Business Tips

Our beauty experts answer an array of questions about every aspect of running a successful salon or spa business

What are the dos and don’ts for communication with waxing clients during pregnancy?

We often say that communication is key, and the way you communicate with your pregnant clients during their visit is very important to ensure their comfort and keep the appointment professional.

The questions that are important for you to ask the client are:

1. Have you already had any waxing done during your pregnancy?

2. Did you wax regularly before pregnancy?

3. How are you feeling today?

It’s also important to add a personal touch to conversations to ensure a high-quality client experience. Some things you probably want to say are: “Congratulations on your pregnancy”; “Yes, it is safe to get waxed during pregnancy and there is no evidence to say that waxing can harm the baby”; “Your comfort is very important, so if at any time you feel uncomfortable please let me know”; “Being pregnant doesn’t mean waxing will be more painful”; and “Your skin might be more sensitive and redder for longer.”

But there are also things to avoid saying. It is highly advised to not comment about the size of their bump or their weight, to avoid talking about other pregnant clients’ experiences, or about bad labour experiences. It’s also best not to ask if they will have more children, talk about your personal views on motherhood or give any advice in that field.

Instead, some ideas for general conversation could be asking about buyin baby clothing and accessories, hospital preparation or choosing baby names.

Miscarriage is a sensitive matter and, for the most part, clients won’t want to discuss this. In the event that a client has had a miscarriage, however, I suggest saying, with sincerity and compassion, something along the lines of, “I am very sorry for your loss”.

Then focus your attention on providing the waxing treatment and making sure the client is very comfortable throughout.

I hope this gives you a little more confidence in treating pregnant women at your salon.

How can I create a luxury environment in my spa post-lockdown?

When we reopened our spa, we saw a new demand of people who were coming to us for therapy. Right now, guests are looking for wellness creations and are actively seeking them out. Couples are staying at our resort and what we’re finding is that one is working while their partner is undergoing fully-fledged activities. These couples are signing up for retreats and managing to get the balance of not compromising work, but at the same time, being really conscious about their health and lifestyle.

It’s all about how clients choose to incorporate wellness into their everyday lives and we’ve seen a huge upward surge in that. It’s a very big opportunity, which is why it’s important for other general managers to understand that people are looking beyond; they want a sensorial experience. In spa, you need to address things like what your clients can smell, what they can see – using all their five senses. It’s about how you can make it so that people actually want to walk into your space because they believe that they are in a different place altogether.

Clients believe that it is somewhere they can truly unwind and be themselves. There is always a silver lining in bad situations and I think the spa industry has found it during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are active discussions now on healthy living and mental health, and I think it’s a great opportunity for spas and wellness centres to address that need.

So many borders are closed and international travel is not really taking off, but we see that in our domestic tourists there is an increasing number of people who are looking to relax and become more wellbeing-orientated.

It is no longer about just having a spa. We are seeing resorts get into soft medical tourism, so now the line between wellness tourism and medical tourism is exploding. Of course, it’s very important that spas and centres give people something which is innovative but does not lose authenticity.

There is a lot of opportunity for spas now – for that awareness of mental health and healthy living to really take centre stage.

Spa operators just need to be conscious about what they are putting out there, ensuring our quality is absolutely top-notch and that our places do not lose on authenticity. PB

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