Tag Archives: ISPA

Fake Reviews on Websites – Advice for Spas

Fake Reviews on Websites – Advice for Spas
Take Control of Your Spa’s ‘Online Reputation’ – It’s An Important Way to Drive New Business
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

A cosmetic surgery company, Lifestyle Lift, that told its employees to post fake positive consumer reviews on the Web, has been fined $300,000 for fraud.

Wow…that’s attention getting.

This disturbing news item provides a great springboard to talk about the explosive new world of online consumer spa reviews – and assure that the spa and wellness industry doesn’t get mixed up with the kind of snake-oil tactics adopted by some in the cosmetic surgery industry, such as Lifestyle Lift’s duplicitous scheme. The company’s actions, of course, underscore just how critical establishing positive online reviews are for all industries today, and open up discussions about what should actually constitute a positive, productive consumer review strategy.

SpaFinder.com has been online for a decade, attracting on average 15,000 new consumers looking for spas every day. We encourage reviews and find that these opinions from spa-goers and the Spa Deals section are two of the most popular areas of our website.

While most of the reviews posted at Spafinder.com are legitimate and give helpful feedback, we have had our share of challenges: the occasional bogus review from a spa itself, a disgruntled employee ranting on, competitors trying to undermine each other, or a consumer trying to get compensation or a free service. We found that providing a platform for spas to respond to reviews worked to solve most of the problems. Once we added that functionality, the conversations were more open, and the reader benefited by understanding both sides of a complaint.

The spa industry needs to welcome consumer reviews – not only because they’re here to stay and your spa is going to be reviewed on the Web whether you like it or not – but because consumer reviews have such a powerful impact on consumer decisions today. More than three in four consumers researching online now turn to consumer reviews to find and choose services and products. In fact, the research firm Compete found that consumer-generated content directly influences $10 billion a year in online travel purchases.

People (like you and me) value this unvarnished information from real-world consumers, and it’s becoming an increasingly important factor in the arsenal of information we use when we select a spa. Sure, editorial reviews, recommendations from friends, awards won, are all key, but online reviews are exploding and becoming increasingly part of the decision-making mix.

Here are some tips to help not only turn the occasional ‘bad and the ugly’ around – but that can help your spa create a higher volume of positive reviews that will get your phone ringing.

1. Monitor/Be Aware: If you haven’t done this, you should: try a simple Google search of your spa and look at the places your business has been reviewed. You’ll see what powerful traction reviews have in search, placing high in the results at the Googles. Monitor the major sites where your spa may be reviewed: Spafinder.com, Yelp, Citysearch, Google Local, TripAdvisor, Yahoo!, Insider Pages, etc.

2. Respond to Negative Reviews Graciously and Honestly: Most sites allow businesses to respond to reviews directly. And, if not, simply post a response. It shows people you care about customer service. After all, we’re IN the service business, and we know how to be gentle with people, to apologize when we’re wrong, to correct a situation that needs correcting. Even with a maddeningly negative review, respond neutrally, fairly and honestly – be transparent. “Amping up” with a reviewer no matter how irritating they are is never a good idea. Whenever I read a “defensive” response to a review in the spa industry, I generally conclude that the reviewer was probably at least partially correct.

3. Interject a sense of humor: Sometimes it is better to say something funny than to stick with the seriousness of a situation.

4. Never Post a Fake Review: Never post a bad comment about a competitor or a fake glowing review. And don’t have your customers post reviews physically from your spa’s computers: if your reviews are generated from your own internal network/IP address, you could suffer serious blacklisting. You can even block the consumer review sites at your spa’s computers, if you feel you need to be double safe.

5. Review Readers Are Smart – Give Them Credit: Don’t worry that consumers will be bamboozled by one negative review – or even several. Nor are they going to be won over by some over-the-top post of adulation. If anything, a combination of good reviews and an occasional negative comment makes your overall online reputation more believable. That’s life – a balance of the positive and negatives.

6. Encourage Happy Customers to Review You: Getting a higher volume of your satisfied customers to post happy reviews at sites like Spafinder.com not only balances out any negative reviews, it’s the best kind of high-impact exposure for your spa. You can occasionally and tactfully explain to your best customers the importance of this new online world, and how helpful it would be if they shared their experiences. Present it lightly, stressing how much you value their honest assessments and opinion. Or you can leave cards in your reception area as take-aways: explaining that they can share their experiences at sites like SpaFinder, to help others benefit from their knowledge. Never pressure them, or offer review bribes, it doesn’t work.

7. Fix the problem: Not only do you want to respond to negative reviews online, you ultimately want to fix the problem cited. Report back about the actions you took to address their problem: customers are often able to edit their reviews, or, of course, post a new one. And if you’ve taken them seriously, and satisfied them, they’re likely to do so. Consider this free feedback and consulting advice, to improve your business overall.

8. Your Best Defense is a Great Offense: If you’re truly delivering superior service, terrific results and establishing trusted relationships with your clientele, you’re far less likely to be vulnerable to a few bad reviews.

Spas that get educated about the customer review realities, and implement a basic strategy, soon realize that this brave new world is less something to fear, but is actually an incredible marketing opportunity. There have never been so many places for your customers to virally promote your business. And a positive review presence is a surefire way to drive significant new business. You’re probably getting the calls already…but you’ll get more…with customers reporting they found you through an online review – or even asking for specific therapists by NAME!

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Massage at a Spa Pet Peeve

Massage at a Spa Pet Peeve

Susie Ellis

SpaFinder Insider

Is it just me or do other people have issues with this? I am at a spa in my robe and slippers heading to the massage room with my therapist. After reaching the treatment room, the massage therapist says “now I will step out of the room, you can take off your robe and slippers and put them here, then get under the sheet on the massage bed face down (or sometimes face up).”

The therapist steps out of the room, I take off my robe and hang it up, step out of my slippers, take off my watch and put it usually on top of my slippers along with the scrunchy from my hair and get under the sheet. This takes about 30 seconds – at the most one minute.

Next….silence.

I wait.

I wait some more.

And then I begin wondering if I should shout out something like “I’m ready!” which I have done on occasion.

I continue to wait.

About that time (or to be honest even earlier) I begin wondering why it always takes the therapist so long to re-enter the room and begin my massage? Are they grabbing a quick break? Maybe getting something to drink? Perhaps washing their hands?

Of course eventually the wait is over, I hear the knock on the door, the therapist comes in and the massage begins. However when it happened to me again yesterday, I decided that I was going to write about it and perhaps get some conversation going.

I was at the Mandara Spa at Atlantis in the Bahamas where I had scheduled a massage which turned out to be a good treatment – except for the annoying wait on the massage table before the massage actually began.

Here is what I think therapists should know: Many (and I would even guess most) people who are getting spa treatments are counting on getting every single minute of that treatment and are keenly aware of time, whether they have a watch with them or not. It doesn’t matter if it is 50-minute, 60-minute, 80-minute, or 90-minute treatment, once the treatment is over they check their watches (or perhaps the clock that is in the treatment room). In fact, many people have even figured out what they are paying per minute! In my case, I was paying $3.00 per minute for my massage, factoring in the 20% service charge which was added to my bill BEFORE my treatment.

Time sliced off at the beginning (due to retrieving a guest late), at the end (due to ending early), or by taking a few extra minutes “to allow the guest plenty of time to disrobe” adds up and contributes a slight negative to what is otherwise usually a heavenly experience. To be fair, over the past years I have noticed a great improvement in prompt start and end times. It’s just those uneasy moments on the massage table waiting for the therapist to re-enter that seems to be increasing in my experience.

Which gives me an idea. Next time I go in for a massage and the therapist starts into the “I’m stepping out of the room” script, I will quickly take off my robe and get on the massage table while saying, “no need to step out of the room as I am fine with just slipping under the sheets while you are here” before she even exits.

I will let you know how that goes….In the meantime, do let me know your thoughts.
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Joan Lunden’s Spa Camp is a Dream Come True for Her and for Us!

Joan Lunden’s Spa Camp is a Dream Come True for Her and for Us!
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

A few months ago Joan Lunden, of Good Morning America fame, visited us here at our SpaFinder offices with some of her staff. We were to learn about her summer “spa camp” for women and she would be learning a bit more about SpaFinder. It turned out to be a great match with a lot of synergy. In particular I thought her yearly “spa camp,” that she herself holds for four days and three nights each August in Maine, was a great opportunity for the women of our large spa enthusiast audience.

While I thought most people know of Joan Lunden (she was on ABC TV hosting Good Morning America for 17 years), a friend of mine suggested that there is an entire generation who wouldn’t necessarily know her and that not everyone watched ABC in the mornings. So I decided that at the end of this blog post, I will include some of her bio information. It certainly is impressive.

But most importantly – I wanted to communicate a bit about her spa camp called “Camp Reveille” and let people know that it is actually still possible to make a reservation. Joan herself joins all the women campers for a variety of experiences, which all contribute to people going home looking and feeling fabulous! This is the third year she is running Camp Reveille.

It is very reasonably priced which makes me think it will probably be sold out pretty soon. The entire experience includes luxury camp style lodging (and it is luxury), all meals, and all activities you would like to participate in. You can join fitness classes, sporting events, hikes, craft sessions, or just choose to relax and read a book. And who could resist the Murad Facial treatments and scrumptious s’mores around the campfire? The whole experience is about $899 for all four days.

Joan is a real health advocate; she has written numerous books on healthy cooking and balanced living, has starred in her own workout video, and has raised seven kids. Yes, you did read that number correctly, she has seven (two sets of twins)! And as you can see from the photo above, she is still as attractive as ever – and she turns 60 next year!

This is what she says on the camp’s website, “take a break from your busy schedule and come away with us for a chance to be energized, be inspired, and enjoy some guilt-free “me time.”

It might be one of the best spa experiences out there because it was designed by someone who loves spas herself and who really understands a woman’s role – Joan Lunden.

Now, as promised….some Joan Lunden bio information:

Born September, 1950 and became an American television personality

Co-hosted ABC’s Good Morning America (1980 – 1997) with David Harman and then later with Charlie Gibson.

Named by Entertainment Weekly national viewer poll “television’s favorite morning anchor”

She reported from 26 countries, covered four presidents, five Olympic Games, and two royal weddings.

Hosted DirectTV’s series Hometown Heroes and the Emmy-winning special America’s Invisible Children.

She is the face of Murad’s skincare line, Resurgence.

Is on the board of PassportMD, an online personal health record system

Had three daughters with first husband, Michael A. Krauss

Had four children (2 sets of boy/girl twins) with second husband Jeff Konigsberg

Books she has written:

Wake-Up Calls: Making The Most Out Of Every Day (Regardless Of What Life Throws You)

Joan Lunden’s a Bend in the Road Is Not the End of the Road: 10 Positive Principles For Dealing With Change

Joan Lunden’s Healthy Cooking

Joan Lunden’s Healthy Living: A Practical, Inspirational Guide to Creating Balance in Your Life

Growing Up Healthy: A Complete Guide to Childhood Nutrition, Birth Through Adolescence

Good Morning/Joan
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Hot Spas in LA: Century City Fitness Club & Spa, Obaji Skin Health Institute and Voda Spa – One is Extremely Hot!

Hot Spas in LA: Century City Fitness Club & Spa, Obagi Skin Health Institute and Voda Spa – One is Extremely Hot! By Susie Ellis

After the ALIS event (American Lodging and Investment Summit), I had just enough time to visit three spas in the LA area before my flight back to New York. The first was a quick peek at Century City Fitness Club & Spa by Equinox (formerly the Mystique Spa), then a visit to Obagi Skin Health Institute in Beverly Hills and finally a massage at the new Voda Spa – a new Russian Bathhouse.

Here are my quick impressions:

Century City Fitness Club & Spa: A lot of fitness, a little bit of spa. I understand they are announcing a new “flagship” club and spa soon which they will then roll out to several existing facilities as a model for future Equinox Clubs. It seems like a good strategy to combine fitness and spa …however, it may be a challenge to make it work well. If the Century City location is any indication, these are two different markets and putting them together isn’t all that easy. Think cruise ships adding discos…..that didn’t really work. In my opinion it will take an entirely new model. Looking forward to what Equinox unveils

Obagi Skin Health Institute: My friend Bob Henry built this and he kept telling me about the concept with videos playing in the windows at night, etc. I couldn’t picture it and finally got to see it myself. The fountain he created…basically the word Obagi in huge glass-like letters with a fountain underneath each and lit beautifully. Bingo. He created a tourist attraction on the corner of Canon Drive and Dayton Way in Beverly Hills. A great example of how to make your architecture a marketing piece that works for you on an ongoing basis.

VodaSpa: Perfect example of one of the trends we predicted this year called “The Urban Spa Explorer” – or ethnically rooted spa experiences. VodaSpa is a 15,000 square foot Russian-inspired oasis which very successfully blends the Old World tradition of the Russian banya (one is 220 degrees F – extremely hot!) with a sleek new contemporary décor. Already Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta and the like have been guests. Their photos are outstanding – worth a look.

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More Los Angeles Spas

Spa Headwinds, Spa Tailwinds….Which are Strongest?

Spa Headwinds, Spa Tailwinds….Which are Strongest?
by Susie Ellis

Day two of the American Lodging and Investment Summit (ALIS) here at the Hyatt Century Plaza in LA. There are great speakers and mostly business topics – economics, research numbers, forecasts, etc. I found the following comparison a good way to summarize what I have been hearing here.

Headwinds for the U.S. (things slowing us down)

1. Credit crunch
2. High oil prices
3. Fear of recession
4. Increasing deficit
5. U.S. housing in trouble
6. Weaker dollar

Tailwinds (things giving us momentum)

1. Rapid expansion of new travelers from China, India, Russia, Middle East
2. Improved monetary policy and a faster reaction from governments to avoid major crisis (today’s rate cut by the federal reserve is a perfect illustration I think)
3. U.S. has strong corporate profits
4. Consumer spending is still strong

Bottom line is:

Most of the pessimism is in the U.S. and not in other countries. Researchers are predicting continued global growth – however slower than originally expected.

While most of the conversation is about hotels and resorts in general, I think it is safe to say that these forecasts can easily apply in the spa industry as well.

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