member profile
its corporate office and let go of the
inventory-control and IT and computer
staff. Another necessary adjustment that
has proven beneficial was consolidating
her operating systems to function under
the cloud system, which means delivering hosted services over the Internet. “I
work on both spas from my home computer so I rise very early to get my
inventory done,” she says. “With my
program, I can see at a glance if I need
to transfer any products or order any
more. That is a big help.” She estimates
the move saves her $40,000 annually.
Focus on Guest Retention
The current economy has affected her
clients’ spending habits as well. “They
want to receive more, but for less time,”
Terry-Lopez says. “More value for their
money is what they are saying.”
Recognizing this, the spa now focuses
on selling time rather than service: The
15-minute gap between services is
offered to guests as a special treatment
upgrade for $30. “We will sell it for half
the price just to fill up that time,” she
explains. “Our guests feel like they are
getting a deal, and our therapists are
happy they get something for that time.
In the end, it adds up and creates a plus
for everyone.”
To concentrate more on guest retention this year, Beyond Beauté has
changed its marketing approach, increasing its focus on social media outlets.
With the help of The Ultimate Spa
Marketing System company, the spas’
marketing campaigns are tied together
through social, Internet, Twitter and
other outlets. “I just work up the meat
and potatoes, and they create the masterpiece,” Terry-Lopez says.
The 20 Deer Park employees see, on
average, 2,000 clients a month, of which
about 200 are new to the spa. Although
they’ve tried an hourly and hourly-pluscommission compensation structure, the
most efficient scale, which they now
follow, is technicians working on commission and guest-service employees
paid hourly plus commission. “I teach
my staff it is not about the commission,
but about how full your books are and
how high your retention is,” says TerryLopez. “No matter how high the
percentage is, that multiplied by zero
clients is still zero dollars.”
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)
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November 2011