Modern Salon
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Pinpoint Areas of Trouble in Your Spa

Behind Closed Doors Quick! It’s two in the afternoon and you know where your staff is, but do you know what they’re doing? Are they greeting your guests the way you taught them? Are they following the proper treatment protocols? Are they ensuring those guests are going to be returning?

by Staff
September 28, 2012
2 min to read

Behind Closed Doors

Quick! It’s two in the afternoon and you know where your staff is, but do you know what they’re doing? Are they greeting your guests the way you taught them? Are they following the proper treatment protocols? Are they ensuring those guests are going to be returning? With everything in the spa being conducted in private, it might be hard to get a good read, but a long-time esthetician has created a way. Lisa Martin, founder and owner of Operation Spa, focuses on helping owners pinpoint areas of trouble, or potential trouble, in the spa by “secret shopping” the spa.

Ad Loading...

With Operation Spa, all the people Martin selects as secret “spa-goers” have been fully trained on the ways of the spa—they know the ins and outs and understand exactly what to look for. The focus of the secret spa-goers varies based on what the owner tells Martin that he or she needs helps with. “For some it’s lack of following spa procedure, for others, it might be following state licensing requirements or working on customer service, sales skills or rebooking.

“It’s really important to have a consistent objective in your business,” says Martin, who also continues to see clients. “You wouldn’t go to a sporting event and not know the score ’til the end of the game. You want to be able to see every play. In the spa, you don’t necessarily know the score, so how can you run a business like that? There needs to be an ongoing system to inspect and measure your service, sales efforts and employees—that way you can catch problems early and make changes and know where to focus training efforts.”

For more information on Operation Spa, visit www.operationspa.com or call 877-677-7248.


Topics:In The KnowIndustry News

More In The Know

Ad Loading...
A man cuts a man's hair
In The Know|Articles|Aug 6, 2026

In Dubai, Clients Visit the Salon Every Week. Here’s What That Market Can Teach You

In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.

Sponsored by BeautyWorld Dubai

Ad Loading...
A woman with long brown hair, a black sleeveless blouse, and a beaded headband.
In The Know|Articles|Jul 2, 2026

Mireya Villarreal Announces From Chair to Boss Live, a New Business Education Event for Beauty Professionals

Mireya Villarreal, founder of From Chair to Boss™, is bringing together beauty industry leaders for a new one-day educational event designed to help salon professionals strengthen the business side of their careers. From Chair to Boss Live! will take place September 28 at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center in Oak Brook, Illinois.

by Anne Moratto
Ad Loading...
View All →