Today more than ever, providing your spa or massage therapy clients with customized experiences is the name of the game. In part, the impetus for customization is coming from the increased use of technology. From social media to mobile devices and apps, today’s consumers – especially the younger generation - are used to customizing their own experiences. The ease in which consumers now can customize a virtual experience creates similar expectations in the real world.
As noted by Ted Mininni, president of the brand identify firm Design Force, in “Letting Consumers Design Their Own Experiences: Case for the Mass Customization Model,” “As companies engage in consumer research, they are finding out that their customers are increasingly making unique and less predictable demands on products and services, thus making it more challenging to meet their diverse needs and desires.”
While it may be more challenging to meet each of your client’s expectations, whether for a massage to alleviate stress or tension or back pain or a body wrap to deal with a specific issue, your ability to give clients exactly what they want can make the difference between a single visit and a long-term relationship. That’s why the more you know about why a client comes to your spa or massage in the first place is essential, so you customize your offering with the right products and services.
Get to Understand Your Clients
Not all clients will be able to convey what they really expect from a session, so you’ll need to ask questions that help draw them out to learn about their health issues, skincare goals, preferences for product use, and more. Listen attentively to their answers and also observe non-verbal cues from body language.
You also can learn about client preferences through social media. Craft content to find out what types of massage, skincare treatments, new products, and industry trends are popular among clients today or find out how much they know about them. You’ll learn a lot from followers’ likes, shares, and comments. Use the input as part of your interview with new clients and even ongoing ones to agree on additional services or enhance a treatment to make it more customized.
Personalizing the Entire Experience
Customization may require spas to make some changes in the way you run your business. Male clients will have different tastes in color and decor, for example, as well as treatments. The music you plan during a session also can impact a client’s satisfaction. Customizing treatments also may require a greater variety of products in your treatments, continually training staff. However, the benefits of the long term customer relationship will offset the costs.
The key is to find out what clients are seeking when they come through your door. Only then can clients “have it their way” at your spa or massage practice, which, after all, is what they want.