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by Douglas Preston
The unprecedented growth of the resort and day spa industry has provoked a massive talent shortage in both production and management positions. Aestheticians, body therapists, and nail technicians have found ready employment; licensing schools are producing bumper crops of new therapists. While this growth is exciting, a dearth of experienced and effective spa managers has left many facilities in the sorry position of "over-promising" and "under-delivering". In one of the few industries in the world that is still exhibiting double digit growth, there is a crisis of competency. Unless it is quickly addressed, consumers’ love affair with spas may sour before it flowers.
There’s been an avalanche of investment into the white-hot spa market during the last 10 years. Spa developers proffered sexy business plans, and untested spa operational models were created without an understanding of the crucial management skills and systems such businesses might require. Large, respected hotel groups who for decades have had every division down to a science have been willing to plunge into spa operations without so much as the oversight of a senior executive. You could summarize the prevailing strategic vision as "Don’t Get Left Behind".
But spa operations are no longer an experiment. They are now the obligation of every resort in the country, and many business hotels as well. We’ve all heard that the Chinese character for "opportunity" is the same one used for "crisis"; we are, in the midst of a recession, having the "right" kind of problem: too-rapid growth. The spa industry is at an awkward age. In its adolescence, it’s suffering a know-how crisis; at times it swaggers, at others, it staggers. We have to take steps to ensure that it does not fall on its face. How can we accelerate the spa industry’s progress toward establishing performance standards, best practices, and realistic financial benchmarks?
Most spa management resumes we review for our clients reflect a sort of career ADD. Owners without performance benchmarks and technicians-turned-managers—most without "hard"  management skills—engage in a dance of mutual frustration, usually resulting in turnover. Equally frustrated are seasoned managers from other industries who find themselves plunged into the unexpectedly complex culture of the spa industry and its employees. An average tenure of about a year typifies the spa management resumes currently in circulation. One thing is clear: more high quality spa-specific management and leadership training is badly needed. Our spa management seminars are attended by an amazing variety of people. From investors to shopping center developers to manufacturers of spa products to ambitious estheticians to frustrated spa owners, these attendees are looking for answers—hard information. But they are the tip of the iceberg.
Below the leaders of spas are legions of spa employees, and if their owners and managers are suffering from a lack of know-how, these folks feel the pain even more acutely. Incompetent leaders, poor communication, management by whim, and relentless turnover create an environment of chaos. Spas are not serene places for most employees. And therein lies the rub: the spa employee works in a spa for the same reasons that guests visit a spa. They perceive that it will be a pleasant, warm and positive place to spend time. They bring with them a sensitivity you don’t find in the cubicle farms of corporate America, and often a mistrust of anything "corporate".
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.
How can a hospitality organization address the "know-how crisis"? First, establish a serious training program for all employees of the spa, as well as sales, concierge and other guest services that will have to interface with it. This training program must be based on benchmarks and performance standards that are as solid as any in your company. Don’t let your organization be intimidated by the "mystery" of spa operations. Roll up your sleeves, and from a guest perspective, decide what is acceptable and unacceptable performance. As long as you think like a guest, you won’t make a mistake.
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. This is easier said than done!
Second, you’ll need to internalize and refine your training programs, which initially will be designed and delivered by outside consultants, in most cases. Begin to think of ways that your spa organization will differentiate itself through service—right now you may be doing little more than treading water. Focus on the basics of excellent service. Don’t get overly distracted by exotic programming and the latest equipment must-haves.
Finally, begin a management training program within your corporate division to begin to "farm" the spa leadership talent you will need tomorrow.
 Pick out talented managers from all divisions and move them into your spas. 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 upselling, as well as the greatest opportunity for building customer loyalty, resides in your spa. If you are willing to invest in the right education and training, your spa division can move from being an operational thorn in your side to the pride of your properties. 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.
Best of luck to you! |
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