“ We felt confident in our services , but on top of that , we felt so confident in our safety protocols , there was no reason to take anything off our menu . All the staff knew what to do . Why cause another disruption to their routine ? And then I didn ’ t have to deal with , in six months , going , ‘ Oh , wait , what you knew six months ago and then didn ’ t do for six months because we took it off the menu , we ’ re now going to bring it back .’ We just kept everything consistent for them .”
— NIKKI MILLER , director , Kohler Waters Spas improvisational and a little bit more strategic . I think that you have to have that survival mode mindset ,” Bayer says .
If there is a temptation , then , for some spa leaders to expand their spa ’ s menus or introduce new and untested services as occupancy restrictions are lifted , it may be a mistake to give in to it . “ While it is sometimes super fun to come up with a new , maybe gimmicky treatment , you should verify that , [ for example ], the chocolate facial actually sold well and was profitable the last time that you offered it ,” says Bayer .
The More Things Change …
Though COVID-19 has unquestionably altered the spa-going experience and much of the typical spa leader ’ s decision-making processes , the basics of menu construction remain largely the same . Following those time-tested principles will be essential to making sure that spas ’ treatment and service options are putting them in position to be successful as they move toward fullscale operations once more .
As Shon Bayer notes above , the first step is getting familiar with cold hard data to determine those treatments that are most in demand and most profitable . “ The most important thing is to really know your numbers . Even if you ’ re new to a leadership role , you should have some institutional history and have really good data ,” says Bayer . “ When you look at what our menu looked like 15 years ago to what it is today , we probably have about a third fewer items . A lot of that just came down to customer demand .”
Nikki Miller agrees , pointing out that having a firm grip on the data behind every treatment remains essential to crafting the strongest possible menu . “ Every single one of our treatments has an ROI , it has a cost-per-service analysis , so I know exactly where to price every treatment . I know how well it ’ s doing for us financially based on where it falls in the order of success ,” she says . “ I look at the cost of the service to really determine if the ROI is worth the amount of services that we ’ re doing with that treatment . Or can we alter some things to bring the costs down so that we have a better return on investment ?”
In addition to financial data , the qualitative data that therapists and service providers can offer can be crucial in developing a menu that responds in real-time to guest priorities and preferences , which may shift in a post-COVID environment . “ Ask your staff what
FEATURED SOURCES
SHON BAYER Owner MILK + HONEY SPA
REBECCA DICKERSON
Director of Health and Wellness THE KENTUCKY CASTLE SPA
they ’ re seeing and hearing in the treatment rooms ,” Miller says . “ One thing I think we could do better as directors is challenging our therapists to be more savvy in the industry and understand what the trends are .” As spa-goers fully reincorporate spa treatments and services into their wellness routines , effectively recognizing and adapting to guest needs should provide spas an advantage , especially as guests who were especially affected by the pandemic return to spas in search of physical and mental relief . More frequent and more in-depth discussions with therapists about their observations could be key to making any necessary menu adjustments .
Though the COVID-19 pandemic may have started a host of new conversations about treatment options and the spa-going experience as a whole , it seems that for many spa leaders , the keys to sound menu construction have stood firm . As the cloud of the pandemic continues to lift in 2021 , it ’ s good to know that there are some things industry professionals can still count on . ■
NIKKI MILLER Director KOHLER WATERS SPA
18 PULSE ■ MAY 2021