DE-STRESSING TODAY’S FEMALE CONSUMER
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28)
The Spa at Four Seasons sees guests from the United States
(90 percent), Europe (5 percent) and South America (5 percent).
European-style facials with extractions, detoxifying body wraps
and relaxation massages are spa offerings that consistently do
well. Hewitt saw increased spending on longer and more expensive treatments in 2010. Basic nail treatments for young girls, a
relatively new offering, are doing quite well. “We find that a
growing number of younger guests are requesting massages and
facials,” says Hewitt. “We have recently lowered our corporate
age limit for treatments, with parental waiver signed, for those
aged 12 and older in order to service these guests.”
The Four Seasons Web site is the spa’s marketing priority, with
an emphasis on keeping monthly specials up-to-date. “People are
extremely well-informed about our offerings by the time they
arrive and typically know what they want to book,” says Hewitt.
Last year, the spa changed its in-room menu to a smaller version
with categories and prices without descriptions, and it has had an
impact on the daily totals—a not-so-great impression, that is.
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The spa industry has traditionally served a
predominantly female clientele. This
remained the case in 2009, with an 80:20
split between female and male spa clients.
“They are not purchasing the treatments that are unique and
interesting, which now have no description,” says Hewitt. “We
will go back to our old format on the next re-design of the menu.”
Hewitt says every time he thinks the Web site’s listing of spa
services isn’t attracting consumers into the spa, he often gets a
wakeup call on how important it is as a marketing tool each time
“a guest requests something very specific that they would only
have known it from the Web site.”
“We have recently introduced real-time online booking with
our software provider and it is unbelievable how many people
wish to book directly from our homepages, and the numbers continue to grow.” He urges fellow spa owners and managers to
respect the power of Web sites and keep the content simple and
inviting. ”My belief is that it doesn’t need all the bells and whistles to be effective,” he says. “Ease of use and ability to book what
they want, when they want, is more important.”
Customizing for the Unique Consumer
Whether your clients have booked their appointment online or on
the phone, when they step through the door, are your front desk
personnel properly trained on the benefits of products and services? Do they offer guests incentives to rebook before they leave
the spa or salon? “Owners should value this role like they value
the service providers, especially since these are the people who
are the first voice or first face or last face of the experience,” says
Johnson, who also advises owners to “customize, customize,
customize.”
“My best experiences are those where it’s designed just for
me—it’s not an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution,” she says, citing scent,
sound, lighting, temperature, strength, color and other individual
factors. “The more you tailor the experience to the client’s needs,
the more money that person will spend.” ■
KATHIE STAMPS is a writer and voice-over artist with a background in
advertising. She writes articles about business and marketing. For more info, visit
stampscommunications.com.
30 PULSE
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March/April 2011