The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up your Spa Treatments: Perfection comes from the Details

Welcome! Today’s post on the Esthetician’s Corner, where we cover everything in operating an esthetics and professional skin care business (with an emphasis on Vancouver), is going to be all about perfecting your spa’s space and the delivery of your spa treatment (s) to make it uniquely yours. If you want to impress your clients and give them some special bits to talk about when they’re referring friends and colleagues to you, then you’re going to want to read this article. First we’re going to discuss the entry into your space as first impressions are everything and how you welcome your clients. Next we’ll talk about in-treatment points that you can use to add to your spa clients’ experiences. Finally we’ll of course discuss the exit, and how to really leave a stamp on your client’s mind about how they just enjoyed an amazing spa/beauty treatment. Some of these tips could also be used in a professional hair salon as well!

First Impressions: How Clients Judge Your Spa (ce)!

Photo credit to Spa Time in Tsawwassen (www.spatime.ca)

The first thing that anyone is going to notice when they walk into the your spa or salon is going to be cleanliness. Now not only are there a number of regulations that you need to be following to stop the health inspector from shutting you down, but making sure that the place isn’t cluttered or disorganized and that there aren’t magazines lying around is going to be crucial in setting a good impression for your beauty & wellness business. A messy or cluttered space can be very activating for the mind and therefore make it difficult for the client to get into relaxation mode.

And this is also where the greeting comes into play. A friendly smile and a gentle “Good Afternoon Mr./Mrs. ____, welcome to ____ spa/salon.” is always going to nail the intro (especially with new clients as they start to get to know you), master this and you’ll always be starting off on the right foot with a client and remind them that you’re there for them. 

If you have a waiting area in your spa make sure that the seating is both comfortable but still professional. That free couch off craigslist is probably not going to cut it here. Every piece of décor in your spa should fit together with the exception of maybe a few standout art pieces.

Which brings me to my next point: interesting décor in your spa! Partnering with local artist to put some of their pieces on display could replace the conventional IKEA pieces that seem to have made their way into just about everyone’s homes will definitely create some talking points and it might be another way to help support the artist if you offer to consign it for them! Posters and marketing material are also important to draw the clients attention, just make sure it’s not overbearing!

This next point is definitely one that might depend on how much space you’ve got but part of your greeting and first impression is going to be the creature comforts that you provide the client when they walk in. If they have a few minutes before their treatment (which they should!) are you providing them some relaxing tea or a sugar-free cookie snack? Do they need to change into a robe and sandals? Where do they do that? The changing room is another part of the spa and so should look like it as well.  These are types of details are going to be what sets your spa apart!

With any first time client there should always be some consultation & information collection form to go through in order to make sure all the important bases are covered, such as what their skin care goals are and why they’re coming to you. As a long-time beauty supplier in Vancouver, Breizh can definitely help you create those types of things when you start up!

Next: Inside Your Spa Treatment Room!

Cleanliness: This is a theme that carries through this whole guide. Again just making sure the client has an easy time navigating their way into comfort with nothing to distracting. Clean sheets are always a nice touch too. ;)

And again what are you providing the client with once inside the treatment room? If they needed to change in the spa treatment room then is there somewhere they can stick their belongings? Is the blanket you’ve got on the bed warm enough? Is it too warm? Do you have AC? These ones are the details that make up for a perfect treatment

The friendliness of your esthetician’s approach is the next item on this list, however THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! As the esthetician’s personality is really going to be what the client connects with during the treatment and most clients are actually quite forgiving in what they’ll let go as long they have a personable esthetician and feel like they got a good facial! Just making sure that you’re open to dialogue with the client will show them that you’re at ease with whatever makes them at ease.

Following the “at ease” theme, making sure to check in with your client during their treatment and ensuring that they feel comfortable goes a long way in helping the client feel at ease, but also to take note of what they think of the product you’re using so that later when you ask them for retail business they’ll remember a bit about what they product felt like. Good times to check-in then would be when you’re applying something that can be sold later on. You can only do this maybe 2-3 times in one treatment, excluding a quick check-in at the beginning and end of any treatment, before it starts to sound pushy so pick your favorites.

Unique Touches to add to your facial could be incorporating an essential oil blends into different parts of your treatments. For example when giving a massage, have a little bit on your wrists so the client can still benefit from the aromatherapy but without any risk for allergies. Also the towels and types of décor that you use in your room are going to play a part in the clients sense of the overall spa experience.

Last but not least: Exiting your Spa

Once you’ve confirmed your clients feeling good and comfortable post treatment, the next step is to provide some tea and maybe a biscuit (get the blood sugar up a bit ;P) and if you have a good space for it, let the client sit and wait in a peaceful area for a few minutes to catch up to the world before you do your exit consultation.

THIS STEP sets apart the average from the most successful spas and estheticians out there: The Exit Consultation. It’s at this point that you are going to talk to the client about home care to continue the effects of the treatment they just received. We’ll be doing a separate blog article on this one very soon ;)  

Once the exit consultation is done rebooking & information collection are going to be next. Here you will of course rebook the client for a time that is appropriate for both their skin care goals, budget and availability. Typically 3-6 weeks in between appointments should suffice. If you have an email newsletter then this would also be the ideal time to have the client provide their email address and connect with you on any social media channels.

A few days after the treatment it’s always lovely if your receptionist or someone else in your spa/business gives the client a friendly phone call just to ask them what they liked about the treatment, and if there was anything that could have made it better. If not then thank them for their time and wish them a wonderful day.  

And BAM! Implementing as much of the above as possible will definitely be huge steps forward for your spa and a bit of a commitment to excellence, however your retail spa sales will boom and your rebooking rate for esthetics services will skyrocket! And don’t forget to ask for those Yelp & Google reviews! (Speaking of which if you could leave us a review here: Breizh Esthetics & Salon Supply, it would be super appreciated!)

As Vancouver’s largest supplier of professional skin care, waxing, depilatory & spa solutions, Breizh Esthetics & Salon Supply Co. (for 32 years!) is proud to be able to deliver this content to you and help you build up and improve your spa, salon & esthetics business. Make sure to check in next week for another tip on what you can put into practice to improve your experience as a Spa Owner!

Cheers,

Taylor Opheim