Birthday Celebrations for Success.
5 Ways to Make Your Guests Feel Extra Special if They Celebrate Their Birthday
I LOVE celebrating my birthday! How about you? - It’s that one day in the year when I allow myself to pamper myself from wake-up to falling asleep. And yes, even me who has worked for so many years in Spas, I still feel in awe when my husband surprises me with a massage or a facial on that day.
But often our guests don’t wait for someone to offer them a Spa experience, but nowadays they plan for their special day and make sure they spoil themselves! - No matter how these birthday guests make it into our Spa, there is one expectation: they want to feel special, loved, and celebrated! So the question is if your Spa ready to cope with these expectations?
Imagine it’s your birthday, and you have booked a treatment at a Spa. You didn’t disclose this information during the reservation process. No one asked. When you fill in your health questionnaire, you write down your date of birth as it was required. No one picks up on it. Nothing special happens; a Spa visit just like another. Even though the treatment may have been excellent, something is missing. And so would feel our guests. - Let’s look at how your guests will never feel like this ever!
I have some good news: there is no one way to celebrate a guest’s birthday. And since there is no one way, each Spa has the opportunity to make it special and unique. When I say this, I think of resort Spas in the Caribbean or Hawaii who have maybe birthday celebration traditions that they may integrate into their Spa vs. a chic urban Spa with some classic chocolates.
Take these tips, digest them and let them inspire you on how you can let exciting celebrations happening at your Spa about which your guests will rave over and over again:
“Will you be joining us for any special occasion” - such a simple though often forgotten question during a Spa reservation call. And we know that when we don’t know, we cannot live up to the guest’s expectations. So once your team knows that guests are coming for their birthday, leave a note on the appointment for internal communication, which allows everyone to wish the guest a happy birthday from the receptionist to the attendant and the therapist. That will leave a special note, and believe me, and a guest can not hear it enough that this is their special day!
Think local - are there any local traditions or rituals that you may integrate into your birthday celebration of your Spa guests. It doesn’t have to be a gift but could be a local birthday tradition.
Link the celebration to your Spa Concept. If your Spa is inspired by aromatherapy, check if a blend is known for celebration and happiness or longevity? A small amount of such a blend after the treatment with the explanation and some meaningful wishes and intention of the gift will be unique and outstanding.
Some Spas offer Birthday Packages which include the treatment, some chocolates, and a glass of sparkling wine. The price is higher than a regular massage and allows the Spa to limit additional costs but include the amenities into the package. Another benefit of this is that the guests know what they get and are sure your team will celebrate them.
Last but not least, a birthday cake or some birthday chocolates - with or without a candle - is still probably the No. 1 celebration winner. But again, it doesn’t have to be much. One or two little chocolates are enough. It’s almost more important that it says somewhere Happy Birthday.
I have seen Spas that were so popular for birthday celebrations and had 25% of their guests coming in for a fantastic birthday celebration! At this volume, your Spa must create a celebration setup that is sustainable, cost-effective, and fast to execute. And I have one additional tip for these Spas: Make sure to inspire your teams to treat each guest, even if it is birthday celebration No. 14 of the day, as if it is the only birthday your team celebrates on that day. Each guest wants to feel special, unique, and celebrated. Even if they might see that other guests are celebrated too, just don’t underline it.
The wonderful thing with birthdays is that they return so that you might turn these birthday guests into loyal guests. Or, they loved it so much that they will offer gift cards for birthday gifts in the future.
I encourage you to LOVE celebrating birthdays and share with your team this love! To many, many returns.
Please share with us in the comments below how you celebrate your guests’ big day!