There is a crisis of competency in the spa industry. The unprecedented growth of the spa industry has provoked a massive talent shortage in both production and management positions. A dearth of experienced and effective spa managers has left many facilities in the sorry position of "over-promising" and "under-delivering".. Unless it is quickly addressed, consumers’ love affair with spas may “sour before it flowers.” Here are some tips to improve the training in your spa:

Business Matters!
Spa employees and managers alike need real business education. Not a four-hour cheerleading session before the spa opens its doors, but thorough indoctrination in the principles of quality management, customer relations, and sales. That education has to be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner, throughout all levels of the spa organization. Hospitality organizations can’t simply graft spas onto existing operations; they must be integrated. That integration begins on the level of the line employee and moves up the chain of command to the VP of Spa Operations. (Who?) This was not a problem when hotels merely offered amenity spas, a few treatment rooms off the fitness center. Now, when spas are supposed to provide the ultimate hospitality experience, missing the mark means creating deep disappointment in a guest. We’ve set the bar high.

Establish Performance Standards
As part of establishing performance standards, you must establish sales performance standards. Your managers must understand what it will take to deliver the financial results the spa requires, down to revenue per service hour scheduled. This means you will have to train your spa employees to be effective salespeople—an educational challenge in and of itself. And you will have to hold them as accountable for their retail performance as their performance in the treatment room. You’ll also need to internalize and refine your training programs, which initially will be designed and delivered by outside consultants, in most cases.

Move Towards Management Training
To "farm" the spa leadership talent you will need tomorrow, begin a corporate management-training program. The best managers in your organization will need to oversee your spas. Why? Because the most complex service delivery cycle that exists in hospitality exists in your spa. The most opportunity for up-selling, as well as the greatest opportunity for building customer loyalty, resides in your spa. It won’t happen overnight, but with dedication, it will happen. With a strong training focus, your organization can finally realize the full potential, and profit, of its spa operations.

About Preston, Inc.

Preston Private Label offers over 100 outstanding, results-oriented skin and body care products for both retail and professional use. We offer an excellent–-and free–-regional technical and career-building education program, affordable minimums, and fully custom labels, pre-applied. Choose from two packaging options and get the look that best suits your branding strategy. Generous margins that allow for markup from 150-700%  mean you gain maximum benefit from retailing.  From cleansers and toners to cosmeceutical serums, pro enzyme, glycolic and lactic peels to body contouring wraps, gift kits to aromatherapy oil blends and more, we have everything you need to create a highy effective, full range product line. Visit our website at www.prestoninc.net for more information!