7 minute read
The future of spa
spa future The of
e all agree that the marketplace we occupy is very competitive and getting tighter and tighter year on year. And, in the midst of the current global pandemic, we find ourselves in a place where we cannot predict, or even begin to make any assumptions, as to how the post COVID-19 consumer will behave. One thing is for certain though – creating a tailored and completely personalised experience is what will determine a returning (and loyal) customer.
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I want to first of all share with you the Top 5 Brands Taking Personalisation to the Next Level, as published by Forbes. Yes, they are not in our professional beauty and wellness space, but we can learn so much from them and take a few pointers on how each brand views the personalisation experience.
Providing an entirely personalised customer service is a goal and mission for these businesses, because it breeds loyalty and a strong referral culture. W MARISA DIMITRIADIS outlines how creating personalised experiences will pave the way for spa businesses in the post COVID-19 era.
1. Amazon
Amazon uses powerful algorithms to personalise your homepage, tailoring product recommendations based on your search and purchase record.
2. Sainsbury’s
A British supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s implemented coupon-at-till technology to print targeted coupons on products customers wanted to buy. Plus, it uses smart phone location data to deliver personalised offers to customers in and around the shop, on their mobiles.
3. Nike
This sportswear brand has created its own product personalisation app, called NikeID.
4. Cadbury
Cadbury’s integrated social video marketing campaign let consumers craft a personalised video that incorporated photos and names extracted from their Facebook account.
5. Netflix:
Not only does this streaming service show you film and TV recommendations based on the content you’ve watched, it even personalises film covers, giving prominence to actors or actresses you’re familiar with.
Diginomica.com
This is a digital media platform that provides content rich and informed reports and opinions to provide up-to-date analyst insight across three main areas of focus – digital, apps and technology. Diginomica. com’s predictions of consumer demands for the next decade make for an interesting read, as you can see in the extract below.
“Consumers’ expectations of companies are higher than ever before. In particular, they now demand a tailored experience that is personalised to their wants and needs, whether it is in a physical store or online. For example, 75% of consumers are more likely to
buy from a retailer that recognises them by name, recommends options based on past purchases, or knows their purchase history. This shift to personalisation is largely the result of retail giants such as Amazon, which have raised the bar on catering to consumers. Companies are now having to think about how they create a consumer experience that sets them apart in a highly competitive marketplace.”
Takeaway
I feel that what is important to take from the above is that we, as an industry, are sharing the consumer that is buying on Amazon, therefore we should be adapting and changing the way
we run our business to marry this ‘personalised and tailored experience’.
So, how can you as a salon or spa personalise the experience you offer your guest? I’m going to give you five simple ideas, however before you quickly jump in and say that you are doing that already, think about it carefully and consider if you are really fully doing it, or if there is room for improvement. Also, do you have an SOP for your staff that trains each of these ideas? And, have you performed a training session with your staff to show them exactly how to do it and what words to say?
Do you have client cards?
I can almost hear you all saying, what a stupid question of course we do! Well, let’s take the idea further. Is the client card updated at each visit (i.e. can you see clearly what products the client bought at the last visit and what was discussed at the last visit)?
This simple tiny document, be it digital on a tablet or on paper, is the single most important item to personalising the guest >
experience. The client profile or card contains information like massage pressure preference and any dislikes and likes. For example, a specific client might love a heated pack on her stomach during the facial, or might love a particular herbal tea, which you then bring her automatically even if she didn’t ask for it. This just makes her feel that you remember and care. So, even if she does not feel like the hot pack on that day, she will accept it and be so impressed that you remembered and that is what counts.
A client card helps you plan what you will retail to the client before she has even arrived, as you have her full purchase history and you can present her with what the gaps are. There are not many salons, and even fewer spas, that use client cards the way they should be used.
A birthday call
I know you all send messages but that is NOT personal. A phone call, and even better, a little video recording from the salon staff wishing the client a happy birthday is ideal. A small gesture like this goes a long way to personalisation.
Music preferences
Sound has the ability to make people feel and behave a certain way. Are you forcing the whale sounds or rain sounds on your clients, or do you allow them to choose from three types of music for that specific treatment? For example, the three choices could be: House Music, Ambient Music and Soul Music. Then, depending on how the client is feeling that day, they will choose the music that gives you an indication as to their mood.
Aroma choices
Aroma is by far the most powerful personalisation tool you have and also the most underutilised in our industry. The 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report quotes Joanne De Luca of Sputnik Futures as saying: “The future of fragrance will be using scent to ‘biohack’ our brains and bodies to perform better.”
If you are doing a massage, and we all know that massage is our most profitable treatment, why is our industry still using the cheapest possible base oil to perform the massages? Add another R20 to your costing and I guarantee you won’t go broke because it will still be your most profitable treatment, but will give the client quality and a choice of at least four different smells. If this is done correctly with the correct dialogue, the referrals you will get will happen naturally because the treatment was personalised.
Aroma psychology is a whole topic on its own but make the commitment to start the personalisation of scent choice immediately.
Personal messages to client post treatment
A personal message should be sent to the client after the treatment that relates specifically to that particular treatment and/ or any retail purchased, and it should also offer one lifestyle tip to enhance the treatment. I am sure most of you are sending generic thank you for visiting our spa or salon messages and I can assure you clients are not reading them.
However, if your message says something like: ‘Mrs Peterson, (be sure to call the client by their preferred name, be it surname or first name), we trust your massage with us was unlike any other you have had before. You chose the Arnica & Mint aroma because your body is experiencing muscle aches and pains, so please be sure after today’s massage to try and do some stretching tonight and tomorrow to enhance the massage. Can’t wait to see you again soon, have a blessed weekend (or week if they came in on a week day) Love, Spa xxxxx.’ This message is personal, and because it starts with their name, they will read it.
These are five starting points to work with and there are many more ideas that you can pick up from our Spa Professionals Guild Online Network. PB
Marisa Dimitriadis if the founder and owner of The Spa Consultants.
