Spas are a place where your clients can relax after a long day, week, or month, but what if their nervousness is why they’re avoiding your business? The people who need our services the most are often shut out, so we should do our best to ease their anxiety before the appointment.
6 Ways to Calm Your Client’s Anxiety Before a Spa Appointment
Your clients have a lot of unanswered questions before an appointment, but they may forget to ask them until it’s too late.
Here’s what you can do to truly help ease anxious clients.
1. Introduce Yourself
Massages are an intimate activity. Most of us don’t want to be touched by a stranger, let alone in areas that are commonly interacted with during a massage. Your clients may have experienced trauma in the past that caused them to avoid spas, so be transparent, kind, and empathetic.
On your website, on social media, and over the phone, explain who you are and engage in a bit of light-hearted conversation. Talk about your experience in your field and keep the floor open for questions. If you can somehow make the client laugh before the session, even better.
2. Last-Mile Tracking
When offering on-site or in-home services, it’s a good idea to provide a travel tracker. That way, they’ll always know where their spa therapist is on their trip. After you knock on the door or ring the doorbell, your client can check their phone and know it’s you waiting on their porch outside.
Accurate last-mile tracking software can even ping your clients before you arrive, so they don’t have to keep watching their phones. This can make anxiety build in your client. Alternatively, you could automate your phone to send a text when you’re five minutes away from their home.
3. What to Expect
Your client knows they want a massage, but once they get to your site, they’re overwhelmed by choice. Not only that, but you may do something during the session they didn’t expect. It’s good practice to explain what each massage is in great detail, so they can mentally prepare.
There are two things you should always disclose before any session: skin conditions and level of nakedness. If the client is nervous about being naked, explain their options. If they’re worried about a skin condition, ask if any irritation might trigger or worsen during an activity.
4. Ask Preferences
We all have a preferred way to relax, and spas often forget about this nuance. Some clients love to hear the soothing sounds of rain hitting a calm lake. Other clients hear the sound of rain and have to immediately use the bathroom, which will cause them to focus more on their bladder.
Your business is all about craving a place that’s safe, secure, and serene, even if that means blasting heavy metal. Before your appointment, ask what your clients prefer regarding their music choices, towel colors, or pillowcase patterns. It’s the little things that show you care!
5. No-Fee Cancelation
While it’s against industry norms, it may be better to create a no-fee cancelation policy in your spa. Or, you can create a no-fee cancellation policy for a consultation or first session. We agree that your time is money, but charging for a cancellation can make your clients feel trapped.
It also doesn’t address the underlying cause of the problem and may exacerbate it. As spas aren’t a medical necessity, there’s no incentive to call your business again. You may have accidentally shoved potential clients out the door over an easily waived cancellation fee.
6. Consider Allergies
Essential oils are a big part of the spa experience. So are certain lotions and serums, but are you sure what you’re putting on their body won’t aggravate their skin? Are your products vegan and cruelty-free? Are you cleaning your station and fabrics thoroughly between sessions?
Keep in mind that your client may not ask you these things because they’re afraid of coming off as insulting. Explain what products you’ll use in your session, name the ingredients, and explain how often you clean and with what. It’ll help your clients feel like they’re in good hands.
