Training is Draining

If you own a spa or if you are a spa director-training is draining.  No kidding.  I ran across a word document from 4 years ago entitled “Spa Training Issues”.  I expected to open and find an outline of a monthly meeting to the staff.  Instead I found a seven page document of issues that I felt were critical to the success of the spa.

It started out with “train on the basics, like don’t point” and ended with the expected values created for a customer–”was it the expected value or was it beyond the expected value”.   What the list told me was that training never ends.  The issues that were critical to the success of the spa four years ago are still critical issues in the spa. 

Engaging the guest, checklists for perfection, standards, etiquette, culture, service information, consultative selling, guest complaints, housekeeping,….and the list goes on and on and on.  You see training can be draining, but it is critical to success.

Create “SuperDuper, Over the Top” Service – Beat the Big Boys

When you don’t have the fountains, the water walls, the steam rooms or the ocean view, how can you compete?  Create exceptional, no create legendary service.  Today, we are so caught up in the hype of creating these massive spa structures with amenities that are beyond the grasp of the spa consumer, that we forget about just giving down-to-earth, basic, hospitable, honest service.

So when you need to compete with the big boys, here’s a couple of ideas:

1. Customer service will always topple the competition.  It does not matter how big the building or the water wall, customer service will win.
2. Knowledge is power–it seems so cliche, but the more you know–it is power.
3. Understand verbal and non-verbal behavior and teach your staff the importance of verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
4. Expect the best.  Do you have in your head an expectation for the best?  Your customers do, why not ask them and give them something extra.
5. Shop your spa.  Find out how they really treat clients.  Find out how they answer the phone.  What happens from start to finish with the spa?

Creating over the top service is a full time job, but you will forever beat the big boys.

Is That Your Spa Voice? Telephone Training in the Spa

Training in the spa includes working with your staff who may answer the phone to put on their spa phone voice.  No matter how you answer the phone, the tone of voice, the manner of the voice, and the speed of the voice will indicate to the caller your intentions.  Fast or slow, the caller will immediately identify with the voice.  High pitched or low pitched, the caller will respond accordingly. 

Work with your staff to answer the phone with a pleasant happy tone.  Then test your staff.  Call the spa not once or twice, call 2-3 times per day.  Call at peak call times to see how the phone is being answered.   Call at dead times to see how the phone is being answered.  In training any staff that answer the phone, it is a very delicate task to train someone on telephone voice.  Someone with a very abrasive voice has difficulty communicating on the phone, while squeak voices are never able to really communicate with clients. 

Training on telephone voice is critical to booking appointments and future business.  As Rick Segal says, we are not in the “retail” or “spa” business, we are in the experience and entertainment business.  How did your future client experience the spa?  Was she entertained?  Did she feel rushed?  Was the person on the other end nice?  Did they understand them?

Would Tiger Woods Win If He Never Trained or Practiced?

When the spa staff start complaining about training, I ask one question,

“Would Tiger Woods win if he had never trained or practiced?” 
Of course, they look at me, and say, “Hey, we are not Tiger Woods.” 
And, I say, “Guess you will never be at the Master’s–at least not at the Spa Masters”

Training in the spa or salon is key to providing consistent and quality service.  There are no substitutions for training.  There are no easy outs, no osmosis, no drinking funny water.  Staff from the front of the house to the back of the house need consistent, quality training.  This means that you must set aside valuable time (yes, you could be making money) to provide your staff with ongoing, hands-on training.  This is a key factor in your success. 

Training topics are endless from the actual hands-on treatment and protocols, to etiquette in handling a difficult guest.  Training in the spa never stops and you can never know enough–even if you are an industry veteran–you have to train and practice to stay in the game. 

Did Brett Favre stop training and practicing at being a great quarterback until he retired?
Did Michael Jordan stop training and practicing because Nike gave him a nice contract?

No, Tiger would not win if he never trained or practiced….and if you do not train or practice in the spa–your spa will not win. 

What Has That Therapist Been Smoking? Her Peace Pipe?

You train, you train, and you train.  You have staff and employees for years, and yet, just when you think everything is going well, your very best therapist decides to share her recent medical maladies.  You wish you could take it back, but the damage is done.

I was so looking forward to my 85 minute Indian Body Wrap and Massage, and was on the table in seconds.  The therapist held up the Indian peace pipe and explained that the ritual would include ancient Indian peace rituals—I can not get enough of this.  She then gave two little coughs. I expressed concern and she replied, “oh it’s nothing but my gall bladder”.

Alarmed, I said-”your gall bladder”—she replied, “it’s been acting up lately and it makes me cough”.   She then started the massage, but the Indian magic was over.  As she continued the massage, she kept up the little cough and kept leaving the table to get sips of water.

Finally, after 30 minutes, I gave in to “this massage is over,  Thank you.”  Putting on my robe, and leaving the treatment room, I was met at the door by the spa director.  “What is the problem?  What happened?”  I explained what happened.  She said that this therapist had been with her for over 10 years and she was very good and never had a complaint.  Great,  I thought, for ten years, this woman has been telling everyone her ailments and inflicting her bad mojo energy on guests. 

What part of zip your lip did this therapist not get?  Even after I ended the massage, I still don’t think she fully understood why I was ending the massage.  It’s no fun to listen to other people complain, especially when you are paying for it.

Three little rules for all therapists: 

1. If they ask a question, answer with one word. 
2. Keep the chatter to a minimum.
3. Unless you are having heart failure (or something similar), don’t ever let the guest see you sweat.