Subscription services, loyalty points, and monthly memberships have been dominating the beauty market, and spas are quickly realizing if they aren’t offering at least one of these programs, they are missing out on additional revenue opportunities and building strong client loyalty. These programs are incentive-driven with a multitude of benefits including discounts and product rewards. The main categories for rewards programs are loyalty point programs for regular spa goers, themed subscription retail boxes and membership programs. How do you know which option is right for your spa? Let’s look into these programs and see which one may be the right fit for your business.
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Subscription services, loyalty points, and monthly memberships have been dominating the beauty market, and spas are quickly realizing if they aren’t offering at least one of these programs, they are missing out on additional revenue opportunities and building strong client loyalty. These programs are incentive-driven with a multitude of benefits including discounts and product rewards. The main categories for rewards programs are loyalty point programs for regular spa goers, themed subscription retail boxes and membership programs. How do you know which option is right for your spa? Let’s look into these programs and see which one may be the right fit for your business.
Loyalty Points
The current popularity of customer loyalty programs shows how well they work for businesses of all kinds. Salon and spa loyalty programs give the business a powerful edge over those competitors who don’t have them. Customers can be highly incentivized by these programs to spend money with your spa. Here are some popular formats for the spa loyalty programs.
Punch card spa loyalty program. The punch card is the simplest way to run spa promotions. You hand out a card to your clients, and you punch the card for each appointment or purchase. When all the punches are filled, they exchange the card for a reward. There are more current digital systems that can keep track for clients; it is just the spa’s preference.
Points-based spa loyalty program. Points-based programs are a bit more sophisticated. Different services or purchase amounts earn a set number of points. Once the customer reaches the total you have set, you give them the reward. Then, they start over at zero.
Tiered points- based reward system. VIP tiered spa reward programs are still more complex. You set at least three levels, such as Bronze, Silver and Gold. The tiers are typically based on client spending that puts them in a specific tier with different incentives or benefits. The points system can seem complicated at first, so it’s important to have printed marketing material ready to explain the benefits of the program to your clients. It has to be a no brainer for them and the benefits have to be value-driven.
Subscription Service
Subscription-based services can be any type of regular product purchased that is auto-billed each month. It can be as simple as a regular product program or as complex as subscription boxes.
Many of our own spa clients receive subscription boxes on a monthly or quarterly basis. They are fun and filled with surprises, and it’s one of the primary reasons that many people sign up for the service. The boxes are also cost-effective, as the price you pay is usually less than the value of the goods you receive. Here are some boxes that are designed to entice the spa client.
Wellness Box. These boxes typically include full size wellness products ranging from aromatherapy and natural/organic body to skin care and lifestyle items. A self- love workbook, pen, candle, selection of tea, jewelry, lip scrub, eye cream and/or facial mask are just some of the items included in these boxes.
Skin Savvy Box. These boxes can be full of professional skin care products, along with hair and makeup picks, handpicked by your team of beauty pros. Boxes could include facial serums, cleansing face wash, moisture mask, day cream, scrunchies, headbands and dry hair shampoo.
Day Spa Box. The easiest way for clients to experience spa-like relaxation at home begins with a soak in the tub. Some of these products can include luxury bar soap, body scrubs, salts, body butters, bath bombs, shower steamers, body oils, dried flowers and/or loofahs. These boxes can also be great gifts.
Beauty and Fit Box. This box is designed for the client who loves a little fitness, wellness and beauty in one perfectly curated box. These boxes can be customized or can be a complete surprise. Discounted products, recipes, workout QRL codes, affirmation cards, cozy blankets, slippers, hair detanglers, face cream, moisturizing hand mittens and makeup erasers are some fun options for these boxes.
Breathe and Body. Spa goers and yoga fans are created with a common ideal—attention to the body and clearing the mind. This type of box is mixed with beauty products and yoga accessories, all centered around a monthly theme to help deepen their practice and reconnect. Include artisan products like beaded bracelets, cruelty-free or vegan beauty products, natural material products, lip balm, a clay mask, facial mist, essential oils, healing stones, a yoga demonstration card and an inspirational quote sticker.
At-home facial kit. One of my favorite subscription type programs that had started becoming popular due to the last few years of the pandemic are customized skin care product kits based on a virtual skin analysis or well-constructed online questionnaire. Deliver a step-by-step targeted treatment with products such as a mask; peel/exfoliator; and moisturizing steps for eyes, lips, and face. The kit can include cleansing pads, an instructional how-to video and a complimentary video chat with an esthetician.
Customized product selection. Clients may want you to pick the best products for them. Pictures, interactive video and online skin specific questionnaires created by you and your web team can help create a simple at home product regimen, targeted treatment regimen or even a sample regimen in which clients can try many different products. They will receive information on key ingredients, application tips and begin to learn about professional skin care.
Subscription Membership Program
As a spa owner myself, I have found incredible results with a monthly membership program. This has given my spa dependable monthly income, loyal clients and a membership spa culture that has been developed through our membership concierge and spa service and reception team. Our members look forward to coming to their scheduled treatment/facial each month. They have added benefits including brow wax and product discounts that make the membership program a must.
Monthly membership programs. This programs have taken on a lot of popularity in the spa market. Instead of tracking purchases for points, you charge a monthly rate for discounted products and/or services. You are still rewarding your loyal clients, and also getting a predictable influx of cash. It takes some focus managing the members through making sure their monthly appointments are always scheduled with their desired service provider and with their convenience in mind. Membership programs can be monthly, quarterly or annually. It really can be customized to how you would like to design your membership program.
Annual reward memberships. Some membership programs can be an annual fee to become a “rewards member.” With these programs, there are no autorenewals or contracts. Rewards offers are communicated mainly through e-mails and displayed in-store. Rewards memberships give a percentage off services and products as well as exclusive monthly promotions. They will receive a special code to use when purchasing products or booking services online.
Spa Passes. Spa passes are perfect for guests who like to get the most value for a series of the same service(s) by purchasing five services for the price of four. They can upgrade anytime in the spa pass and just pay the service difference. Spa passes are encouraged to be shared with family or friends, so new guests can visit the spa. Spa passes typically never expire and can accrue.
Client Connection
Ultimately whatever reward or benefit program you choose depends on the simplicity of your messaging, marketing and branding. The success in your program is also dependent upon your continual engagement with your client. Building your clients in these loyalty programs can increase your clientele through word of mouth. Happy and satisfied clients will always share what their new beauty and skin health favorites are because it is conversation worthy, and we all love to share what has been our best beauty find, result product regimen and/or favorite must-experience facial. To stay relative, our spa programs have to bring on programs that connect with the times and consumer behavior. Consider bringing on a spa consultant to help you unveil your new subscription program or partner with a social media guru to let the word get out! You will see your revenue increase, interest in your brand increase, and product and service bookings increase. It’s a win-win!
Spa passes are perfect for the client who likes to get the most value for a series of the same service.
Jaclyn Peresetsky is an esthetician and owner of Skin Perfect Wellness Spa. She is known as the go-to expert in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area for microcurrent treatments, custom blend makeup, eyebrow design, color theory and custom skin care. She is also the author of The Power of Your Colors, and she is working on her second book, The Journey to Perfect Skin. She also has a patent-pending color identification system created to better identify unique color characteristics for choosing makeup.
