Service Standard Basics for Spa Teams

Whether you’re a spa concierge, attendant, therapist, technician, or manager, as spa professionals, it’s our mission to work each day to meet and exceed the standards for excellence in customer service that have been set by industry benchmarking organizations including Forbes Travel Guide. 

When we frame each customer interaction in accordance with these standards, we ensure the best possible spa experiences for our guests, who have come to expect this high level of attentive professionalism at every spa that they visit.  In addition, we ensure a flawlessly successful rating in the event that our facility is subject to a “secret shopper” who will evaluate our performance, and subsequently publish it for our potential customers, owners, managers, and colleagues to see.

This course will guide you thru the basics to ensure that all of your customer service interactions with spa guests are five star professional, meeting the expectations of both your guests, and your management.

Who Should Take This Course?

Spa receptionists, attendants, therapists, and management personnel who need to learn or review basic guest interaction service standards.  

Subject Experience Level:

For those new to working in the spa industry, or who have recently entered / are hoping to enter into a position at the luxury hotel spa level.

What You'll Learn:

• The greeting
• Recommending services
• Scheduling services
• Appointment recap and payment information
• Final instructions
• Putting guests on hold

• Guest arrival and check in
• Guest tour

• Meeting and escorting your guest
• Pre-treatment instructions and treatment commencement
• Treatment conclusion

• Guest checkout process         

IMPORTANT: Please download and print the course handout by clicking the link at the bottom of this page. This handout contains additional information as well as an outline of the video content. You may use this to follow along during the course, and as a reference once the course has been successfully completed.

Be sure to click on the green “Yes!” box below to confirm completion of each lesson (be certain that you also clicked the button on the Course Overview page), ONLY after you have watched the video, and reviewed the handout section for the lesson. This enables you to move on to the next section of the course when you are ready.

In this lesson, we will focus on the service standards for the Reservation Call.

1.  THE GREETING

• Answer within 3 rings
• Smile when speaking
• Be positive, warm, and calm
• Greeting should include time of day (good morning, afternoon, or evening) & spa name
• Thank guest for calling
• Offer to assist

2.  RECOMMENDING SERVICES

• Describe treatment options
• Avoid making the guest ask questions
• Make suggestions based on their responses

3.  SCHEDULING SERVICES

• Identify the ideal date and time of day
• When booking massage, discuss therapist gender preference
• Request additional information to complete scheduling process and add to notes

4.  APPOINTMENT RECAP AND PAYMENT INFORMATION

• Recap the booking to ensure accuracy
• Collect payment information
• State the spa’s cancelation policy

5.  FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Give arrival time and process instructions
• Give facility hours of operation
• Answer lingering questions
• Thank guest with appreciation

6.  PUTTING GUESTS ON HOLD

• Ask first, wait for confirmation
• 30 seconds only
• Offer convenient call back for longer waits
• ALWAYS call back when promised!

In this lesson, we will focus on the service standards for the guest arrival and check-in process.

1.  GUEST ARRIVAL

• Offer immediate eye contact & smile
• Ensure reception area sets the tone
• Anticipate your guest
• Greet using name whenever possible
• Clearly state the full name of their services in the order they were booked. If the guest has scheduled a massage, say whether it is with a male or female therapist. 

2.  GUEST TOUR

• Invite guest to walk with you, or introduce to a colleague who will make the invitation
• Welcome return guests back or thank new guests for coming
• Always hold doors open and don’t turn your back to guest
• Gesture, don’t point
• Tour relaxation and locker room amenities
• Inform guest of intake form procedure
• Demonstrate how to operate keypad style lockers
• Offer to answer questions now and in future

In this lesson, we will focus on the service standards for general interaction between the guest and therapist/service provider.

1.  MEETING & ESCORTING YOUR GUEST

• Enter the room smiling and making eye contact
• Offer a warm handshake (not too limp, but don’t crush their hand!)
• Discreetly welcome them using their last name
• Collect their intake form as you confirm the name of their scheduled service
• Invite them to visit the restroom before treatment
• Always gesture, never point
• While escorting your guest, read the intake form and ask questions
• Do not ask health or other personal questions in front of other guests or employees 

2.  TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMENCEMENT

• Instruct client to remove and store jewelry, robe, and slippers
• Ask client to position themselves on treatment table as desired under drape
• Give  a brief overview of the service you are performing
• Explain that you will knock before re-entry
• Offer to adjust for client comfort

3.  TREATMENT CONCLUSION

• Drape robe over feet
• Place slippers next to table
• Gently place a hand on their shoulder or both ankles
• Ask how the client is feeling
• Invite them to take their time getting dressed
• Instruct them to meet you outside door