How To Reopen Your Spa Business After The COVID-19 Lockdown
Countless businesses have been forced to shut their doors due to the continued spread of COVID-19, which has taken countless lives and endangered our collective future. Despite the perils associated with the coronavirus, social distancing guidelines and continued efforts toward the development of a vaccine illustrate that we have a bright reopening to look forward to. Nevertheless, many entrepreneurs and everyday professionals are at a loss when it comes to planning for the eventual reopening of their businesses, largely because guidance from leading health authorities hasn’t always been forthcoming or consistent.
Are you a spa owner looking to reopen your business after the COVID-19 lockdown expires? Here’s what you need to know to safely reopen your business when the lockdown passes us by, and what mistakes you can’t afford to make for the health and safety of your customers and staff.
Follow the CDC’s reopening guidelines
The most important thing that any business owner can do is inform themselves on what the CDC has to say about reopening. The CDC has provided a number of guidelines that are specifically useful to those who operate hot tubs, public pools, and other aquatic facilities which your spa may make use of. The first and most important step is promoting behavior that will thwart the spread of COVID-19, as your spa won’t be able to financially recover if it becomes a transmission hotspot in the future.
Check out the CDC’s advice and ensure that your employees are well-aware of it, too. Provide masks, gloves, sanitizing equipment, and other safety essentials to customers and workers alike, as asking them to provide these things for themselves will doubtlessly lead to poor hygiene practices. Adapt all the space areas to fit the new two metre distance rule, including the guests’ waiting area furniture, gym and changing rooms, and the staff’s linen rooms. Waterproof floor stickers on tile can also be used to ensure one-way flow in the spa or near the entrance. Ensure that you also incorporate the safety measures you’re taking into your marketing materials, as few customers will want to go to your spa or get a good spray tanning unless they’re confident you’re taking this public health pandemic seriously. In the long-run, this will be excellent for your brand, as it will convince them that your brand cares about their hygiene and safety.
Know that you may need to prohibit walk-ins, which means that you’re about to start scheduling far more visits than you may be used to. Upgrading your digital infrastructure such as using a management software like Wellyx and training employees to deal with a surge in appointments is going to be of the utmost importance. Automated emails and other marketing materials which may be going out without your approval right now will need your personal approval before being sent out to customers, lest you wish to diminish your brand in their eyes.
Consider ditching cancellation fees – many customers may get cold feet, and paying cancellation fees in a time like this may anger them. This could lead to poor reviews which hurt your brand. Finally, familiarize yourself with spa reopening kits which have been provided by leading wellness experts around the world. These can help you with everything from employee preparation to facility scrubbing. Armed with this knowledge, your spa will soon be incredibly well prepared to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown expires.
