MEMBER PERSPECTIVES
CONTINUED
Watching Your Step
At Kabuki Springs & Spa in San Francisco , Spa Director Kathy Nelsen says she incidences of hostile guests have been few and far between . She credits the spa ’ s longstanding presence in the community and its deep pool of loyal , repeat guests for the largely positive interactions her team has had with guests since the spa reopened earlier this year .
“ We ’ re kind of a beloved institution ,” says Nelsen . “ So people were really glad to come back .” On the occasions when guests are less forgiving , however , Nelsen notes that it ’ s hard to stick to the traditional guest service playbook given the reduced revenues her spa is bringing in while occupancy remains restricted . In the past , Nelsen says she would likely respond to guest ’ s complaints by offering a gift certificate or product to make up for any issues they had experienced at the spa . Now , those decisions are more fraught . “ When you ’ re at 25 percent capacity … if someone complains , it ’ s not so easy to say , ‘ Let me give you back your money and send you a gift certificate on top of it ,” Nelsen explains . “ I can ’ t really afford that right now . That ’ s the fine line I ’ m walking . How do you make [ a guest ] feel heard and not give away your profits ?”
Knowing that any potential misstep could have additional financial stakes for the spa is a difficult situation for Nelsen and her team to be in , she admits .“ I understand that everyone does have an off day , but I feel like we can ’ t afford any off days or off hours or any missteps right now .” Like Shane Bird , however , Nelsen says that she is quick to intervene on behalf of her staff when confrontation arises .“ If a guest comes in and says ,‘ I ’ m not going to wear a mask ,’ [ front desk staff ] shouldn ’ t have to deal with that ,” she says .“ I ’ m not asking them to be the vaccine police because that ’ s really hard . I think spa directors always have that let ’ s-take-care-of-everybody attitude , but in this time , it is really important that these people are not having to face irate guests because their job is already stressful .”
Nelsen says that up-front communication with guests can help establish expectations that make managing guest expectations easier , but she acknowledges that , for many spas , staffing challenges will continue to make the task difficult . Nelsen says her staff is currently about half as large as it was pre-pandemic .“ On weekends , we always had an extra person who wasn ’ t scheduled until day-of , in case someone called out — that ’ s a thing of the past ,” she says , adding that even having more than one person available to work the front desk is a luxury she doesn ’ t often have . Still , Nelsen is eager to move to 100 percent occupancy later this month ( the spa is currently operating at 50 percent occupancy ) and restart the unmitigated flow of guests back to Kabuki Springs .
Guests at Kabuki Springs & Spa ( here ; at right ) have been delighted to return since the spa ’ s reopening .
36 PULSE ■ SEPTEMBER 2021