What has changed during your decade in the spa industry?
Ten
years ago, people would say, “This is such a splurge for me.” Now you see
people going to spas more often.
People are losing the ability to relax.
I’ve done facials on people who are texting. I want to say, “Listen, you
can turn your phone off for just an hour.”
What annoys you?
My pet peeve is when people come in for a spa
service and don’t take a shower first. I’m talking about people who walk
around sightseeing all day in the summer. That’s kind of nasty.
Body
hair is not that big a deal. I don’t mind any particular body type but
prefer not to work on very athletic men. All that muscle—it’s
hard!
Are people tipping well despite the economic downturn?
Some
people are really good; others aren’t. Now when they come in for that
expensive treatment, they’re tapped out. They’re not interested in
upgrading or buying products.
What about annoying product pushes? Do I really need the
products?
We have sales quotas to meet. I don’t know if you’ll lose your
job, but you’ll definitely hear about it if you don’t upgrade enough or
sell enough products, especially in luxury spas.
I try to be honest—I
don’t feel I’m a salesperson. I might suggest one thing. Some therapists
suggest three to five.
Some people complain about bad experiences on sites like Yelp.
Do you know who those people are going to be before they post?
They don’t
wait—they complain at the front desk. Therapists are trained to ask a
client two to three times during the treatment if they’re satisfied so
that doesn’t happen. Some people are shy; the other half are looking for a
discount. Anyone who has worked in the service industry wouldn’t do
that.
What’s with a therapist who hovers at the front desk after my
treatment?
That’s a no-no in luxury spas. We’ll walk them to the changing
area, but to walk them to the front desk is tacky. If someone is going to
complain about you, do a better job; don’t just stand there.
Where do you spa?
I don’t need all the bells and whistles. I
just need a place that’s clean and therapists who are professionals. I’ve
gone to Massage Envy, but I stick to one person I like. If I want a
vigorous massage, I get a shiatsu massage at Spa World. Sometimes I get a
massage from a coworker. I’m not crazy about facials—my skin is so
sensitive it can’t handle them. I like places like Spa World, a place you
stay all day. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
