spa_training

Developing a Spa Training Program

There are many important responsibilities that a Spa Director or Department Manager must perform. Usually one of the most important includes training or overseeing the training of a team of therapists on how to perform client services within the standards and branding of the spa’s image. Whether you have a staff of 2 or 32, it is very important that there is consistency to the services that are being performed. A client must feel comfortable visiting any therapist at the spa and receive the same high standard of treatment from each one. Delivering high quality service consistently is important to maintaining the reputation of the spa as well as to retain clients which ultimately equals success to the spas business.

So what does it mean to develop a proper training program that promotes consistent quality of service? Most states or countries require treatment therapists to have basic training and testing to acquire their license to practice their trade. Isn’t that enough to successfully perform treatments on client’s? Unfortunately, the depth of education at the state board level covers mainly the basics in most cases, and the highly educated consumer demands exceptional service for their hard earned dollar. Post graduate education, is therefore essential for a therapist to become extremely confident in performing specialized, clinical and advanced treatment techniques, to retail products and to achieve the highest standard in customer service. This is the level that a Spa Director or Department Manager must work to encourage, insist and expect their staff to achieve. Client’s are very savvy and have high expectations. They want to see and feel immediate results and therefore a well thought out training program is crucial to ensure that each therapist can deliver on the client’s expectations.

Analyze Each Spa Therapist’s Level of Expertise

Before developing a training program, it is essential to determine what level each therapist is currently working at. The best way to determine this is to simply have a treatment by him or her. This should happen as part of the interview process when looking to hire a new therapist, but if you are a Director or Manager who has inherited staff because of yourself recently accepting a new management position, then I would recommend evaluating all staff one-by-one by receiving a treatment from each one. In fact, it is not entirely necessary to have a full 60 min service, as this can be very time consuming, especially with a large staff. To evaluate a Skin Therapist’s level of expertise, receiving a facial cleansing and facial massage will tell you all that you need to know. To evaluate a Massage Therapist’s level of expertise, receiving about 20 minutes of back and neck massage, plus a bit of foot massage, should give a clear indication to the level that the therapist is currently working at and to what level they need to work to improve to. For a Nail Tech, having a pedicure should be sufficient. If you are a Manager who is not a licensed therapist overseeing Skin Care Therapists, Massage Therapists and/or Nail Care Techs and you do not feel comfortable evaluating a therapist’s hands on treatment, you could assign a senior therapist in the spa this responsibility. When evaluating each therapist, actual technique should not be the only facet considered, but other things to critique for include; confidence level, speed, rhythm, degree of pressure, pressure control, ambidexterity, break of contact, knowledge of anatomy and physiology, thoroughness of treatment and diversity of massage technique. Once the level of expertise is determined for the therapist, a training program can be developed specifically for her or his needs to improve their skill to the standard and branding of the spa.

Teach Spa Staff Why Before How-To

Every spa has its own concept, image, branding and philosophy. Before teaching staff the how-to of a service treatment it is essential that they understand what the overall philosophy or message that the spa is trying to project. For example, some spas are more holistic and others more medical based. If you are representative of the holistic philosophy, then the services will be more focused on the hands-on aspects of treatment and healing such as massage and natural remedies. A more medically focused spa will focus more on machine treatments and chemical philosophies. It is essential that therapists are comfortable with the spas philosophy and project that image in every aspect of their daily work and communication. Projecting the culture of the spa amongst all team members is essential to the development and success of the business.

3 Ways to Hands-On Learning of Spa Treatments

Once the spas concept and philosophies are accepted and understood by the therapist, hands-on learning can begin. There are three ways that a therapist can become an expert in their field; Classes On-Site through an on-staff educator or visits from sales reps and outside educators, Classes Off-Site at advanced training schools or through Technological Means such as audio-video sources or internet options such as on-line courses or pod casts. I recommend all three of these types of learning to be done simultaneously. The human brain learns best through all forms of communication and therapists especially seem to learn very well visually and through many hours of hands-on practice and repetitive writing and reading. It is important for a therapist to work at their own pace and level of comfort. Placing pressure on any spa technician to perform services before he or she is totally confident and technically skilled, risks a client experiencing a poor level of service putting the spas reputation at risk, not to mention possibly putting a client at physical risk. This does not mean however, that therapists need to have individual class sessions or that they shouldn’t have suggested goals for completing their studies. Group classes are more conducive to learning and team building and are more efficient for time management purposes. Outlining specific goals is important to show the spas staff that they must keep up with expectations.

Setting up a Training Program begins with two important documents that need to be provided to the spa technicians, the spas Policy and Procedure Manual and the Manual of Treatment Protocols for each department. Providing each technician with a Manual of Treatment Protocols will make it very clear how each treatment is expected to be performed. If each therapist follows the protocols as outlined in the Treatment Manuals consistently, then consistency of service will be provided from therapist to therapist and spa location and spa location. The list of educational requirements for each technician should be included in the spas Policy and Procedure Manual. This list should include basic classes for all departments such as Product Knowledge, Facial and Body Skin Analysis and Basic Cleansing and Massage Techniques for all technicians. Once the basic classes are completed, the technician can perform the basic services offered on the spas menu to begin earning money, building a clientele and getting to know the business while attending more advanced classes. A second list of advanced classes should also be listed in the Policy and Procedure Manual and should be completed after the initial basic classes. (See our article on Spa Policy and Procedures). These classes could include services such as Aromatherapy Techniques, Microdermabrasion, Stone Treatments, Reflexology, Speed Waxing and Spa Nail Services for example.