Spa and the City: Before You Book Your Appointment

As a longtime spa owner and licensed esthetician, I consistently get asked many of the same questions about spa etiquette. Today I am going to share some of these tips with you so your visits to the spa can be truly relaxing and comfortable for everyone.

Before you call a spa to make an appointment, my recommendation is to visit their website and familiarize yourself with their hours of operation, their treatments, and figure out what treatments you are interested in. That way, you can narrow it down in advance rather than asking them to describe all of their treatments over the phone. Many times the front desk staff is greeting clients, checking out clients, and doing a million other tasks as well as answering the phone, so the more prepared you are the better.

When you identify which treatments you are interested in, check the spa policies if they are listed on their website to make sure there are no contraindications for those particular treatments. For example, if you are using Accutane, Retin-A, or other prescriptions for acne, getting waxing services are contraindicated. If you are sick or are getting over being sick, please wait until you are completely well before visiting a spa. Your germs can spread to other clients or to therapists and cause other people to catch your cold or flu.

Once you are ready to book your appointments, you can call the spa directly and set up days/times that are convenient for you. Remember to allot time for traffic as well as for filling out any intake forms they may have for you. Be early whenever possible, so you can have time to transition into relaxation mode. If you are late, your treatment time will be shortened and nobody wants that!

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the spa’s cancellation policy in advance so if you need to reschedule or cancel you can be sure to do so with enough notice so as to not be charged for your treatments. It is standard spa policy to charge a no-show or late cancellation for the full cost of all treatments scheduled, as those therapists have set aside time for you, and the spa has turned away other clients in order to keep your appointments. At my spa we have a 24 hour cancellation policy for weekday appointments, and 48 hours for weekends or special events. We mention that on the phone at time of booking, we include that information in our courtesy confirmation email and phone call, in order to ensure that clients are aware of the policy.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Next time…more information about spa etiquette when you are at the spa for your treatments, communication with therapists, product sales, and much more!

See you at the spa.

Sharōn Ronen is a licensed esthetician and the owner of Skin Haven in Los Angeles. She hopes that everyone can leave their spa experience feeling both relaxed and rejuvenated and welcomes your questions.