Pulse October 2021 | Page 30

the kinds of equipment being discussed here , Hatcher warns , it really can come to feel as disconnected and impersonal as skeptics within the industry may fear .“ When researching all of this ,” Hatcher says ,“ that became very important to me . If it ’ s not facilitated correctly , or maybe the ‘ why ’ isn ’ t explained correctly , you can disassociate a little bit . It feels like you ’ re being pushed through a car wash .” Making guests feel like they ’ re being pushed along an automated track isn ’ t an experience any spa leader is eager to deliver . Like Tammy Pahel at the Carillon , Hatcher created curated wellness packages that target guests ’ specific areas of concern and blend the technological with the traditional , giving practitioners the opportunity to teach guests about alternative modalities and help them achieve the results they ’ re seeking .
Celeste Hilling , founder and CEO of Skin Authority ( and maker of the Air Beautification devices mentioned earlier ) agrees that education around
emerging technologies is vital , and adds that the spa industry is well positioned to not only provide that education , but humanize the experience of a provider-free treatment .“ As technology scales the human out of the equation , the one-to-one connection becomes one of the most valuable commodities . We ’ ve always been about using technology to scale the human touch , not eliminate it . Touch is the most valuable commodity that we have ,” Hilling says .
As Hilling also points out , many in the spa industry would have hesitated at the idea of introducing virtual skin care consultations and tutorials or virtual class offerings before the pandemic , yet now many spas have integrated them into their operation . Those technological solutions , just like halotherapy machines or a devices that deliver red light therapy , are tools that spas can wield in a way that makes guests feel well served .“ We can bring the knowledge of the human experience to humanize technology in a way
that no other industry can , but we ’ re so afraid of it ,” Hilling says .
In addition to concerns about altering the traditional spa experience , the fear that Hilling references may have only been compounded by the financial impact of the pandemic . According to ISPA ’ s August 2021 Snapshot Survey , one of spas ’ top considerations when investing in a new technology is the potential return on investment , with nearly three quarters of spas ( 74 percent ) listing ROI among the top three factors they consider when deliberating such a purchase . Upfront cost ( 50 percent ) was similarly high on the list . Of course , no spa leader can know that a given piece of technology will add to their bottom line , but the examples set by the spa leaders featured here offer a blueprint for others to consider , both in their outlook and in the practical , guestcentered ways in which they have put a vast array of technological offerings to use in their spas .

“ It ’ s very important that [ the experience ] is guided … because there ’ s so much out there , so many different technologies and modalities and you lose people if you ’ re not really explaining and educating .”

FEATURED SOURCES
— KATLYN HATCHER
TAMMY PAHEL Vice President of Spa and Wellness THE CARILLION MIAMI WELLNESS RESORT
KATLYN HATCHER Director of Spa & Wellness NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT & SPA
ANGELA CORTRIGHT Owner SPA GREGORIE ’ S
CELESTE HILLING Founder and CEO SKIN AUTHORITY
28 PULSE OCTOBER 2021