation so he or she can relax. If more than one service is booked, and it makes sense, you could switch the service order. If not, offer a gift that could be used afterward or a certificate for use at a follow-up visit.
Sarfati feels professionals should be on time no matter what. "Schedule 15 minutes between appointments to clean and prepare the room so it does not run into a customer's appointment time," she says. "In the case that the scheduled esthetician is running late, someone must at least get the client started. You must always take the client right away."
Clean and Friendly Environment
No matter how fast you take a client in, if your business is unsanitary or staff is rushed and unfriendly, you may strike out on keeping that client happy, Taylor says.
"Professionals must be trained on how to respond properly to clients, in every part of the service, from entrance to exit. An example would be how to escort a client to the room or dressing area--never turn your back on them. They must walk beside you and know your eyes are on them," McCormick says. "And, speak quietly."
Register agrees and suggests spas create a quality system that is guest-focused. "Making your guests feel valued costs nothing," she says. "It must be part of the culture of the spa. It is the responsibility of spa management to ensure staff understands and acts accordingly."
"An unprofessional and/or unknowledgeable service provider and also one who doesn't seem to really care, but just seems to be going through the motions--these traits come through to the client loud and clear. Practice universal precautions and keep everything spotless, including the locker rooms and restrooms," Taylor says.
Beyond cleanliness, experts say to evaluate sensory issues such as a room being too cold or too hot, distracting voices or noises from outside treatment rooms, or unpleasant aromas. Also, see that the provider doesn't become too chatty or overly personal. "Teach staff to take clues from the client," Sarfati says. "If the client is calm and quiet, do not try to make it social and chat about personal life. The client is there for relaxation."
The professional needs to be intuitive, McCormick says. "Watch a customer's eyes and his or her physical response to everything. Pay attention and you can correct pain points by eliminating irritating activities."
Ounce of Prevention
In order to get it right every time, experts agree it comes back to education and asking guests for their feedback. Register also warns simply asking how a treatment was as the guest checks out is meaningless unless the spa keeps data on the responses.
Kuhn believes the team should work together using collective experiences with all customers to predict pain-point risks and create systems to prevent them. He advocates that spas only promise what they can deliver.
"Create and distribute surveys, thank-you gifts, cards, and questionnaires with incentives for services and/or products attached to them," Rosenberg says. These can be done online, through direct mail, or by telephone.
E-mail surveys conducted twice annually work for Waldorf. "They are very detailed and give us an accurate idea of whether we dropped the ball and where," she says. "Also, we are rolling out a more formal follow-up system post-appointment to ensure a great experience. If we missed something, we really do want to know and fix it."
For solo estheticians, discovering pain points may be a tad more difficult, but the principles are essentially the same as those used in bigger venues. Experts agree you just need to ask. McCormick says wording can soften your questions and make them less personal and direct. "Ask the client if she would change anything in the service to be more comfortable and enjoyable," she says.
Sarfati says you'll know you are failing when your clients are not returning. "Clients may not be truthful with you when asked directly," Rosenberg says. "Asking can be done anonymously. This is important as you really want the truth, not to be told that you are doing great when in reality people aren't truly satisfied."
Some in the industry feel it's wise to hire a mystery shopper or have a friend or relative visit a spa and report back. Taylor has used mystery shoppers and reports weaknesses always seem to be at check-in, checkout, and on the telephone. Other spa owners have uncovered issues with robe length and size, the comfort of the facial beds, and even the hygiene of the esthetician.
Regular Reviews
Depending on the shape of your business, the number of rebookings, and the feedback given, reviewing your pain-point risks should occur rather frequently. If everything is running smoothly, evaluate quarterly. If things are not smooth, evaluate monthly or even weekly, until everything is working smoothly.
"Collecting, evaluating, and acting on guest feedback should be part of a spa's formal continual improvement process," says Register, whose company offers anonymous guest assessments by trained and certified quality assessors.
Kuhn says he's a firm believer in short, daily meetings, as many of his clients have experienced transformations by adding a 5-10-minute huddle each day. "Pain points should come up and be addressed as part of these daily meetings," he says.
With customer service at the highest levels and pain points in check, a spa should not have to suffer needlessly from client retention problems. No pain means your gain.
Monica Schuloff Smith is a Miami-based freelance writer, industry consultant, and editor and is the former editor in chief of Les Nouvelles Esthtiques & Spa. She has authored hundreds of articles related to the skin care and spa industries. Smith is serving her third governor-appointed term as a member of the Florida Board of Cosmetology. She can be reached at monsmith@bellsouth.net.
