By Lisa Starr, Preston Wynne

There are five general categories in which you will be measuring performance:

1. Communication Skills
2. Selling Skills
3. Customer Service
4. Technical Proficiency
5. Team Play
6. Technical Proficiency (service providers only)

All of these categories are crucial components of an excellent customer experience, and therefore the continued growth of your spa business. Some examples of the benchmarks you would be measuring against in each category are listed below:

Communication Skills:

• Can conduct thorough guest consultations
• Converses easily with guests
• Can clearly articulate directives from management

Customer Service:

• Is able to discern the guest’s hidden, as well as expressed, needs
• Has a ready smile
• Puts the needs of the guest first

Selling Skills:

• Acceptable or superior performance in retail to total sales ratios
• Ability to discuss all of your retail products with a guest
• Can verbally demonstrate consistent awareness of product benefits
• Ability to upgrade guest services

Team Play:

• Collaborates with co-workers on guest transitions
• Actively suggests new services to guests
• Attends meetings and training sessions, and lends a hand whenever needed

Technical Proficiency (service providers only):

• Receives high marks from guests on the quality of their service delivery
• Can consistently replicate service protocols
  Seeks out continuing education

If your staff members consistently performed at a high level in all of these categories, you’d have a successful spa on your hands. And, after all, that’s the purpose of training; performance that leads to profits.

As you can see, the ability to be a good esthetician or massage therapist is important, but is far from being the only consideration.

For information on Preston Wynne's Spa Managment seminars, visit www.pwsuccesssystems.com