23.08.2022 Views

Spa Executive July/August 2022

The Detox Issue of Spa Executive. July/August 2022.

The Detox Issue of Spa Executive. July/August 2022.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

ISSUE #38 JULY/AUGUST <strong>2022</strong><br />

SPA EXECUTIVE<br />

FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS<br />

The Detox Issue<br />

Spotlight:<br />

Langham’s Amy Chan on TCM,<br />

sleep & spa marketing<br />

Staffing:<br />

Michael Tompkins on how spas<br />

can better attract and retain employees<br />

Feature:<br />

7 reasons to offer digital<br />

detox at your spa


PUBLISHER<br />

Roger Sholanki<br />

EDITOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />

Elizabeth Bromstein<br />

Note from the Publisher<br />

Dear readers,<br />

DESIGNER<br />

Design Pickle<br />

AD SALES, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR,<br />

PRODUCTION MANAGER<br />

Sal Capizzi<br />

We’re talking about detox in this issue of <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> Magazine. Detoxing your workplace,<br />

digital detox, and sleep as detox.<br />

Did you know that a 2013 study found that the space between brain cells may increase<br />

during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours? These<br />

results suggested a new role for sleep in health and disease. And spas, of course, offer<br />

wonderful services to help guests get more sleep. We look at some of these in Sleep detoxes<br />

the brain. How spas can help guests get more of it.<br />

Langham’s Amy Chan also talks about the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to detox<br />

and Langham’s Sleep Matters by Chuan, a comprehensive global sleep wellness programme<br />

developed in conjunction with the World Sleep Society, in her Spotlight interview: Langham’s<br />

Amy Chan on TCM, sleep & spa marketing.<br />

We explore the important but sometimes difficult topics of toxic customers and toxic<br />

employees, and list 7 reasons to offer digital detox at your spa.<br />

Other (non-detox-related) topics include Michael Tompkins of Hutchinson Consulting<br />

weighing in with some sage advice on how spas can better attract and retain employees in<br />

today’s climate. And we look at how yield management can boost your spa’s revenue.<br />

<strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong><br />

Finally, we take a look at the amazing Na Ho’ola <strong>Spa</strong> at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach, and its<br />

compelling history and mythology, as our featured property.<br />

I hope you enjoy reading this month’s articles in <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> and that they provide valuable<br />

<strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> is Book4Time’s<br />

magazine for leaders in the<br />

business of wellness. News,<br />

views, and interviews for those<br />

who want to attract top talent,<br />

increase customer retention,<br />

and offer the best possible<br />

guest experience.<br />

information to help you achieve success.<br />

Roger Sholanki, <br />

CEO,<br />

Book4Time


Contents<br />

<strong>July</strong>/<strong>August</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Volume 38<br />

4<br />

MANAGEMENT:<br />

How to manage a toxic<br />

employee in your spa<br />

6<br />

STAFFING:<br />

Michael Tompkins on how<br />

spas can better attract and<br />

retain employees<br />

8<br />

FEATURED PROPERTY:<br />

Na Ho’ola <strong>Spa</strong> at Hyatt<br />

Regency Waikiki Beach<br />

11<br />

FEATURE:<br />

7 reasons to offer digital<br />

detox at your spa<br />

15<br />

BUSINESS:<br />

How to manage toxic<br />

customers in your spa<br />

17<br />

BUSINESS:<br />

Sleep detoxes the brain.<br />

How spas can help guests<br />

get more of it<br />

19<br />

SPOTLIGHT:<br />

Langham’s Amy Chan on<br />

TCM, sleep & spa marketing<br />

22<br />

BUSINESS:<br />

Increase spa revenue with<br />

yield management


Management<br />

How to<br />

manage a<br />

toxic<br />

employee in<br />

your spa<br />

Toxicity results in low productivity, low morale,<br />

and high absenteeism, and can cost a<br />

company dearly. Here’s how to manage a toxic<br />

employee in your spa.<br />

Detox your work environment<br />

Is your spa work environment being<br />

poisoned by a toxic employee?<br />

communication lines and an unhealthy<br />

management style. But sometimes, that<br />

toxicity is coming from one person. If that’s<br />

the case, you’re going to have to address it.<br />

Signs of a toxic employee in your spa<br />

A toxic employee may display one or several<br />

of the following behaviors…<br />

creating an “us against them” atmosphere.<br />

Causes tension and drama – If it feels like<br />

tensions tend to mount and fall on a regular<br />

basis, look to see if there is a common<br />

denominator. If the tension is around one<br />

person whenever they are present, that’s a<br />

potentially toxic employee. People who enjoy<br />

drama for drama’s sake are a problem<br />

ina workplace.<br />

Signs of a toxic work environment include<br />

drama, infighting, low morale, and tensions<br />

among employees. Toxicity also results in<br />

low productivity and high absenteeism, and<br />

can cost a company dearly.<br />

A spa’s business in particular can suffer<br />

from a toxic environment because a spa<br />

environment is expected to be a calming<br />

and nurturing atmosphere. Customers can<br />

sense negativity and will respond accordingly,<br />

maybe by taking their business elsewhere.<br />

There can be several causes of a toxic<br />

work environment, including broken<br />

Doesn’t listen or follow the rules – Toxic<br />

employees might not listen to you or anyone<br />

else because they think they know best.<br />

They might do their own thing, despite<br />

company rules and guidelines, because they<br />

believe their way is better. A disregard and<br />

disrespect for authority is not something you<br />

need in your workplace.<br />

<br />

Gossips – Gossip will poison any atmosphere<br />

and should be discouraged in all circumstances.<br />

An employee who gossips is always going to<br />

cause problems. Toxic employees may thrive<br />

on talking about people behind their backs and<br />

Refuses to take responsibility – When<br />

things go wrong, a toxic employee might<br />

be quick to blame someone else or make<br />

excuses. The ability to take responsibility is a<br />

key trait in a desirable employee.<br />

Says “that’s not my job” – In a successful<br />

business of any type, everyone works<br />

together to do what needs to be done.<br />

People who refuse to do anything extra or<br />

outside of their scope of work because it’s<br />

“not their job” – take phone calls, clean up<br />

a mess they didn’t make, or update social<br />

media, for example – don’t fit into this<br />

4<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


scenario,are not assets to your team, and<br />

may betoxic employees.<br />

Causes tension and drama – If it feels<br />

like tensions tend to mount and fall on<br />

a regular basis, look to see if there is a<br />

common denominator. If the tension is<br />

around one person whenever they are<br />

present, that’s a potentially toxic employee.<br />

People who enjoy drama for drama’s sake<br />

are a problem in a workplace.<br />

Has an overall negative attitude –<br />

Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and<br />

sometimes you need a good grousing<br />

session. But people who complain constantly<br />

and are always in a negative state will poison<br />

the atmosphere, which is the very definition<br />

of toxicity.<br />

Isn’t asked for by customers – <strong>Spa</strong> guests<br />

often choose a favorite service provider and<br />

will request that person specifically. If nobody<br />

is requesting a specific employee, there may<br />

be a reason for that and that person may be<br />

causing problems for your business.<br />

There are other signs of a toxic employee<br />

and you probably will be able to spot one<br />

when you see one. But what can you do<br />

about it?<br />

How to manage a toxic employee<br />

Have a conversation. Open<br />

communication is imperative. Take the<br />

employee aside and ask whether they are<br />

unhappy at work and why. Explain why you<br />

are asking without being accusatory and<br />

point out the behavior(s) that are cause for<br />

concern. Sometimes people simply have<br />

no idea how they are coming across and<br />

impacting others. There may be a reason for<br />

the behavior that can be addressed. Or, if<br />

they are unaware of how they are behaving,<br />

you may be able to help them address that<br />

too. Be supportive aboveall things.<br />

Make it about the behavior and not<br />

about the person. Make it clear that this<br />

issue is not with the person but what they<br />

are doing and that this is something they<br />

can change. Be specific in how you address<br />

the behavior and keep that separate from<br />

the individual. If you can help the employee<br />

to not take things personally, you will have<br />

better chances of rectifying the situation<br />

Offer feedback and the opportunity to<br />

change. As this Harvard Business Review<br />

article suggests, “Give concrete, specific<br />

feedback and offer the opportunity to<br />

change.” Once you have identified the<br />

problem areas you can come up with a<br />

plan to change things. Set a timeline and<br />

actionable goals, like better relationships<br />

with team members and a specific number<br />

of client requests. Have regular check-ins to<br />

make sure things are progressing.<br />

Be prepared to take responsibility<br />

yourself. There might be a very good<br />

reason for what’s happening and you might<br />

be contributing to the problem. If the<br />

employee feels unsupported or is lacking<br />

resources, for example, this may be a<br />

situation to which you have contributed.<br />

There may be something you need to<br />

address about your management or<br />

communication style, or something else you<br />

have to work on, and you have to be willing<br />

to do so.<br />

Document everything. Even when you’re<br />

working towards fixing things, it’s important to<br />

document everything in case you ultimately<br />

have to let the person go. Keep track of the<br />

behavior, its impact, and your response, so<br />

that if you are called upon to justify a decision<br />

to fire the toxic employee, you can do so.<br />

Know when to let them go. You want to<br />

avoid firing people for a few reasons. These<br />

include wanting to make things work for the<br />

business and for the employee, and the cost<br />

of replacing them. But sometimes you have<br />

to know when to say goodbye. If you have<br />

tried supporting the employee and offering<br />

the opportunity to change, and it’s not<br />

happening over the set time period, the time<br />

may have come to say goodbye.<br />

Stop a toxic work culture from developing<br />

in the first place by making sure employees<br />

are supported and that they feel heard.<br />

Avoid hiring a problematic employee by<br />

not rushing the hiring process or taking<br />

shortcuts. Watch for signs of a toxic<br />

personality like high levels of self regard,<br />

overconfidence, and blaming others for<br />

their problems. For example, saying they<br />

left their previous job because of something<br />

someone else did, or trash talking their<br />

previous boss.<br />

It’s up to leadership to cultivate a positive<br />

work environment. Toxicity affects everyone<br />

in a workplace. Stop it before it starts.<br />

5<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Michael Tompkins on how spas can better<br />

attract and retain employees<br />

Michael Tompkins of Hutchinson Consulting,<br />

former CEO of Miraval and Hilton Head,<br />

shares insights on how spas can attract and<br />

retain employees.<br />

The spa and hospitality staffing crisis continues<br />

and shows no signs of abating. Many people<br />

have left the sector in the last couple of years,<br />

fed up with rigid scheduling, insufficient wages,<br />

and lack of appreciation, and they don’t have<br />

plans to return.<br />

What can spas do to turn things around,<br />

attract new talent, and retain the people<br />

you already have? We spoke with Michael G.<br />

Tompkins of Hutchinson Consulting, a firm<br />

specializing in executive recruiting, consulting,<br />

and marketing solutions for the wellness and<br />

hospitality industry.<br />

Tompkins has extensive experience in hospitality<br />

and wellness. He has held CEO positions with<br />

Miraval Resorts, Hilton Head Health, and<br />

PALM Health, and executive positions with<br />

Canyon Ranch Health Resorts. He is also a past<br />

Chairman of the International <strong>Spa</strong> Association<br />

(ISPA). At Hutchinson, Tompkins builds executive<br />

management teams who excel in efficiency while<br />

building culture for guests and staff.<br />

Here’s what he had to say about how spascan<br />

better attract and retain employees in<br />

today’s climate:<br />

By Michael Tompkins,<br />

PartnerHutchinson Consulting<br />

The Great Resignation and how it has affected<br />

the spa industry<br />

When it comes to what is most current<br />

in today’s climate, we’re seeing some of<br />

the same issues across the United States,<br />

Europe, and South America. The Great<br />

Resignation has hit the hospitality sector hard<br />

and people all over the world have quit their<br />

jobs and are not returning to work.<br />

What happened was that a first wave of<br />

people left the hotel and spa industry to go<br />

into other sectors during the pandemic and<br />

now they’re doing something completely<br />

different. A lot of women held on through<br />

that first year and now they’re leaving and<br />

starting to look at other opportunities.<br />

Women make up a large majority of our<br />

population of skilled workers in this sector, so<br />

this has really hindered our ability to retain<br />

good employees. I’ve been saying, every time<br />

I speak at an event, “Hold onto your female<br />

6<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


employees, because there’s a huge value<br />

to them right now.” The third group that is<br />

resigning is older workers, people aged 55<br />

and over.<br />

Flexible scheduling<br />

So, how can we fix the problem? The number<br />

one thing that people are looking for is<br />

flexible scheduling, particularly women with<br />

children who need to be with their families.<br />

<strong>Spa</strong> is a service industry job that requires<br />

you to work on site. You can’t actually give a<br />

massage from home if you work in a resort<br />

or spa. And, recently, people have started<br />

to think more about their families and how<br />

they’re spending their time – having to go to<br />

work every day, as opposed to being able<br />

to stay home and do part-time work as a<br />

massage therapist or esthetician, where you<br />

control your schedule.<br />

We’re finding that spas that are more flexible<br />

around employee schedules are retaining<br />

more people than those who are saying,<br />

“Sorry, the spa world is Friday, Saturday,<br />

Sunday, and you have to work every<br />

weekend.” Those spas that are sticking to<br />

rigid schedules are finding it very difficult to<br />

continue to retain staff.<br />

<strong>Spa</strong>s should think about how they can apply<br />

flexible scheduling to keep employees. For<br />

example, this may mean split days, where<br />

employees go in for three hours one day and<br />

four hours the next.<br />

understand that they are a part of the big<br />

picture. <strong>Spa</strong> directors who are sharing their<br />

financials, their goals, and their metrics with<br />

their teams are more likely to get buy-in from<br />

employees who understand that we’re all in<br />

this together. Particularly with the millennial<br />

generation. That generation wants to work<br />

as a team and they want to be able to share<br />

with each other, to do better. Managers who<br />

are including their staffon goals and financial<br />

metrics are getting that team cohesion that’s<br />

needed intoday’s environment.<br />

Clear concise compensation<br />

Another issue that we talk about in spa<br />

until we’re blue in the face is clear, concise<br />

compensation. This has been such a<br />

deterrent in the industry, for massage<br />

therapists and estheticians in particular. They<br />

get one rate when they’re at work and they<br />

get commission, then if they do upgrades,<br />

they get a $5 or $10 kicker, but it’s very<br />

difficult for them to get benefits sometimes<br />

and if they decide to take vacation, they<br />

get paid a training rate, which is much less<br />

than their usual compensation. So let’s say<br />

a therapist works 32 hours a week and<br />

averages $50 an hour but their training wage<br />

is minimum wage. When they go to take<br />

vacation, they’re being paid the training wage<br />

instead of their blended average rate. That’s a<br />

touchy subject now with massage therapists<br />

and estheticians being in such demand. In<br />

other industries, you get paid vacations, at<br />

least in the US, and I think people are starting<br />

to ask why they don’t deserve the same.<br />

purpose in their lives and in their work. A lot<br />

of people are resigning from jobs because<br />

they are looking for an employer with<br />

purpose. They want a job that is meaningful<br />

and where they are working with people with<br />

shared values and purpose, like working with<br />

charities or DE&I initiatives, things that not<br />

only tell the story of your brand, but also of<br />

the team and the people who work there.<br />

There is already a solid foundation for this<br />

in spa & wellness. People usually go into this<br />

industry as therapists and service providers<br />

because they believe in what they do and<br />

that they are making a valuable contribution<br />

to people’s lives. It’s up to management to<br />

nurture that.<br />

If you can get people working together and<br />

to understand the purpose of what they<br />

do and how this plays a role in the world<br />

and in your business, you can build a solid<br />

community where people are more apt to<br />

stay, and that shared purpose is a big part of<br />

that experience.<br />

Include employees on business metrics<br />

and goals<br />

The second piece to this puzzle is including<br />

employees on business metrics and goals.<br />

People often go to work in a spa and they<br />

don’t understand budgets. They don’t<br />

Offering fair and clear concise compensation<br />

will be a requirement to retain team<br />

members going forward.<br />

Provide a sense of purpose<br />

Finally, employees are looking for a sense of<br />

7<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Featured property:<br />

Na Ho’ola <strong>Spa</strong> at Hyatt Regency<br />

Waikiki Beach<br />

Na Ho’ola <strong>Spa</strong> at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach<br />

Resort and <strong>Spa</strong> is an oasis of tranquility,<br />

inspiring health and wellness through the<br />

practice of Hawaiian culture, values and arts.<br />

Na Ho’ola <strong>Spa</strong> at Hyatt Regency Waikiki<br />

Beach Resort and <strong>Spa</strong> was the first resort<br />

spa in Waikiki. Located just steps from<br />

the azure blue waters and soft sands of<br />

Waikiki Beach, Hyatt Regency Waikiki offers<br />

personalized service with the spirit of<br />

Aloha, modern amenities, cultural activities,<br />

a swimming pool overlooking the Pacific<br />

Ocean, locally sourced dining, and onsite<br />

boutiques. The resort provides the perfect<br />

place for those who want to make the most<br />

of their island experience and connect with<br />

the heart of Hawaii.<br />

The 10,000 square foot spa features fabulous<br />

views of Waikiki Beach, 16 treatment<br />

rooms, locker rooms, dry saunas and a gift<br />

shop. Skilled practitioners rejuvenate the<br />

body, mind and spirit with a wide variety<br />

of massages, facials, stone treatments,<br />

and wraps. An oasis of tranquility, inspiring<br />

health and wellness through the practice of<br />

Hawaiian culture, values and arts, the spa<br />

takes guests on a journey of rediscovery, to<br />

a time and place held sacred today and by<br />

generations past.<br />

The Healing Stones of Kapaemahu<br />

<br />

The island has a compelling history<br />

and mythology.<br />

According to legend, more than 500 years<br />

ago, four Tahitian wizards, Kapaemahu,<br />

Kahaloa, Kapuni, and Kinohi, journeyed to<br />

Hawaii to share their healing practices and<br />

traditions with the Hawaiian people. When it<br />

was time for the wizards to return home, they<br />

asked the Hawaiians to select four symbols<br />

that would be erected in their honor to<br />

ensure that the healing powers would remain<br />

for generations.<br />

The Hawaiians selected four large boulders<br />

that were brought to the beach from the<br />

Kaimuki area and the wizards transferred<br />

their powers into the stones. These stones<br />

sit directly across the street from Nā Ho‘ōla<br />

<strong>Spa</strong> near the area they were left hundreds<br />

of years ago and are known as the Wizard<br />

Stones, or Healing Stones, of Kapaemahu.<br />

For centuries in Hawaii, Waikiki was a royal<br />

reserve. Natural land boundaries were<br />

formed by a number of streams that flowed<br />

to the ocean and one of the most revered<br />

land divisions was called Hamohamo. This<br />

was the royal retreat royal retreat for the<br />

Chief Aikanaka and his descendants King<br />

Kalakaua, the Princesses Likelike and Ka’iulani,<br />

and Hawaii’s last Queen, Lili’uokalani. It was<br />

8<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


elieved that the waters spouting from the<br />

ground held healing powers and Hamohamo<br />

was reserved for Hawaiian Royalty. This land<br />

is now home to Nā Ho‘ōla, which means<br />

“many healers.”<br />

Kalo, Noni, Kukui, Awa<br />

Four traditional Hawaiian healing plants<br />

make up the spa logo, Kalo, Noni, Kukui<br />

and Awa. These plants were vital to the<br />

ancient Hawaiians’ way of life and are found<br />

in many of the products that are used in<br />

the spa’s treatments. Nā Ho‘ōla prides itself<br />

on using the history of Hawaiian traditions<br />

and techniques and incorporates signature<br />

products made on the islands. In keeping<br />

with the traditions of the islands, Nā Ho‘ōla<br />

seeks to promote health and wellness<br />

through the practice of Hawaiian culture, its<br />

values and its healing arts.<br />

Hawaiian Memories<br />

This treatment starts with a hibiscus sugar<br />

scrub followed by a hibiscus mineral<br />

body wrap. The mineral wrap consists<br />

of a proprietary ocean mineral complex<br />

containing over 90 marine minerals in a<br />

super concentrated and bioavailable form<br />

supplying essential nutrients.<br />

Stand out spa menu items include:<br />

Awapuhi Retreat (Hawaiian Ginger Massage)<br />

Lomilomi massage with organic sunflower oil<br />

infused with Hawaiian healing herbal blend<br />

of Kava, Gotu, Kola, Turmeric, Green Papaya,<br />

Neem Leaf, Ginger and Noni. Extracts of the<br />

four healing plants that make up the spa<br />

logo are incorporated into this treatment<br />

formulated to boost your immune system,<br />

improve circulation and soothe your muscles.<br />

Nanea (HotStone Relaxation Massage)<br />

This luxurious collaboration of a soothing<br />

hot stone massage and essential aroma<br />

oil of Rosewood, Clary Sage and Tangerine<br />

is designed to rejuvenate, refresh, release<br />

tension, balance the body’s energies and<br />

promote relaxation.<br />

9<br />

| <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THE<br />

SPA & WELLNESS INDUSTRY & DO<br />

YOU LOVE TECHNOLOGY?<br />

COME WORK FOR US.<br />

Book4Time is the global leader in spa, wellness, and leisure activity management software for the hospitality market. Our SaaS<br />

platform manages the end-to-end guest experience and back-office operations for some of the world’s top hotels, resorts, casinos,<br />

and private clubs in more than 85 countries.<br />

Book4Time is experiencing rapid growth and is hiring experienced professionals in a number of key roles including:<br />

Customer<br />

Success<br />

Software<br />

Development<br />

Marketing<br />

Product<br />

Management<br />

Sales<br />

If you thrive on innovation and are you looking for a compelling career<br />

opportunity, view our current openings<br />

@ https://book4time.com/careers/<br />

We look forward to working with you!


7 reasons to<br />

offer digital<br />

detox at<br />

your spa<br />

We spend a lot of time looking at screens and<br />

consuming media. Is a digital detox in order?<br />

Here are 7 reasons to make this an option at<br />

your spa.<br />

Detox your life<br />

Should your spa be offering digital detox<br />

options, be it a full day a month, an hour<br />

a week, or specific areas of your property?<br />

Here’s why you might consider this compelling<br />

option if you’re not already doing so.<br />

We spend a lot of time looking at screens<br />

and, whether we all agree on this or not, it<br />

would be hard to argue that there isn’t some<br />

form of addiction happening. Have you ever<br />

told yourself to put your phone down and<br />

promised yourself you’re not going to pick it<br />

up again for a few hours only to find yourself<br />

looking at it 10 minutes later? Us too. Over<br />

and over again.<br />

According to data from DataReportal, the<br />

average American spends seven hours<br />

and four minutes looking at a screen every<br />

day, while a 2018 survey by the Nielsen<br />

Company found that the average U.S. adult<br />

was spending around 11 hours each day<br />

listening to, watching, reading, or interacting<br />

with media.<br />

And this has been associated with a variety of<br />

negative mental health outcomes, including<br />

sleep problems, stress, and more. Research<br />

has found heavy technology use to be<br />

associated with the following five outcomes:<br />

1. Depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD and<br />

alcoholuse disorder<br />

Heavy mobile phone use is associated with<br />

psychiatric, cognitive, emotional, medical<br />

andbrain changes.<br />

“[Excessive smartphone use is associated<br />

with] depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD and<br />

alcohol use disorder…difficulties in cognitiveemotion<br />

regulation, impulsivity, impaired<br />

cognitive function, addiction to social<br />

networking, shyness and low self-esteem.<br />

Medical problems include sleep problems,<br />

reduced physical fitness, unhealthy eating<br />

habits, pain and migraines, reduced cognitive<br />

control and changes in the brain’s gray<br />

matter volume.”<br />

2. Reduced sleep quantity and quality and<br />

increased body mass index.<br />

High use of devices in children, particularly close<br />

to bedtime, was linked to reduced sleep quantity<br />

and quality and with increased body mass index.<br />

“Using any device at bedtime was associated<br />

with a statically significant increased use of<br />

multiple forms of technology at bedtime and<br />

use in the middle of the night, reducing sleep<br />

quantity and quality… A statistically significant<br />

association was found between bedtime<br />

technology use and elevatedbody mass index.”<br />

3. Sleep and mood dysfunction<br />

Using social media in bed is associated with<br />

sleep and mood dysfunction and increased<br />

likelihood of anxiety and insomnia in adults.<br />

“Compared with participants with no inbed<br />

ESM (electronic social media) use and<br />

controlling for age, gender, and ethnicity,<br />

participants with high in-bed ESM use were<br />

more likely to have insomnia, anxiety, and<br />

short sleep duration on weeknights.”<br />

4. Smiling less<br />

Strangers smiled less at one another when<br />

they had their phones in a waiting room.<br />

“Compared to participants without<br />

smartphones, participants with smartphones<br />

exhibited significantly fewer smiles of any<br />

kind and fewer genuine (Duchenne) smiles.<br />

These findings are based on objective<br />

behavioral coding rather than self-report and<br />

11 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


provide clear evidence that being constantly<br />

connected to thedigital world may undermine<br />

important approach behavior.”<br />

5. More severe anxiety, depression<br />

and negative affectivity<br />

Social media use has also been connected<br />

to FOMO, also known as fear of missing out,<br />

which has in turn been associated with more<br />

severe anxiety, depression and negative<br />

affectivity, and lower levels of perceived<br />

quality of life.<br />

The mere presence of a smartphone makes<br />

you dumber<br />

Reason #6 is that we don’t even have to be<br />

using our phones for some of these effects to<br />

be seen. They just have to be availableto us.<br />

Strong and consistent evidence has been<br />

found of an association between the use of<br />

devices, or merely the access to them, and<br />

reduced sleep quantity and quality, as well as<br />

increased daytime sleepiness<br />

“[Twenty studies involving] 125 198 children<br />

found a strong and consistent association<br />

between bedtime media device use and<br />

inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality,<br />

and excessive daytime sleepiness. In addition,<br />

children who had access to (but did not use)<br />

media devices at night were more likely to<br />

have inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep<br />

quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness.”<br />

Another study found similar but different<br />

results in adults. Study participants took<br />

a series of tests geared to measure<br />

participants’ available cognitive capacity.<br />

Before beginning, participants were randomly<br />

instructed to place their smartphones<br />

either on the desk face down, in their<br />

pocket or personal bag, or in another room.<br />

All participants were instructed to turn<br />

their phones to silent. Participants with<br />

their phones in another room significantly<br />

outperformed those with their phones on<br />

the desk, and they also slightly outperformed<br />

those participants who had kept their phones<br />

in a pocket or bag.<br />

The authors conclude “The findings suggest<br />

that the mere presence of one’s smartphone<br />

reduces available cognitive capacity and<br />

impairs cognitive functioning, even though<br />

people feel they’re giving their full attention<br />

and focus to the task at hand.”<br />

Let’s not get carried away. Technology<br />

is still amazing.<br />

Not all smartphone and screen use is bad, of<br />

course. There are wonderful applications for<br />

technology and there are study findings that<br />

refute the findings above. There will always<br />

be fear mongering around new technologies,<br />

back through the invention of television and<br />

radio, all the way back to the printing press,<br />

when 16th Century Swiss scientist, Conrad<br />

Gessner, apparently expressed serious<br />

concerns around the dangers of information<br />

overload and the overabundance of<br />

available books.<br />

Technology is still amazing and allows<br />

us to do incredible things, access mind<br />

blowing amounts of information, and better<br />

understand ourselves and the world. But<br />

that doesn’t mean forcing yourself to step<br />

away from screens for periods of time isn’t a<br />

good idea.<br />

7. Limiting use of social media has benefits<br />

And, finally, Reason #7 is that putting down<br />

the phone and stepping away from social<br />

media has been shown to have positive<br />

effects (which you probably already figured).<br />

One study, for example, found that limiting use<br />

of social media among university students to<br />

a maximum of 30 minutes a day over three<br />

weeks was associated with reductions in<br />

feelings of loneliness and depression.<br />

“After a week of baseline monitoring, 143<br />

[university students] were randomly assigned<br />

to either limit Facebook, Instagram and<br />

Snapchat use to 10 minutes, per platform,<br />

per day, or to use social media as usual for<br />

three weeks…The limited use group showed<br />

significant reductions in loneliness and<br />

depression over three weeks compared<br />

to the control group. Both groups showed<br />

significant decreases in anxiety and fear<br />

of missing out over baseline, suggesting a<br />

benefit of increased self-monitoring.”<br />

It’s also been suggested by people in the<br />

wellness industry that human beings benefit<br />

greatly from the sort of community and<br />

interactions that aren’t as easily accessible<br />

when we’re staring at screens. This is why<br />

spa and wellness businesses might consider<br />

creating digital detox experiences, if you<br />

don’t already. It doesn’t have to be all digital<br />

detox all the time. A day out of the week<br />

or month, or an hour out of the weekend,<br />

well promoted with special packages or<br />

treatments and services might be just what<br />

your customer base wants and needs.<br />

<strong>Spa</strong>s and wellness retreats offering the option of<br />

a digital detox include:<br />

Miraval Berkshires, where mindfulness<br />

is the core of the Miraval philosophy and<br />

guests are asked to use technology only<br />

in designated locations “to practice being<br />

mindful of the moment and respectful of<br />

fellow guests.”<br />

Zulal Wellness Resort By Chiva-Som,<br />

which, according to its website is the first<br />

12 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


esort in Qatar to incorporate the pioneering<br />

digital detoxing concept. At Zulal, “the use<br />

of mobile phones and digital equipment is<br />

restricted in an effort to inspire families and<br />

individuals to reconnect with themselves and<br />

with surrounding nature.”<br />

Rancho La Puerta, where cell phone use is<br />

prohibited in public areas, “primarily because<br />

the Ranch is a retreat that values real<br />

conversation and connections.”<br />

13 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


BOOK ONLINE,<br />

PAY ONLINE,<br />

SKIP THE LINE<br />

Enjoy the contact-less experience.


​<br />

How to<br />

manage toxic<br />

customers in<br />

your spa<br />

What is a toxic customer? One that poisons your<br />

spa environment and negatively impacts the<br />

people around them. Here are some tips on how<br />

to handle toxic customers in your spa.<br />

Detox the workplace<br />

When you run or work in a spa, eventually<br />

you’re going to encounter a toxic customer.<br />

What is a toxic customer? One that poisons<br />

your spa environment and negatively impacts<br />

the people around them. You’ll know them<br />

when you meet them. <br />

What is a toxic customer?<br />

They make unreasonable demands and<br />

are difficult – toxic customers may always<br />

be trying to get a discount or deal, or more<br />

than what they pay for. While it’s always good<br />

to go above and beyond for a guest, this<br />

should be because you want to enhance their<br />

experience, not because you feel bullied into it.<br />

They are never happy – Toxic customers<br />

always find something to complain about and<br />

you may always feel like you’re treading water<br />

around them or walking on eggshells.<br />

They are rude to or abusive of your staff –<br />

Toxic customers may abuse your staff or try to<br />

take advantage of them.<br />

They don’t care about other people –<br />

Toxic customers may only seem to care about<br />

themselves, make last minute cancellations,<br />

no-show for appointments, or show up<br />

disproportionately late, and not grasp the<br />

fact that this behavior impacts your business<br />

and your team and costs you money. Once is<br />

understandable but doing this over and over<br />

again shows a disregard for other people.<br />

They suck up your time – Toxic customers<br />

take up a lot of time, whether it be<br />

complaining, arguing, or demanding more<br />

from you and your team.<br />

They cost more than they are worth – at<br />

the end of the day, your toxic customers will<br />

cost you more than they are worth, in time, in<br />

staff morale, and in other ways.<br />

Toxic customers are more than just difficult<br />

Toxic customers are not just difficult<br />

customers. Sometimes people are difficult<br />

or demanding but they can be dealt with<br />

fairly easily through better communication<br />

and patience. Other times, a guest will have<br />

a legitimate complaint based on a negative<br />

experience. It’s important to know<br />

the difference.<br />

<strong>Spa</strong>s build their entire business models on<br />

promises of pampering, luxury, and even<br />

“transformational” experiences. This sets<br />

high expectations, sometimes unreasonably<br />

high, and that can lead to cranky customers<br />

if the person is prone to being demanding in<br />

the first place. Here are some strategies for<br />

handling toxic customers.<br />

11 strategies for handling toxic customers<br />

Ask yourself if you are part of the<br />

problem. We’re often quick to blame others<br />

but is it possible that the customer is not, in<br />

fact, toxic and has a legitimate complaint? As<br />

we just mentioned, sometimes a customer<br />

will have a valid grievance and we have to be<br />

careful not to make the mistake of ignoring<br />

our own role when there is a problem. So, take<br />

a look at the situation and assess it objectively.<br />

Be the calm presence in a heated<br />

moment. If a guest is upset, remain calm.<br />

This may be enough to diffuse a situation in<br />

itself, as angry people often lose steam when<br />

countered with calm – though sometimes after<br />

getting even more angry and then running out<br />

of steam. Keeping calm no matter how badly<br />

15 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


someone else is behaving will help you handle<br />

any situation with grace and clarity.<br />

Speak to the customer privately.<br />

Sometimes, as we mention in our article about<br />

toxic employees, people have no idea how<br />

their behavior affects others. Have a<br />

conversation and tell them you have noticed<br />

that they are consistently dissatisfied, that<br />

there is often friction with team members,<br />

or whatever the case may be. If it is a onetime<br />

issue, take them aside to discuss that<br />

issue. Again, simply talking to them may<br />

be enough to change the behavior. Ask if<br />

there is a particular issue on your end that<br />

can be reasonably addressed and offer the<br />

opportunity for the other person to speak to it.<br />

Listen. Listen to the customer actively and<br />

with empathy. Sometimes people lose it<br />

because they feel like they are not being heard<br />

and, really, that’s all they want. We all want<br />

to be heard and to be seen, and some will<br />

lash out because they don’t have the coping<br />

mechanisms to handle themselves thoughtfully<br />

when they feel things are going off the rails. We<br />

all have a friend who is a bit like this, don’t we?<br />

They’re not bad people. They just have some<br />

gaps in their communication skills.<br />

Get the other side of the story. If there is a<br />

specific issue to be dealt with, like a problem<br />

with a service provider, get that person's side<br />

of the story. Do this privately and not in front<br />

of the guest so the encounter doesn’t devolve<br />

into contrasting versions of events. If need be,<br />

send the customer home and try to figure<br />

things out in their absence.<br />

Protect your team and yourself. You need<br />

to draw a line with customers as to what you<br />

will and will not tolerate. Make it clear that<br />

abusive language or behavior towards either<br />

you or your team is unacceptable and that they<br />

will be asked to leave if things get out of hand.<br />

Have your employees’ backs. Never throw<br />

your employees under the bus or side with<br />

the customer because you are afraid of<br />

losing business. If there is an issue with the<br />

employee, address that separately, but as a<br />

leader it is your job to support your team and<br />

remain diplomatic during conflict. If you don’t<br />

support your team they will leave you and,<br />

with staffing in the spa industry being what it is<br />

today, you don’tneed that.<br />

Apologize. Dale Carnegie, author of How<br />

to Win Friends and Influence People, tells a story<br />

in the best-selling book about disarming a<br />

police officer who was about to give him<br />

a fine for an off-leash dog, with an effusive<br />

apology. When Carnegie did this, the officer<br />

started backing down and reassuring Carnegie<br />

that his offense wasn’t actually that serious.<br />

Carnegie writes: “That policeman, being<br />

human, wanted a feeling of importance; so<br />

when I began to condemn myself, the only way<br />

he could nourish his self-esteem was to take<br />

the magnanimous attitude of showing mercy.”<br />

Carnegie admits that he was inarguably in<br />

the wrong, but it still illustrates the power<br />

of an apology. You don’t have to apologize<br />

for something you didn’t do or for any<br />

wrongdoing that did not occur, but you can<br />

apologize because you’re sorry the customer<br />

is unhappy. If there is a particular situation that<br />

is resolvable, try to resolve it. Ask the customer<br />

how they would like to see this happen and<br />

decide if it’s reasonable.<br />

Explain how things work. This might be<br />

better in an email, but sometimes it can be<br />

helpful for people to have things spelled out for<br />

them. Again, not everyone understands how<br />

their actions impact others, that last minute<br />

cancellations cost a company and the employee<br />

time and money and throw off the schedule,<br />

or that demanding modifications to a service<br />

can be an inconvenience for the provider who<br />

is expected to stick to a schedule, or that when<br />

they get angry it affects everyone around them.<br />

Explaining how things work and how one thing<br />

affects another might help.<br />

Let them go. Repeat offenders who are<br />

routinely toxic will need to be let go and told<br />

they are no longer welcome in your spa. A<br />

difficult customer may be turned around with<br />

an apology, a gift, or a complimentary service.<br />

But a toxic customer will not and you should<br />

not be in a position where you feel that you<br />

are constantly catering to the needs of an<br />

impossible person. Your team should not be<br />

subject to this either. Send a kindly, clearly,<br />

and firmly worded note stating that you think<br />

it’s best if they don’t return and wish them the<br />

best finding a more suitable business for their<br />

needs. Any outstanding balance on packages<br />

or memberships should be returned.<br />

Keep notes. Keep a record of the guest’s<br />

behavior so that, if you have not banned them<br />

from the spa, when they return, your staff can<br />

be prepared and know what to expect. Or, if<br />

you do choose to ban them, make a note as to<br />

why. Some customers should absolutely never<br />

be given a second chance, including those<br />

that are violent and inappropriate. Future<br />

management and new team members will<br />

need this information. Your spa management<br />

software should have a note taking function to<br />

allow you to do this and to share information<br />

with all your staff, even across multiple<br />

properties. Future management and new<br />

team members will need this information.<br />

16 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Sleep detoxes the brain.<br />

How spas can help guests get more of it<br />

Research findings suggest that sleep detoxes<br />

the brain. Here’s how that works and how spa<br />

treatments can help people get more sleep.<br />

toxins that build up during waking hours.<br />

According to a brief, the results suggested a<br />

new role for sleep in health and disease.<br />

potential importance of the network in normal<br />

brain function,” said Roderick Corriveau, Ph.D.,<br />

a program director at NINDS.<br />

The question of why we sleep is as old as<br />

humankind. Scientists have been exploring<br />

it for decades, but it’s still a difficult one to<br />

answer. We know we need sleep to survive,<br />

that we feel better after we do it, and we can<br />

barely function when we don’t get enough<br />

of it. We know we dream during sleep<br />

and appear to solve problems and solidify<br />

learning, and more than a century of research<br />

has established the fact that sleep benefits<br />

the retention of memory.<br />

Sleep detoxes the brain<br />

We also may be detoxing our brains when<br />

we sleep.<br />

“Sleep changes the cellular structure of the<br />

brain. It appears to be a completely different<br />

state,” said Maiken Nedergaard, a leader of<br />

the study.<br />

The study showed that during sleep a<br />

plumbing system called the glymphatic<br />

system may open, letting fluid flow rapidly<br />

through the brain. The glymphatic system<br />

helps control the flow of cerebrospinal<br />

fluid (CSF), a clear liquid surrounding the<br />

brain and spinal cord. Previous research<br />

findings suggest that toxic molecules<br />

involved in neurodegenerative disorders<br />

accumulate in the space between<br />

brain cells.<br />

The results were said to potentially have broad<br />

implications for multiple neurological disorders<br />

and highlight the importance of sleep.<br />

“We need sleep. It cleans up the brain,” said<br />

Dr. Nedergaard.<br />

We also know we need sleep because a lack<br />

of it can lead to a host of negative health<br />

outcomes. According to the Cleveland Clinic,<br />

“some of the most serious potential problems<br />

associated with chronic sleep deprivation are<br />

high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack,<br />

heart failure or stroke.” Other potential<br />

problems include obesity, depression, and<br />

reduced immune system function.<br />

A 2013 study using mice showed that the<br />

space between brain cells may increase<br />

during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out<br />

“It’s as if Dr. Nedergaard and her colleagues<br />

have uncovered a network of hidden caves<br />

and these exciting results highlight the<br />

Fortunately, spa treatments, including<br />

massage, sauna, and taking warm waters can<br />

17 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


help improve sleep function – something to<br />

communicate to your guests.<br />

More recent research also found that 7 in 10<br />

Americans do not achieve restorative sleep.<br />

offerings from Langham Hospitality Group’s<br />

global spa and wellness brand, Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>.<br />

Some findings regarding common spa<br />

treatments and sleep:<br />

Massage<br />

Postmenopausal women with insomnia<br />

undergoing massage therapy experienced<br />

improvement in sleep patterns. Patients<br />

self reported falling asleep faster, improved<br />

quality of sleep, and feeling better upon<br />

waking.<br />

Women undergoing massage therapy<br />

also experienced a significant decrease in<br />

depression, insomnia, and increased quality<br />

of life.<br />

In addition to a decrease in long-term pain,<br />

subjects receiving massage experienced<br />

improved sleep and an increase in serotonin<br />

levels. Results were based on twice-weekly,<br />

30-minute massages for 5 weeks.<br />

Sauna<br />

Volunteers who took a sauna before bed<br />

experienced a significantly increased state of<br />

relaxation and improved levels of deep sleep<br />

than on nights they did not take a sauna<br />

before bed.<br />

83.5% of 482 respondents to a survey in<br />

another study reported sleep benefits after<br />

sauna use.<br />

Soaking in warm water<br />

Bathing one to two hours — ideally, 90<br />

minutes — before bed in water at 104 to<br />

109°F (40 to 43°C) helps people get the best<br />

quality sleep and to fall asleep an average of<br />

10 minutes faster than normal.<br />

Many hotels and spas are seeing the potential<br />

market here and are creating programs<br />

designed to help guests sleep better. These<br />

include the Four Seasons Hotel St Louis<br />

where the Deep Sleep Restorative Massage<br />

with calming aromas of lavender and<br />

chamomile concludes with a 20-minute nap<br />

under a weighted blanket while delta wavestimulating<br />

melodies play in the background<br />

(via Well+Good). Guests are given a pillow<br />

mist and eucalyptus salt soak to continue<br />

the experience in their rooms, which feature<br />

blackout curtains, soundproof windows, and<br />

signature Four Seasons mattresses featuring<br />

AirCool technology, and crisp linens.<br />

And the Fairmont Century Plaza offers<br />

treatments targeting sleep at a cellular<br />

level through a combination of infrared<br />

technology, compression therapy, and<br />

healing sound waves on an anti-gravity bed.<br />

Guest rooms feature black-out curtains and<br />

plush pillow top mattresses.<br />

Langham Hospitality Group, meanwhile,<br />

recently launched Sleep Matters by Chuan,<br />

a comprehensive global sleep wellness<br />

programme developed in conjunction with<br />

the World Sleep Society.<br />

Amy Chan, Assistant Group Director of <strong>Spa</strong> &<br />

Wellness at Langham Hospitality Group, told<br />

us, “As sleep plays a vital role in a memorable<br />

travel experience, helping travelers enjoy a<br />

good night’s rest allows for greater enjoyment<br />

of a holiday, higher productivity on a business<br />

trip, and is the connective element between a<br />

hotel and its guests.”<br />

Exclusive elements include a magazine<br />

curated by the World Sleep Society as well as<br />

elements based around wellness rituals and<br />

Every Langham hotel around the world has<br />

embraced the program and is offering their<br />

own packages and local elements to help<br />

guests achieve better rest.<br />

18 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Langham’s Amy Chan<br />

on TCM, sleep & spa marketing<br />

Langham Hospitality’s Amy Chan talks about<br />

TCM, spa marketing, the staffing challenge and,<br />

of course, what makes a great guest experience.<br />

Amy Chan is a respected spa and wellness<br />

professional with nearly three decades<br />

of industry experience, starting first as a<br />

therapist and moving up through the ranks to<br />

become the Assistant Group Director of <strong>Spa</strong><br />

& Wellness at Langham Hospitality Group.<br />

She has been with Langham Hospitality<br />

Group since 2007, was involved in the<br />

development of Chuan <strong>Spa</strong> from its early<br />

stages at the brand’s flagship at Cordis, Hong<br />

Kong (Langham Place, Mongkok), and has<br />

been part of Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>’s growth to 20 spas<br />

today, with two more in the pipeline this year<br />

at The Langham Jakarta and The Langham<br />

Gold Coast.<br />

Ms. Chan is responsible for the daily global<br />

operations and marketing of Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>,<br />

offering leadership and guidance to ensure<br />

the spas achieve greater guest satisfaction<br />

and increased profitability.<br />

With a strong knowledge in Traditional<br />

Chinese Medicine (TCM), the concept and<br />

the core philosophy from which Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>’s<br />

treatments are derived, Ms. Chan works<br />

closely with TCM professionals to develop<br />

treatments to enhance health and wellness. As<br />

an accredited and qualified trainer in spa and<br />

wellness therapy, she not only trains all the<br />

spa therapists in the group, but also manages<br />

and teaches at the Chuan Academy, a spatraining<br />

institute by Chuan <strong>Spa</strong> in Hong Kong.<br />

We spoke with Amy Chan about TCM, spa<br />

marketing, the staffing challenge and, of<br />

course, what makes a great guest experience.<br />

Can you talk about Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>s and the principle<br />

of TCM?<br />

A spa retreat based on philosophy as old as<br />

time itself. In Chinese, “Chuan” means flowing<br />

water. As the source of life, water represents<br />

the re-birth and rebalancing of our whole<br />

being. At Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>, we understand the<br />

most effective cure for stress is not found<br />

19 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


on the shelves of our local pharmacy, but<br />

deep within ourselves. With roots stretching<br />

back thousands of years, Traditional Chinese<br />

Medicine (TCM) believes the human body<br />

comprises two opposing yet mutually<br />

dependent halves: Yin and Yang. A haven of<br />

Oriental Serenity, Chuan <strong>Spa</strong> offers a journey<br />

to wellness combining genuine service and<br />

holistic treatments that are based on the<br />

principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.<br />

At Chuan, all of our signature services are<br />

developed in conjunction with our resident<br />

TCM doctor to maintain a high level of<br />

integrity and authenticity. Chuan signature<br />

treatments and products are guided by two<br />

key principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine<br />

(TCM), with the aim of assisting our clients in<br />

their journey to regaining internal balance.<br />

These are Wu Xing (the 5 elements of Wood,<br />

Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) and Jing Luo (the<br />

meridian system).<br />

Can you talk about Sleep Matters by Chuan and<br />

the importance of sleep?<br />

Sleep has a huge role in a longevity plan<br />

because insomnia, or prolonged lack of<br />

sleep, affects our energy and mental clarity.<br />

From the Chinese perspective, nighttime is<br />

a quiet time when the spirit wanders and<br />

our body repairs and takes care of itself. To<br />

sleep well, Chinese medicine practitioners<br />

believe that our spirit and heart must be<br />

calm to experience restorative sleep, while<br />

anxiety, worry, and depression make it nearly<br />

impossible to achieve.<br />

Sleep Matters by Chuan is a comprehensive<br />

global sleep wellness programme developed<br />

in conjunction with the World Sleep Society<br />

whose mission is dedicated to advancing<br />

sleep health worldwide with sleep medicine<br />

and scientific expertise. As sleep plays a<br />

vital role in a memorable travel experience,<br />

helping travelers enjoy a good night’s rest<br />

allows for greater enjoyment of a holiday,<br />

higher productivity on a business trip, and<br />

is the connective element between a hotel<br />

and its guests. Each of our hotels across the<br />

world has embraced Sleep Matters by Chuan<br />

and introduced their own packages and local<br />

elements to delight our guests.<br />

Three TCM tips to achieve a restful sleep:<br />

allow three hours between last meal and<br />

bedtime to have sufficient time to digest the<br />

food, conduct a relaxing breathing exercise<br />

prior to sleeping to calm your breathing and<br />

cleanse the body, and sleep by 11pm for the<br />

body to replenish.<br />

As we’re talking about detox in this issue, how<br />

does the idea of detoxification fit with TCM?<br />

According to TCM, well-being and vitality<br />

are believed to be influenced through the<br />

nurturing of the three treasures, which<br />

everyone possesses: Jing, known as our life<br />

force, Qi, known as our vital energy, and Shen,<br />

known as our mind and spirit. Supporting<br />

our treasures is the key focus to maintaining<br />

wellness in TCM. This is achieved through:<br />

rest and relaxation, a good mental state,<br />

regular exercise, food therapy, appropriate<br />

environmental responses, utilization of<br />

Chinese herbal medicines; acupuncture and<br />

tui na (Chinese massage).<br />

Our body detoxes naturally but due to<br />

the modern busy environment, it can be<br />

imbalanced. TCM practitioners draw upon<br />

centuries-old principles to solve a modern<br />

problem. Our TCM practitioners first conduct<br />

a consultation to understand your lifestyle,<br />

body statues and concerns, follow by<br />

recommendations of selected TCM techniques<br />

that work together synergistically such as<br />

acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine,<br />

nutritional therapy, ear auricular therapy,<br />

Lymphatic drainage and tui na massage.<br />

Marketing is one of your areas of expertise.<br />

How can spas better market themselves?<br />

We need to follow the world trends where<br />

the use of technology and social media are<br />

the new norm. This is one instance where<br />

the world of spas and modern technology<br />

can enjoy a happy marriage to enhance<br />

the customer journey and offer a holistic<br />

experience from the first click to the final<br />

touches in the treatment room.<br />

Websites are more than just a shop<br />

window for browsing what treatments and<br />

promotions are available but are increasingly<br />

used to book appointments online,<br />

seamlessly in real time, and buy retail online.<br />

We all talk about creating experiences and<br />

storytelling. Maintaining a brand awareness<br />

via social media platforms, sharing tips, short<br />

videos and posting event photos are at least<br />

the basics people should get right. People<br />

have very short attention spans so don’t<br />

post anything too long. Word of mouth is<br />

incredibly powerful. Encourage your guests<br />

to post (positive) online reviews as customers<br />

love to read other guest experiences.<br />

You might also want to create aselfie area for<br />

customers to post instagrammable moments.<br />

20 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


What makes a great guest experience?<br />

What are you excited about?<br />

Utmost attention to the entire journey, from<br />

the moment you enter the spa, to the five<br />

senses; vision of the design, lighting tone and<br />

cleanliness; hearing of the Zen music played<br />

throughout the spa; smell of the pleasant<br />

aroma diffused; taste of the beverages and<br />

snacks offered; and the touch of the linen<br />

from bathrobes to bedding and ideal setting<br />

of the room temperature. All these elements<br />

perfectly done together with “soft skills” to<br />

create a synergistic space. With colleagues<br />

using their training to their appearance<br />

in uniform with grooming and overall<br />

professionalism, guests will feel they are in a<br />

luxurious environment.<br />

I am excited to see how the world is<br />

embracing wellness across all industries. I<br />

see companies putting the wellbeing of their<br />

staff first, recognizing that productivity and<br />

wellness go hand in hand. They’re organizing<br />

regular healthy tips from professionals, virtual<br />

fitness videos or classes, and simple but<br />

impactful activations like a lunchtime chair<br />

massage. People are also more open-minded<br />

and curious to try alternative medicines such<br />

as TCM, homeopathy, and complimentary<br />

therapies such as signing bowl therapy and<br />

mindfulness meditation. The ultimate goal is<br />

to achieve longevity of life.<br />

Sleep detoxes the brain<br />

Chuan <strong>Spa</strong> prides itself as an oasis offering<br />

a personalized journey towards optimum<br />

relaxation and wellbeing. Chuan <strong>Spa</strong>’s tranquil<br />

setting enhanced with signature design<br />

elements (moon gate, contemplation corner,<br />

dream room) and signature treatments made<br />

us a luxurious wellness institution in each city<br />

we have a presence.<br />

What challenges would you say the industry is<br />

facing and will face in the near future? Do you<br />

have solutions for these challenges?<br />

Recruitment is the biggest issue currently.<br />

There is a major shortage of talented spa<br />

therapists in the industry. We need to create<br />

a retention programme to attract and retain<br />

staff. These include incentive program for<br />

individual/ team performance, enhanced job<br />

skills and sponsored training, flexible working<br />

hours to adapt to a balance of life, more rest<br />

days and offering a staff wellness programme<br />

as well as celebrate their birthdays.<br />

21 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Increase spa revenue with<br />

yield management<br />

People in the spa industry love what they do and<br />

also know it’s sometimes a passion project, as<br />

spas can often yield low profit margins. Increase<br />

spa revenue with yield management.<br />

People in the spa industry love what they<br />

do, but we know that it’s sometimes a<br />

passion project, as spas can often yield low<br />

profit margins.<br />

Occupancy and revenue are dependent on<br />

factors that may be beyond your control, like<br />

season, time of day, socioeconomic factors,<br />

and more. Fortunately, yield management is<br />

a surefire way to maximize occupancy and<br />

significantly increase profits at your spa.<br />

A subcategory of revenue management,<br />

yield management is the process of making<br />

frequent adjustments in the price of a<br />

product or service in response to market<br />

factors, like demand or competition, to<br />

maximize revenue. It’s most commonly<br />

applied when there is limited or finite<br />

capacity, like with seats on an airline, or<br />

in a spa, a service provider’s time and<br />

energy. There is ample evidence of yield<br />

management’s benefits and it has been used<br />

in the hotel and airline sectors for decades.<br />

In the late 1970s, the first yield<br />

management strategies involved analyzing<br />

market factors, like time of year, day of<br />

the week, and destination and origin<br />

locations – to predict demand for airline<br />

seats and offer discounts, giving airlines the<br />

opportunity to sell seats that would have<br />

otherwise remained empty. From there,<br />

yield management applications have grown<br />

and it has since been said to have brought<br />

the air industry, almost on the brink of<br />

bankruptcy, back from the brink of ruin.<br />

Throughout the 1980s the practice spread<br />

throughout the hospitality industry. A 1992<br />

paper quotes Robert Crandall, former<br />

Chairman and CEO of American Airlines<br />

as crediting the survival of the company<br />

to yield management and estimating<br />

that the strategy generated $1.4 billion<br />

in incremental revenue over a three-year<br />

period. He also said, “We expect yield<br />

management to generate at least $500<br />

million annually for the foreseeable future.”<br />

Consumers have since come to expect<br />

fluctuating prices for airline seats and<br />

hotel rooms as a matter of course, and<br />

we know that the price of an airplane seat<br />

can change in a moment. Hotels use this<br />

22 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Yield management has been said to have brought the air industry, almost on the brink of bankruptcy, back from the brink of ruin.<br />

strategy when they are located next to<br />

a stadium and a big game or concert is<br />

happening that weekend, or when there is<br />

high demand because of a holiday. This is<br />

also called “dynamic pricing.”<br />

More recently, Uber has been using yield<br />

management to increase prices in high<br />

demand times, also known as “surge<br />

pricing.” And, again, people have come to<br />

accept it as a matter of course.<br />

The spa industry has been slower to catch on.<br />

Suzanne Holbrook, Senior Corporate<br />

Director of <strong>Spa</strong> Operations for Marriott<br />

International and Ritz Carlton, is an<br />

expert in yield management and revenue<br />

management. She oversees 160 spasat<br />

hotels and resorts and is recognized<br />

for an almost magical ability to produce<br />

outstanding financial results.<br />

Holbrook told <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> Magazine<br />

in a 2021 interview, “There’s always<br />

fear of change! But airlines took on this<br />

strategy many years ago and became very<br />

profitable! We are used to this with airlines<br />

and hotels, but not for spa. WHY? Let’s be<br />

the disruptors. We shouldn’t wait for every<br />

other industry to move forward.”<br />

“There’s always fear of change!<br />

But airlines took on this<br />

strategy many years ago and<br />

became very profitable! We<br />

are used to this with airlines<br />

and hotels, but not for spa.<br />

WHY? Let’s be the disruptors.<br />

We shouldn’t wait for every<br />

other industry to move<br />

forward.” – Suzanne Holbrook,<br />

Senior Corporate Director of<br />

<strong>Spa</strong> Operations for Marriott<br />

International and Ritz Carlton<br />

However, she added that “successful<br />

implementation involves detailed analysis<br />

and careful decision making and planning<br />

within a framework of clear and effective<br />

policies and procedures.<br />

“Put strong processes in place, and we can<br />

be the disruptors, and make the change,”<br />

said Holbrook.<br />

Here are a few examples of best yield<br />

management practices for the spa industry.<br />

Think twice before discounting<br />

<strong>Spa</strong>s commonly offer discounts to fill<br />

empty treatment rooms and this is an<br />

accepted approach to dynamic pricing.<br />

But savvy leaders often counsel against<br />

this strategy, particularly in luxury<br />

markets. Holbrook noted in a <strong>Spa</strong><br />

<strong>Executive</strong> editorial that this can devalue<br />

a brand, and spas might not attract the<br />

clientele they want by positioning their<br />

businesses as discount houses with<br />

marketing and communication strategies<br />

23 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


like “Mud Wrap, 40% off,” and ‘’Massage,<br />

30% Discount.”<br />

She explained, “While discounting is an<br />

easy way to attract extra demand, it is<br />

unfortunately only a short term solution. A<br />

discount strategy can have a negative impact<br />

on the consumer’s value of treatments,<br />

services, and brand. Consumers will want<br />

access to the discounted prices most of<br />

the time. Discounting will only downtrade<br />

revenue potential.”<br />

Consider other dynamic pricing options<br />

before moving to discounting.<br />

Do a deep dive data analysis of<br />

your operations<br />

Like discounting, implementing dynamic<br />

pricing in the wrong way can negatively<br />

impact your brand. Reducing and<br />

increasing prices during off-peak and onpeak<br />

hours, for example, can work in some<br />

markets and alienate people in others.<br />

Some consumers might wonder why they<br />

should pay more for a massage because<br />

they work weekdays and have children,<br />

and are therefore only available on<br />

a Saturday, than someone who is<br />

available Tuesday.<br />

Fortunately, there are other dynamic<br />

pricing strategies that can yield the<br />

results you want. They start with taking a<br />

deep dive into your expenses and profits<br />

and structuring operations accordingly.<br />

Your spa software’s reporting dashboard<br />

can tell you everything you need to know<br />

about your best-selling services and peak<br />

occupancy times.<br />

Get creative and don’t just do what everyone<br />

else is doing<br />

Among the best strategies is offering<br />

your most profitable services during peak<br />

times – and only during peak times. This<br />

might mean the $700 couples massage<br />

is only available Thursday-Sunday while<br />

less expensive services are only available<br />

Monday-Wednesday. Customers are less<br />

likely to take offense because a product<br />

or service is only available on certain days<br />

than they are to learn it’s cheaper on some<br />

days than others.<br />

Another option is to increase pricing in high<br />

demand times, rather than discounting in<br />

lower demand times. While this might seem<br />

like the same thing, it sends a different<br />

message, Holbrook explained, “If you’re fully<br />

booked on Saturdays, between the hours<br />

of 2pm and 6pm, add an additional $20 to<br />

each treatment. If there is push back (which<br />

there rarely is) offer an alternative of a low<br />

demand time, or day at regular rack rate.”<br />

You can also offer packages and series to<br />

those who want to lock into lower pricing.<br />

These changes can result in higher<br />

commissions for your staff and a happier<br />

team. If they are paid by a commission rate<br />

or percent of a service, when you run your<br />

payroll reports, they may take home more<br />

from working a weekend than a Tuesday<br />

morning, which can also result in people<br />

wanting to pick up more of those prime<br />

time shifts.<br />

Incentivize your team to earn upsell and addon<br />

revenue<br />

Upselling means encouraging customers<br />

to purchase higher-value products or<br />

service instead of the intended one –<br />

upgrading to a 90-minute body treatment<br />

from a 60-minute massage, for example.<br />

And cross selling is selling services or<br />

products on top of something a guest<br />

has already purchased. This is commonly<br />

applied with adding retail products onto a<br />

spa treatment, but can also be applied by<br />

adding VIP add-ons, mini treatments, and<br />

more, at time of booking the appointment,<br />

during confirmation communications,<br />

during check in, or during the treatment<br />

itself. Both increase revenue.<br />

More than a decade ago, Holbrook<br />

launched a company-wide program at<br />

Marriott called <strong>Spa</strong> Plus in which the front<br />

desk or therapist would be financially<br />

incentivized to offer an upgrade with<br />

the treatment time, like stones, face<br />

masks, CBD, or scalp treatments, for an<br />

additional cost. The company developed a<br />

comprehensive training platform including<br />

manuals and videos to ensure the teams<br />

were fully educated and prepared and the<br />

program increased revenue by $8 million in<br />

2019 with an 80% profit.<br />

Continue to track and analyze<br />

your data<br />

Your guest preferences and market<br />

conditions will change, so you have to<br />

stay on top of it. Relying on data that is<br />

getting old can leave you vulnerable to<br />

losing revenue to market changes. Your<br />

bestselling services and busiest times one<br />

month may not be your busiest times and<br />

bestselling services three months later.<br />

This means consistently revisiting your data<br />

to see what adjustments you can make to<br />

your yield management strategies to keep<br />

up with changes.<br />

24 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


Book4Time’s comprehensive reporting<br />

dashboards are said to be the best in the<br />

industry, and with these dashboards you<br />

can view every imaginable element of your<br />

operations. From there, you can come up<br />

with the most effective and efficient yield<br />

management strategy for your business.<br />

Book4Time will also help you:<br />

Manage packages and series.<br />

Increase add-on and upsell revenue.<br />

Optimize your scheduling.<br />

Simplify and save time on payroll.<br />

Increase revenue with online and<br />

mobile booking.<br />

Easily integrate your hotel PMS and<br />

process room charges in real-time<br />

or transfer all spa revenue to your<br />

hotel system.<br />

25 | <strong>Spa</strong> <strong>Executive</strong> The Detox Issue


FOR LEADERS IN THE BUSINESS OF WELLNESS<br />

ADVERTISE WITH US<br />

CONTACT SAL CAPIZZI FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />

SCAPIZZI@SPAEXECUTIVE.COM<br />

scapizzi@book4time.com www.spaexecutive.com

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!