Having standards for the way your staff communicate with guests is crucial to maintaining the desired professional atmosphere for your spa. Staff interactions with your spa and salon guests are of utmost importance.
There are many communications skills and standards that should be expected in all workplaces, and then there are other more subjective standards that will depend on the atmosphere you want for your spa.
In any spa, speaking clearly and making eye contact with guests should be a minimum standard of interaction. What is considered acceptable regarding other elements of verbal and physical interaction between staff and guests depends on the policies of the individual spa.
Staff should never be heard by a guest speaking negatively about management, guests, other staff, or the spa facility. The guest must experience only a positive attitude.
Policies should be developed for what constitutes acceptable behaviour for different categories of staff, and at different stages of the spa visit.
All Staff Members
Personal communication between staff and guests should also have standards. Do you have a list of topics that are to be avoided, such as religion or politics? The spa owner needs to decide the level of personal sharing that takes place. For example, is it alright to discuss the guest’s family or personal life only when the guest initiates the conversation? Or perhaps you let your staff use their own discretion based on the history between them and a particular guest? Is hugging OK? How about a ‘high-five’?
The Reception Team
Consistent in-person and phone communications standards must be established. Do you have a checklist for your reception staff? When a member of the reception team gets all the required information, it can help make the guest’s visit run more smoothly. How does your team respond if the guest does not want to share their email or credit card information? Who guides your spa or salon guest from reception to where they will receive the service? Is that the role of reception, or does the other staff member providing treatment meet them there? Making sure all staff know their role will make the spa guest’s visit run more smoothly and the experience be more enjoyable.
What does the conversation look like in the chair? Is there a set of mandatory topics such as the condition of hair and scalp, trends, and home care? Do you have guidelines for how communication takes place, for example: face to face, not in the mirror?
Estheticians, Massage therapists, and Medical therapists
Staff must know the details and standards of all services they provide in the spa, and be able to make recommendations. Does your spa have a policy in place for the pre-treatment conversation? Is your staff able to explain, in detail, the service the guest is about to receive? Do they give the guest an opportunity to ask questions? Are staff required to ‘check in’ with the spa guest during a service to ensure the guest is comfortable and that everything is satisfactory?
Assistants, Cleaners, and Other Staff
Defining the role of support staff will help them to do their job effectively, and contribute in a positive way to the guest’s experience. How much, and what type of, communication is expected between support staff and guests, and between support staff and other staff? Do you expect the cleaner to address a guest by name, or do you expect them to be ‘seen but not heard’?
Guest Retention
Do your guests leave happy and relaxed? Have you improved their mood? Brightened their day? If your spa guests experience consistent, positive treatment from your staff, you can count on them coming back.
So make sure you provide excellent services in a beautiful environment, but at the end of the day, it’s the human factor—your staff—that make the difference for your spa guests.
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