Hi,
opening new Spa very soon,have chosen location,staff,and product ranges very carefully.
However a new Spa opens almost daily - in this town!!
I have read so much and learned so much on this site and now i really need your help.
Clients expect a great service ,or they will go elsewhwere,i think we all know that.
But what touches and extra bits do you offer to make you stand out from everybody else?
Is it your welcome?
Is it your technique?
Is it your salon ambience?
Is it just you?
What is it that,apart from your expertise,in your area be it skin ,hair or nails,makes you special?????

we have discussed this many times, so try using the search option to read ready made comments.

But, look at your spa from a 3 clients pov. One is nervous, never had a treatment done before, one has had everything done and has travelled extenstively and the other is a butterfly - dips in and out of routines and changes her salon often.

How would you engage them?

Then, walk into your spa, really look at the reception area, is it inviting, is it obvious where it is and what that person has to do to get a person to speak to them.

From their, where do they go for their treatment? Is it a sensory experience or is it an obstacle course.

When they enter the room, is their provision for them to have a private consultation, is the lighting set discreetly, does the room look warm and inviting.

Think that your client is buying into an experience, what is that experience? Does it make them want to return asap to get that experience?

Remember your staff represent you and your business. Are they informative, friendly, professional. do they all have eye contact and greet the client or do they all pretend to be busy to avoid having to deal with the client?

Thats just off the top of my head, I'll have a bit of a think and post back.

I think all the things you have mentioned are important and Ann has also given some great advice.

But another thing clients like is to feel that they are getting something 'extra' in their treatment. An extra massage during a facial, manicure or pedicure, or even during an eyelash tint!

A heated blanket on the couch, remembering their favourite drink ,tea or coffee and how they take it.

I always write little notes to myself on the back of the clients consultation card about anything they have mentioned during their visit like a holiday they're taking or about their family etc.
Make them feel special and individual in anyway you can.

Also another little tip that came from Fozzyo on another thread is at the beginning of their appointment ask them what they want to gain or how they want to be different after their treatment. I think it's a lovely touch and you can really make any treatment very personal for them and it will be appreciated and remembered and then they'll also tell their friends about how wonderful you are!!

I always like to suprise my client...a welcome pack or a goody bag, with samples of products you have used is a nice touch for the first visit...

Never treat a client like a friend. Though they may become a friend if you treat them often enough, when we think of them that way in a salon situation we often become complacent and don't take quite the care we should do. Always treat your client with the highest respect, and make sure every single treatment is given as if it was that client's first.

Also, one point about staffing...within a spa it's difficult, I know, but try to limit the amount of massages your therapists are allowed to perform in a day. A tired therapist is one who ends up not caring about her clients and about the treatment she provides. Then the treatment gets sloppy, as well as the greeting, and the send off. It's also a good idea to monitor your therapists occasionally too (Good excuse to get them to give you a treatment!! Or perhaps use a friend, or even a mystery shopper?). Just to make sure they're still at the top of their game and if not, see if perhaps you can put them on a training course to inspire them again.

For me, what makes a treatment, is being treated by a therapist who knows her stuff, and who is enthusiastic and friendly. I've started using a salon near me, not because of the ambience, or the products, or even the treatments, but because the therapist is so good, I completely trust her.

For me, it's the staff that are the most important thing.

Thank you all very much for your helpful advice,and i will certainly use the search facility a lot more.
mrs o

I know that when I visit a spa, apart from excellent service and treatments, I don't like to feel intimidated by the staff or the surroundings and a nice friendly and helpful welcome always goes down well.

Whereabouts in Co Kildare is the Spa going to be? I have a sister living in Celbridge and I would love to visit the Spa with her or even a treat for my sister.

Good luck!