An unexpected way to extend the ahh in the spa experience.

For more than two decades, Off Madison Ave has worked with clients in the hospitality and tourism sector and never once have we heard, “we’re looking for just one visit from a prospective guest.” Repeat visitation and loyalty remain a core goal of the industry, which explains the prevalence of memberships, multi-service packages, frequent visitor discounts and bounce back offers.

Not every method of driving loyalty has a cost. However, ignoring certain elements of the guest experience can be very costly.

Destination and day spas alike know how to enhance the customer experience. Soft lighting and music, delicate aromatherapy, plush robes, warm tea and quiet waiting rooms. All of these details are designed to help the client unwind and relax, which then amplifies the effectiveness of the treatment itself. These details are also fantastic illustrations of Behavior Design applied to the spa experience.  

Behavior Design is a segment of behavioral science that explains how a person’s motivation needs to align with their ability in order to perform a behavior when prompted. And the easier it is for someone to perform a behavior, the more likely they’ll do that specific behavior. In the instance of spas, most guests seek out treatments for relaxation, an escape from the stress and challenges of their daily lives.  

Without even realizing it, spas already use elements of a behavior-based approach to the guest experience. But they are still missing opportunities.  

There’s one key behavior, one central part of the spa experience that stands at the opposite end of relaxation. It’s a small moment, but one that’s more argh than ahh. And it happens with every single appointment.

It’s at the moment of payment, in that single and necessary step that spas unknowingly zap the zen and kill the vibe. It’s in that very moment that people become conscious of money, instead of the treatment they just had. And because it’s right before they walk out the door, all the glorious relaxation and pampering the spa worked so hard to achieve gets diminished. 

The fix is simple. Spas should ask people to pay at check-in.  

It sounds crazy, right?  But it actually improves the experience. By asking guests to pay up front and note an intended gratuity before they even enter the waiting room or see their treatment provider, you both eliminate a point of friction and extend the spa experience even longer. This simple change allows guests to check in, take care of the transactional part of the experience, then go and enjoy their treatment. When it’s time to leave, the guest can either walk out or change the gratuity amount if appropriate. More often than not, they’ll leave on a high note dreaming about the next time they’ll get to enjoy the experience.

Behavioral science has proven that emotions create habits. And positive emotions can make habits form more quickly, especially when the emotional connection is immediate. Those positive emotions can lead to Behavior Automaticity, which is a fancy way of saying that it helps a person to redo a behavior more frequently.

In this case, paying for a spa treatment prior to its start allows for the continuation of pleasure and avoidance of anxiety at the end of the service. In turn, this positive emotional conclusion to the experience makes it easier for that client to book another appointment.

So, go ahead ask your guests to pay first. It might actually bring them joy (and spur stronger loyalty to your destination). 

Learn more about how a behavior-based approach can impact your business by checking out these case studies.