Do you find yourself running behind in services?  Do you have clients that are habitually late?  Do you have a backup plan for when someone is late?  I.e. cut out the massage of the face or hands etc.?

Clients can be late yes.  But sometimes there are coworkers and therapists that run late.  As a co worker you want to run on time.  As a client you want to be on time.

Time in the spa industry is everything.  Why?  There is the menu and booking approach.  Some spas run tight on the ten minute clean up, some run on 15 minute clean up.  If your lucky some will give you 30 minutes in between breaks.

To be a good co worker you want to be on time for your co workers to also have their fair share of time on their service and everyone stays on schedule.

This post is to bring attention to the spa time factor.  We have three parts here to consider.  The technician or practitioner performing the service, the spa menu and design along with how the spa runs the appointments and the final is the client.  I want to bring attention to all three.

1. If you are a client or spa guest or you are a service providers regular and you run behind you can learn how you can mess up a service providers scheduled day and sometimes even have a negative effect on their income.
2. If you are an establishment or spa consultant and designing a menu for spa services its always good to have a fool proof design and helps to have a back up plan for technicians in scheduling if clients run behind.
3. If you are a technician the main focus here, this will give you tips to run on time and also what to do if you are behind or your client is late.

Spa Time Schedule For Spa Guest

You have just booked a spa appointment and now you are looking forward to your service.  A lot of spa’s will suggest to arrive 15 to 30 minutes before your service to enjoy the amenities.  I would suggest a minimum of at least arriving 10 minutes before your service.  If you choose not to use any amenities this ten minutes gives you time to change into a robe and use the restroom.  If you were to get a nail service this can give you time to use the restroom and choose a color for your nails if the establishment is set up that way.

Without sounding reprimanding I will just say if you book a spa appointment the best thing to do is not be late. I like to use a cause and effect example.  Behind the scenes what is the domino effect if you arrive late to your service, or you do not show up at all.

1. Immediate confusion between therapist
2. Room coordination can be affected
3. Stress out your therapist
4. Depending on the policy of the location you will be loosing your service time
5. Disorganizes your service providers schedule for the day and causes loss in income
6. If you no show at all this will have a negative effect of the service providers income or they will not be paid at all.  Note: booking a service and then not honoring that booking can cause the service provider a loss in the opportunity to work on a guest/client that needed the service.  Please keep that in mind when you consider booking spa services.

Spa & Menu Design

One thing that I’ve seen through my spa career is when outside architects that do not perform spa services design a spa space.  Or, when you work with a Spa company and they design the service menu without considering the space.  So many times it is designed inconveniently, meaning the work space and the spa menu aren’t flawless at executing a comfortable service for the spa guest and service provider.

Negative issues that arise from spa menu and spa space design.

1. Nobody thinks of distance ratio to convenience.  I worked in a 20 room spa.  Can I tell you the managers office was about a 6 minute walk each way.  Meaning 12 minutes and if you need to get a manager and your in a service how can you leave your client that long? Better yet if the manager isn’t in the office what was the point?  Call the office?  Not when the two phone lines are tied up with receptionist taking incoming bookings.
2. Do you offer a body treatment on the spa menu and not have a proper wet room treatment set up?  Example is their a shower in the treatment room or does your facility have a designed wet room with a wet table.  If the guest is going to have to shower off a mud mask, why would they walk down a hallway painted in mud to get to the shower?  Maybe consider a dry brushing with an essential oil body treatment wrap instead. Just consider a body treatment that does not need rising if you cannot properly facilitate it.
3. Does the facial room have a sink?  I’ve worked in a spa that was designed so no room needed a sink.  Sorry but I as a client would like to hear my massage therapist or esthetician enter the room and wash their hands.  It is comforting to hear that they are cleaning their hands.  Also as an esthetician you need to rinse more items such as bowels and brushes.  Just something to note in the proper design of a spa room. If the room is not going to have a sink the next best thing would be a clear sink outside that the guest can see as you pass by in the hallway.  That way a therapist can do the consultation and say, “I’ll be outside washing my hands while you get comfortable on the table and then I will check back in and we can get started.”
4. Treatment expectations verses how long you have to perform the treatment.  Sometimes someone will design a treatment and lets say there are 7 steps in the treatment and the person has 50 minutes to perform it?  Some steps take 10 to 15 minutes to perform and nobody is considering the client consultation time and the time to change and prep to begin the service on the spa table.  At the end of the service again it can take 5 minutes for the guest to get dressed at the end of service and be finished to leave the room.  Lets not make long complicated services and cram them into a 50 minute spa service. Sometimes it can be more stressful for the service provider and the guest or client can feel that rushing.
5. Anatomy of the human body in consideration to the services offered and the work space physical alignment.  Example a massage table that can adjust to the height of the service provider.  A facial table and chair that work properly to the height of the esthetician.  A manicure table the has proper lighting, preferably halogen lights, and the light and table adjust height as necessary. Pedicure chair and bath height work for the nail tech to be able to perform the services without compromising their spinal alignment.

These are some issue’s to consider as you are designing a spa menu or spa space and all fall into timing.

Personal Story: One of the most organized and smartest nail room designs I have ever worked at had the best set up.  Why?  The receptionist greeted the client and had them choose their color. One thing about doing nail services is sometimes a person can take 10 minutes to choose the nail color they want on their nails.  This really causes a problem when a manicure is booked out for 25 minutes and the technician needs to get started.  Note, if this is an issue then you need to book a 15 minute clean up time as the technician will run behind. This nail area was set up so that the guest picked out their color and then they had their own beautiful waiting area with flavored water or hot tea.  The pedicure area was adjustable for the nail technician and the pedicure chairs were adjustable for the guest.  Very important as everyone is a different height.  The pedicure area was separate from the manicure area and overall just an amazing design.  Very comfortable for the spa guest and very accommodating for the nail technicians to work and also have privacy.

Spa Treatment On Time Tips

Now as far as running on time in your service.  One tip I will point out here.  I do nail services and facials.  With both of those services I can and do wear a watch.  I know for massage therapist that is almost impossible for some of the massage moves.  But facials and nails my advice to run on time is wear a watch.  A lot of spa rooms do not like to show a clock because sometimes the spa guest can be fixated on what time it is and if they get their full timed service.  Better to not have a clock on display but as a service provider you still need to know what time it is.

Now if the spa guest arrives late to their appointment and they know their time is shortened and you have to do a facial.  I have doubled up on steps.  For example one easy thing to do is, I will combine the face massage and exfoliation step.  Then I will apply the mask and do a neck massage while the mask is on.  This will feel like you are getting a full service and not getting rushed.  I should point out here this would be for a 50 minute facial.  Normally I will do each individual step and while the mask is on I would massage the hands.  Meaning my facial and neck massage is one step.  In this way the spa guest can still relax and enjoy the massage without just cutting out the exfoliation.  Also this would be a facial with no extractions. If the spa menu uses extractions as an add on this can also work as a quick way to gain extra time by massaging with the exfoliating and steamer step, (If your spa uses steam).

 

For nails if the spa guest is late it is very hard to catch up on your time.  Hopefully you work in a place that gives you a 15 minute clean up time or they have a full 1 hour or minimum 50 minutes to do a pedicure and you can get it done in 40 minutes.  This would be something to note as your designing the spa menu for nail services.  Give the nail technician an over amount of time to finish the service so that there is a buffer window for when people are late or behind.  Also as a nail tech you can start the service and then verbally ask what color they are thinking of.  If they say red you can show them the various red shades you have available closer to the time you get ready to polish.  That way they are not looking at all the colors overwhelmed and changing their mind every second.  Get to the specific color family and or if the polish is able to be on display where the nail technician is sitting even better.

Conclusion

These are some tips in the facial and nail technician world on how to make up lost time if somehow your schedule gets pushed back.  Also a little reminder for anyone designing a spa work space or menu.  The best thing to do is consider timing of a service when you design the work space or spa menu.

Also just want to emphasize a watch to help you know what is going on.  A lot of places I worked at do not want you working with cell phones on you or in your pocket as it is not professional to have your phone on you in the spa setting.  I know a lot of people do not wear watches but it will really help you to know your timing and have a flowing spa work day.  Leave any comments to add to these spa issues addressed here on timing, spa work space design and spa menu/treatment design.