that we need to be ready to change as the dynamics
around knowledge about the virus evolve.” For now, Evans
and his team are sticking to government guidelines and
evidence-based recommendations from the CDC, FDA, EPA
and ISPA.
Handling the Hurdles
Beyond readying the team for opening day, there were
two challenges that Evans noted required creative solutions.
The first was developing a staffing model that made
financial sense. Trilogy Spa Holdings furloughed its spa
staff to make it easier to rehire them when the time came.
However, the newly reopened spas aren’t operating at fullstaff
capacity, and so “determining the best, right and
most fair processes for reengaging teams was complicated
and unclear,” notes Evans. Whom do you bring back
first? How many hours do they work? How do you build a
fair schedule, especially given commission-dependent
compensation models? These are tough questions that
you will need to answer before you can reopen.
There are also employees who do not want to return to
work yet, often due to safety and health concerns or difficulty
finding childcare with so many childcare centers still
closed. Trilogy approached this problem as compassionately
as possible by “asking for volunteers who wanted to
return,” according to Evans. This allowed those who were
ready and willing to work to step up without putting
those with concerns on the spot. “Those that didn’t want
to return immediately were given options that included
the ability to go ‘on call’ and stay employed with the company,”
Evans adds. They have also established deadlines
after which time it would be required to lay off the employee;
however, the employees are presented with this
option in advance.
Demand is High
There is another aspect of Evans’ spa reopenings that
echoes the experiences of other ISPA members: consumer
demand has been extremely strong. “We have mostly
been limited by our occupancy guidelines,” says Evans,
“and not a lack of demand.” Only time will tell if the surging
demand many spas are currently experiencing is a
temporary boom, or if it represents a long-term return to a
healthy status quo. Until more data is available, forecasting
will be difficult; all in all, though, surprisingly high demand
is a good problem to have.
Evans noted that early customers have not been seeking
deep discounts, although Trilogy’s spas have offered
discounts commensurate with the reduction in available
spa facilities. “As our amenities come on-line,” Evans
notes, “we will scale back these discounts where it makes
sense.” Evans also points out that there’s been a surprising
lack of customers wearing masks or being diligent
with PPE, despite the spa encouraging customers to wear
it. Depending on your state or local regulations, businesses
may be required to ask customers to wear PPE, so
a lax attitude towards PPE is certainly a trend to keep an
eye on. n
EVANS’ TOP ADVICE
“I would highly encourage spa operations to set ‘safe, sane’
approaches to your initial schedules and business hours. Give the
team ample time to maneuver between treatments. Give your
leadership team an opportunity to regroup either each day or
perhaps limit your days of operation to give you a day or two closed
(in the beginning) to take stock of all that’s happened, what went well, and what needs to be
modified. Give yourself and your team some breathing room in the beginning. You get one
chance to get the reopening right.”
JULY 2020 ■ PULSE 21