Interior architect Lisa Holt of DLS Hotels, our client, did an impressive job of creating a light-filled, airy and charming interior as she took my design from two to three dimensions. Lisa has been an enthusiastic spa visitor and has actually owned and operated a small luxury hotel and spa with her husband and DLS partner David Shapiro.

Fortunately, one direction we could go was up. Lofty ceilings and spectacular, tall treatment room doors create a slightly Alice-in-Wonderland feeling.

In the wine country, the last place I want to be is a cave (unless it’s filled with champagne.) Lisa brought the outside in with extensive use of tall windows, repeating the elegant rhythms of the doors, and we designed small private garden sitting areas off each treatment room. Bringing the outside in takes a small footprint and helps it to live large. The wet areas of the spa give onto a lounging pool, extending the spa experience effortlessly outside.

Being able to get outside while at the spa is a real luxury, and even a little bit of outdoor space can enhance the guest experience dramatically. I know that I’m willing to spend more time at a spa when I can be outside sometime during my visit. Resorts usually get this right and plan for it from the outset, though I’m often surprised at how catacomb-y spa designs can be, and cut off from the outside.

Outdoor space is not always an option, especially for day spas in retail settings. But sometimes an opportunity is right under our nose, in the form of ugly-duckling outdoor space that has become invisible to us through its very familiarity. It’s hard to look objectively at your own space, especially if you’ve been in it a long time, so sometimes it’s worth consulting with a designer to see what they “see.” One of my favorite publications for inspiration for small outdoor spaces is Sunset. They have a long tradition of outdoor makeovers that are simple, clever and inexpensive.

A few years ago we turned some found space on a second floor balcony at Preston Wynne Spa and turned it into a cabana-curtained loggia replete with cushy furnishings, outdoor rugs, and a private pedicure area for al fresco treatments. Five feet wide and thirty feet long, it was not useful for much of anything and surfaced with a very unattractive waterproofing seal. We added decking panels that sat atop the surface to create a more attractive foundation, and a fountain to muffle outside noise, as well as lush planter boxes (these also helped create more privacy.) With some soft goods (which are easy to refresh each year) it has become one of the most popular features of our spa.

Bonnie Waters at Changes Spa and Salon in Walnut Creek, California, found an unloved easement between a parking lot and the side of her building, a plain little patch of tanbark and forlorn shrubs. She convinced the building owner to allow her to use the space, which had no other purpose, and developed it as a charming outdoor terrace for her spa’s newly expanded retail and party room, screening it from the parking lot with landscaping. Because she couldn’t make permanent changes to the easement, she used decomposed granite with pavers set into the soil, rather than mortar.

Probably the best example of enhancing the guest experience with “found” outdoor space is at Osmosis Spa Sanctuary in Freestone, California. After years of operation as a landmark day spa specializing in Japanese enzyme baths, Michael Stusser, the visionary owner of Osmosis, carved a spectacular and authentic Japanese garden from a patch of creekside brush. This work of art is now the highlight of any visit to the spa and has created a remarkable identity for Osmosis.

I’m looking forward to experiencing the new spa at Hotel Yountville, inside and out, after our opening during Harvest season. Spas at their best reconnect us to nature and a more natural way of being. Outdoor space is often more than a sum of the parts; it’s always a great value-add.

When you’re ready for the horror to end, you’ll find each of these scenes, along with vignettes showing the proper way to “replay” each, on our 80 minute employee training DVD, Selvice: Seven Steps to Abundant Sales and Stellar Customer Service. On our site, there’s an introduction sequence and a short example of the DVD’s “before and after” curriculum.

Thanks to BoomCycle Online Marketing for their stellar video editing on “Tales from the Spa.”

Monday, July 19

A live encore presentation with Lisa M. Starr and Peggy Wynne Borgman

9 a.m. Pacific/Noon Eastern

About one hour

The first in our “Moments of Truth” series for your front desk team, this one hour session is perfect for honing skills, building sales awareness and enhancing the service mindset.

Guests who are calling you for reservations are not just looking for appointments, they’re seeking a “preview of coming attractions.” Does your team handle your reservations calls like ho-hum, routine transactions, or do they strive to create a positive and memorable experience for every guest? This training session for front desk and reservations employees and their supervisors is an eye-opening journey into what it takes to provide five star reservations service while growing sales.

Agenda:
• Are you “filling an order” or “creating an experience” for your guests?
• Moments of Truth and why they’re so important to guest satisfaction
• The Three Elements of every great service experience
• Getting the Greeting right
• Finding your voice: what your guest wants to hear
• Creating rapport with callers who have different “social styles”
• Making the best possible first impression
• Essentials of telephone etiquette
• The do’s and don’ts of the “hold”
• Using the guest’s name effectively
• How to answer those tough or tricky questions (like “who’s your best massage therapist?”)
• Shortcuts for creating rapport quickly
• Active listening techniques
• What your returning guests need from the reservations call
• What they’re really saying when they ask, “How much are your facials?”
• Spreading the love around: how to make sure all your guests get great care
• Offering alternatives when their selection isn’t available
• Upgrading gracefully
• The best way to discuss “gender preference” for massage appointments
• How to communicate your cancellation policy without ruining the mood
• Helping ensure a smooth first visit: pre-arrival orientation
• The Fond Farewell

Tuition is just $99 per registered computer. Train multiple employees at each computer work station, reducing your cost per-employee to as little as $25.

Visit our Webex Training Center and click on the “upcoming” tab to register for the live program, which includes live participant Q & A.

Can’t make that date? Download the archived progam by clicking the “Recorded Sessions” link in the menu on the left side. Follow the instructions to purchase and download.

Monday, August 9

9 a.m. Pacific/Noon Eastern

About 70 minutes; a live encore presentation

$99

Your biggest moment of truth in a spa or salon takes place, not in a treatment room or at an employee’s station, but when a client is checking out. This is the moment you must ascertain whether a guest is satisfied, when your guest is invited to reschedule, and when they are invited to make home care purchases. Your challenge? To do all this while checking out guests as quickly and as accurately as possible.

Because your reschedule/retention rate is the most critical metric in business success, this “moment” must consistently ensure the best possible outcome. Being friendly and efficient is important, but it’s only the beginning.

Join us for this webinar, the third in our series for front desk employees and their managers. Presenters Lisa M. Starr and Peggy Wynne Borgman of Wynne business, veteran spa consultants and educators, pack the hour of instruction full of use-it-tomorrow, down to earth content. Jessica Zike of Coyle Hospitality Group, the premier mystery shopping company for the hospitality industry, will kick off the session by providing eye opening real-world performance data from their Mystery Shoppers, as well as anecdotes about front-desk experiences that missed the mark.

Participants will learn:

- The importance of the front desk team in building the business
- The hidden opportunities of checkout
- Who is supposed to do what? Understanding roles and responsibilities in this transitional zone
- Recognizing the guest at checkout; what to do when you don’t know their name
- Creating a smooth “handoff” from a service provider to the front desk
- Creating a smooth transition from the locker room to the front desk
- How to effectively gauge guest satisfaction at checkout
- The most inspiring home care recommendation strategies
- What to do when you’re asked a question you can’t answer!
- How to respond to “objections” such as “I already have something like this at home”
- Building the sale with “bumps”
- The recipe for persuasive invitations to return
- What to say when the guest says, “I need to check my calendar”
- The most neglected step in the checkout process

The webinar includes an hour long presentation and concludes with a Q & A session.

$99

Visit our Webex site to register and click on the “upcoming” tab.

Can’t make it live? Download an archived version of this webinar. On our Webex Training Center, click “Recorded Sessions” in the menu on the left of the screen. You’ll be prompted with instructions for purchasing the webinar. Once downloaded, you can use your webinar perpetually.

If you own, manage, or plan to invest in a spa, this program is a must!

Co-taught by Peggy Wynne Borgman and Lisa M. Starr of Wynne Business Spa Consulting

If you’re already involved in spa operations, you’ll find solutions for your toughest management challenges. If you’re planning a facility, you’ll leave this program with a clear-cut strategy for business success. If you’re considering a career change or advancement into spa management, the Spa Director’s Management Program will put you miles ahead of the competition. This fast-paced, information-packed program is full of original, innovative but practical concepts that are actually at work in top spas. We work hard to make sure the days you spend with us are extremely rewarding. You’ll also take home our exclusive text, an incredible reference you’ll use again and again. This includes tools you’ll be able to put to use the day you return to work. You’ll have a chance to meet other spa industry professionals, a diverse group of people, from all over the world. Participants typically represent a variety of industries and greatly enrich the program with their input. You’ll create a support network that will prove invaluable as your business or career grows. The small size of the class ensures individual attention and maximum interaction.

Financial Management

• Managing by the numbers: understanding financial statements
• How productive is your spa? An accurate way to measure
• Compensation Design: the key to profitability
• Owner compensation: what’s fair?
• Plugging the profit “leaks” in your spa operation
• Discounting: is it right for your facility?
• Staying out of trouble: proper accounting practices for spas
• The raging gift market: taming the tiger

Marketing Mastery

• “One-to-one” marketing: cheaper, better, faster
• Customer retention: your best marketing tool
• Calculating your actual cost of customer acquisition
• A formula to instantly boost your sales by 33%
• The power of PR: developing your media kit
• Positioning your spa to survive intense competition
• Essential components of great spa brochures

Successful Programs

• Developing a compelling service program
• Long-term programs: the new spa package
• Programming for profit: which services to emphasize
• Two key trends that must guide your program design
• Staging spa experiences: the perils of packages
• Workflow: managing its impact on quality and morale
• Scheduling for maximum productivity.and quality

Leadership

• Recruitment: effective strategies for hiring the best employees
• Why the customer comes “second” in a successful spa
• Why you’re doing everything yourself.and how to stop it!
• Managing communications issues in your spa team
• Why you can’t motivate your staff and what to do about it.
• How to produce great staff meetings
• Managing conflict between technical and support teams
• Getting your support team to “think on their feet”

Quality Management

• What customers value most: it may surprise you
• How to manage quality in the “closed door” spa environment
• The three essential ingredients of world class service
• Training = quality: building your in-house program
• How to instill a “quality” mindset in your entire team
• Customer relations: resolving complaints
• Comps, refunds and redo’s: how to use them wisely

Retail Success

• Harnessing the awesome power of retail sales
• Teaching spa therapists to sell
• Tools and Techniques that support retail sales
• Do you need a Home Care Consultant?
• Creating a profitable retail mix
• Retail Trends
• The Spa Store: Visual Merchandising and Display
• Mail order and online stores: Are you ready?

Tuition: $1995 per person.

10% discount for two or more registrants from the same company

10% discount for early bird registration (by July 30)

Multiple registrant earlybirds from the same company receive 20% off registration (by July 30)

• How your “to-do” list is sabotaging you–and what to do about it
• The common task that starts most people’s work day–and why it should never start yours
• The biggest source of “rework” and how to improve it
• Process improvement made simple
• Are you constantly interrupted, or constantly interruptable? Managing communication with others to protect productive time
• Avoiding phone tag/e mail tag with a few simple techniques
• “They can’t do anything without me!” Avoiding the trap of being the Answer (wo)Man
• Delegation: the three-step process you must use so that items you delegate don’t end up back in your lap
• “Inspect what you expect”
• Block and Tackle: “batching” tasks
• Good e mail “hygiene”
• Simplify the Buy: why the way you source may be all wrong
• The magic of Five Minute Meetings
• Time-saving (and easy to master) technology tools
• Understanding the “highest and best use” of your time and energy

Last week, an article in the Wall Street Journal described Proctor & Gamble’s burgeoning PR disaster involving a new disposable diaper that may be causing rashes. They’re printing the liquid-absorbing gel onto the surface of the diaper instead of putting it inside several layers. It makes the diapers thinner. P & G insists it was the most-tested new disposable diaper ever. Great! They avidly courted 50 influential Mommy Bloggers before the launch.  But after all that, 7,000 Facebook-wielding Mommy Bloggers (and counting) have stormed the barricades, demanding the return of the previous version.

But P & G is mad as hell and they’re not going to take it any more!  (I can just hear them hollering in the board room, “I thought you said we got ALL the Mommy Bloggers!”) The company that wrote the book on branding and brand management is not in the driver’s seat any more. It is a profound illustration of just how much business has changed in the last few years. You almost feel sorry for the poor saps, as they draw their line in the sand and stare down the jostling mob just across the moat.

So. How do you think this is going to play out? Do you think those Bommy Moggers are going to listen to the voice of P & G reason?

British Petroleum has been even more ham-fisted in its handling of the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. A company that makes billions in profit should be able to afford better PR coaching and crisis management.

But I have to admit, I feel exactly the way any embattled business leader does when I read a snarky Yelp review. (Thank goodness I don’t have to do that live, on a web cam.) The urge to prove that you’re right (or at least, not wrong) is overpowering. This is when we count to three hundred and try to remember Habit #5 of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

I remember Steven Covey describing this behavior as “being willing to have your mind changed.” Instead of promoting your point of view, or waiting your turn to speak, you actually listen. And those of us who have customers know, you apologize. In this litigious world, it’s hard for businesspeople to forget about liability and the potential legal consequences of saying, “You know what? You’re absolutely right. We screwed up. And we’re sorry.” But you have to.

The simple fact is, if the customer thinks you screwed up, you did. Perception is reality. The question becomes not how you’re going to convince them otherwise, but how you’re going to rescue the relationship. Doing the Right Thing when you’re pretty sure you didn’t do anything Wrong is hard. Customers are wrong all the time; however, the social contract we entered into when we opened the doors to our spa clearly states that they’re Always Right.

(Admit it, when you’re the customer, you’re always right. Aren’t you?)

The customer who complains is the canary in your coal mine–only 10% of customers actually do. So the next time a mishap tempts you to even explain (explaining is an insidious form of not-agreeing, i.e. arguing) listen to what the customer is saying. Chances are very good you’ll learn something valuable.

Did you miss our 5/17 webinar? Register for this live encore presentation.

FREE with advance registration. If you can’t attend live, you can still register to receive a copy of the webinar recording via e mail.

A great public relations program is more important than ever, and there are more outlets for public relations than ever before–including online review sites, Facebook and Twitter! But which modalities are working best for spas in the era of social media?  Which are a waste of time? Are you in control of your brand’s reputation, or is it careening out of control? Kim Marshall, a veteran public relations professional who specializes in spa, hospitality and wellness businesses, takes you on a journey through this fast-changing, sometimes hair-raising, and highly competitive landscape.

This fun, fast-paced webinar, designed to help you separate urban myth from reality, will help you to focus on the marketing tools that “move the needle” and to avoid wasteful experiments. Find out what editors really want–including the topics that travel and beauty editors are interested (and not interested) in right now. Kim has the ear of a diverse array of media professionals, and will share with us exactly what they’re telling her! Gain a valuable understanding of the key components of a compelling public relations campaign–and an insider’s perspective on how public relations actually works–from one of the pioneers of the spa industry.

Moderated by Peggy Wynne Borgman

The Wynne Business community has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last year, doubtless because of the recession–and our reputation for “telling the truth” about the spa industry. Lisa and I may not always tell you what you want to hear, but we promise to tell you what you need to hear.

We’d love your comments on these presentations if you get a moment to send along some feedback–and if you have any questions, fire away!

Back in the Black: Recovering Before the Recovery (Advanced Business Workshop)
Peggy Wynne Borgman
Advanced Business Workshop

Current Trends in Compensation
Lisa M. Starr
Spa Business Management Track

The Four Cornerstones of Spa Business Success
Lisa M. Starr
Advanced Business Workshop

Reading the Tea Leaves: A Field Report on Spa Industry Recovery
Peggy Wynne Borgman
Spa Business Management Track

Revenue or Profit

Lisa Starr

Medical Spa Business Track