How can busy spa operators take their guest experience, so integral a part of their businesses, to the next level? Creating a guest experience audit, in which key standards are established, is the only practical and surefire way to gain an understanding of where you are and how to get...
From longer hours to ever-more-unique treatments, Coyle-referred professional mystery shoppers report that spas are responding to guests’ changing needs in 2011. With a bit of careful forethought, they’re gaining clients in the process. Tapa-Sized Treatments: More spas are embracing shorter treatments – from 15-minute quick fixes to 30-minute therapies...
I was fortunate to have been able participate in roundtable discussions during the latter part of this year’s ISPA Conference in Washington, D.C. During the session, attendees were able to sit with colleagues and discuss relevant industry topics. I had a seat at a table focused on deals and promotions....
Consumers want a good value. Businesses want consumer dollars. Group buying deals from companies like Groupon or Living Social strive to bridge this gap by appealing to businesses and consumers: the former get a burst of cash and exposure while the latter gets a bargain. The proliferation of copycat...
Each year, the International Spa Association (ISPA) conducts a spa industry study. This year’s newly released study reports on the state of the spa industry based on the “Big 5”: Revenue, Spa Visits, Locations, Employees and Spa Square Footage. Not surprisingly, for the first time since this survey began...
I recently relocated to Ithaca, NY, and one of my first priorities was finding a massage therapist with a specialty in prenatal massage (I am in my third trimester of pregnancy). After searching online, I found a few private massage therapists with this specialty and a few spas that had...
A spa I frequent locally has centralized their reservations: three locations, one call center. This spa also offers online booking which I have utilized in the past. Unfortunately, when I previously booked a hair cut with a provider I was unfamiliar with, the results were not positive; this time, I...
Websites offer certain advantages over phone contact. First, people can gather information much more rapidly by reading than by listening. Pictures also say a thousand words, and imagery can convey concepts in a more compelling way than conversation. Moreover, the website can hold dozens, even hundreds, of conversations concurrently,...
There was a time when many spa professionals would not have considered online booking for their spa. Scheduling supply/demand remains a challenge for even the busiest spa, and a simple request to extend a treatment or a request for a male therapist could turn order-taking into an ordeal. Also,...
Instead of publishing an annual trends piece or another ‘year in review’, Coyle went to its treasure trove of hard data and asked, “What would really help spas in 2010?” Coyle researchers analyzed more than 1,350 responses from spa goers about the things that ruined their spa experience. Why...
