Unlocking the power of a personalized consultation not only enhances client satisfaction but also boosts spa revenue by fostering trust, encouraging upsells, and cultivating long-term loyalty.
What does your guest experience in the first fifteen minutes of their appointment at your spa? Are they greeted with a friendly smile and welcomed into the space by name? Are they offered a refreshment? Do you ask them to fill out a pre-treatment form to gain details about their skin concerns and skincare routine? Or are you immediately starting their service after checking in?
Hopefully, it’s not the latter. The consultation experience is one of the most important parts of your guest’s appointment and an essential part of the guest experience.
The purpose of a consultation with a guest before their service is to establish trust, hear their concerns, and understand the results they are looking to achieve. Sometimes a guest will book a service that is not going to give them the best results for the goals they are looking to achieve. Asking the right questions can prevent the wrong service from being performed and help guide your guest in the right direction. Having this dialogue with your guests will help make recommending home care easier and increase the likelihood they will purchase home care to ensure great results.
Another important component to a good consultation is guest safety. This is the most important reason to carry out a consultation; you want to ensure that you are performing the right treatment and be aware of any contraindications. This crucial step sets you up as the expert but also as someone who truly cares about their health and wellbeing. It’s also vital to have these for your records.
Consultations protect your business. Having the guest sign the consultation form before treatment means you and your business are covered in the extreme case of legal action. It is good practice to have your guest sign each time they come in; you never know if things have changed for them since their last visit. They may have developed an allergy, have added or changed medications, or perhaps they have become pregnant.
Consultations also build loyalty and have a direct link to rebooking rates. Guests will remember the time you took to really understand them and will remember the personalization and customization of their experience that took place because of a thorough consultation.
The consultation has taken on a new meaning when it comes to hyper-personalization. One of the top spa trends in 2024 was in-depth personalization. We already touched on why a consultation gives that personal touch, but what about taking it further through a skin analysis tool designed just for spa and spa retail?
Observ320 is designed specifically for the spa and esthetician. Oberv320 gives you increased insight into your customers’ skin and allowing you to provide them with even more valuable aid. It is the premier disection technology and visual engagement sales tool. Having a visual diagnostic device will increase your retail by 40%. To learn more about this, visit www.edgelessbeautypro.com.
Retail should be 50% of your service revenue. A good consultation will directly strengthen your sales. It’s not rocket science. Guests seek out your advice and expertise, so be sure you give it to them. By getting detailed information about their concerns early on in their appointment, you not only help them achieve their skincare goals but also get a good sense of their lifestyle, their habits, and what home plan will best suit them.
Bottom line: the more you know, the more you can successfully cater to the individual. You will find that when it comes time to recommend and show them products, it won’t come off as “sales-y.” It will be a direct follow-up to what you had spoken about earlier and tailored to the concerns they communicated to you. This is your time to shine and to show your passion and knowledge.
The finishing touch on a great consultation and even better skincare service is the retail area. Whether you work in a luxury spa or a small, quaint skin studio, do not miss the important details of retail space. Ideally, allow for 15 minutes of consultation at the beginning of the service and 10 minutes at the end to finish up with retail recommendations.
Keep this in mind: the service is not over until the guest purchases home care. Retail studies have shown that most consumers will look to the right of a space as they walk in — a perfect place to set up your retail products.
Have your retail space be inviting; it should appeal to the senses: sight, sound, touch, and taste. Do you have good lighting showcasing your brands? Is it inviting? Do you allow guests to touch and smell products? Do you have aromatherapy to fill the space with a lovely scent? Is there calming music playing? And finally, do you offer tea, flavored water, or vitamin-infused beverages? The more you appeal to the senses, the more your guests will linger and shop.
Investing in a personalized consultation is not just an added service; it’s a transformative experience that enhances client satisfaction and drives spa revenue. By prioritizing these initial moments, you establish trust, ensure guest safety, and lay the groundwork for meaningful connections. This commitment to understanding your clients’ unique needs allows you to recommend tailored treatments and products, seamlessly integrating retail into the client journey.
As the wellness industry moves toward hyper-personalization, your ability to engage with clients through thoughtful consultations will set your spa apart, fostering loyalty and encouraging repeat visits. Remember, every consultation is an opportunity—not just to serve, but to create lasting relationships that benefit both your clients and your business. Embrace this approach, and watch your spa thrive.
What are your best tips for giving a good consultation? Leave a comment below.
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