Spa, Massage & Beauty Jobs - Life Inside a Spa

Inside a Spa: Who's Who

A massage therapist
uses stone therapy to
relax a client.

There are many types of spas, from small day spas to ultra-luxurious destination spas. A spa may be an independent business, a single location in a larger chain or an important service in a larger resort or hotel. There are women's spas, men's spas, medical spas, family-friendly spas and spas built around natural features like hot springs and mineral water.

All these spa varieties have one thing in common—they are dedicated to the health and wellness of their clients. They offer a serene environment where individuals can experience total relaxation and mind/body healing.

To maintain a relaxing atmosphere, every aspect of a spa must run smoothly. Every specialist must understand their role and play it to perfection. The spa director is the boss and sets policies and expectations. Spa service providers and support staff must fulfill their job requirements with a positive attitude and a commitment to customer service.

Here are the different types of roles involved in creating a great spa experience:

Spa Director

The spa director is responsible for all the operational details of keeping a spa running smoothly. Sometimes the owner of a spa also directs operations, but often an experienced spa director is hired to manage these day-to-day responsibilities:

• Hiring, training and managing all staff
• Creating and enforcing policies and procedures
• Developing merchandising plans to maximize product sales
• Overseeing finances, including annual budgets, monthly financial variance reports, daily sales activities, inventory and payroll
• Maintaining quality control, with regard to services, cleanliness and products
• Interacting with the press to plan media events

Even with all these responsibilities, a good spa director will spend the majority of time "on the floor," building strong relationships with clients and staff.

Front Desk Reception

Front desk employees must be friendly and capable to ensure that each client's first and last impression of the spa is a positive one. These individuals greet spa-goers and make sure they're comfortable. They provide each spa visitor with appropriate supplies, such as a spa robe, cap, towels and locker key. They handle phone calls and book appointments. They may also support the spa director by overseeing deliveries, maintaining display units, selling products and monitoring the spa's inventory of supplies.

Massage Therapist

Massage is the most frequently requested treatment in spas, and most spas offer a wide selection of massage options. Specialized massage techniques such as hot stone therapy, Watsu underwater massage, Shiatsu, acupressure and Thai bodywork are extremely popular. Massage therapists may also incorporate aromatherapy oils and energy healing techniques into a standard massage. Massage is often part of a more extensive spa treatment. For example, spa-goers may enjoy massage after an exfoliating body scrub or before a facial.

Spa Therapist

Spa therapists provide specialized body treatments such as scrubs, glows, body wraps and baths. They use a wide range of products with therapeutic ingredients such as botanical extracts, herbs, muds, salts and fruit enzymes. Spa therapists understand the beneficial properties of these ingredients and can explain them in clear terms to spa-goers. They know how to make clients feel comfortable and relaxed. Most spa therapists are licensed as either estheticians or massage therapists, but they may also work under the supervision of licensed individuals.

Nail Technician

Manicures and pedicures are a staple of the spa industry. Nail technicians working in spas generally offer a range of services from express manicures to luxurious hand and foot treatments that may incorporate aromatic foot soaks, reflexology massage or paraffin wax dips. Nail technicians often coordinate with other spa professionals to offer packages in which the client receives multiple hand, foot, face or full-body services as one complete experience.

Esthetician

Estheticians, also known as beauticians or skin care specialists, offer a wide range of services from basic facial treatments to waxing. With appropriate training and qualifications, they may offer advanced cosmetic treatments such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels or laser skin resurfacing. Most commonly, they offer skin analysis, facials, body wraps, salt glows, make-up application and removal of unwanted body hair.

Other Specialized Service Providers

Beyond the basics of massage, body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures, many spas today are seeking to attract clients with unique services. They may hire specialized service providers, such as the following:

• Aromatherapists - These practitioners work with other spa service providers to incorporate essential oils in treatments and may also provide personalized aromatherapy consultations for spa-goers.
• Colonic Therapists - These therapists renew the energy, vitality and overall health of spa-goers by flushing the colon with specialized equipment.
• Electrologists - These practitioners permanently remove unwanted body hair from eyebrows, hairline, neck, back or other parts of the body.
• Reiki Therapists - These therapists create deep relaxation and balance by using specific palm positions and gentle pressure to unblock life force energy.
• Reflexologists - These practitioners focus on the feet, hands and ears to create deep relaxation and help with common health problems such as migraines, infertility and digestive disorders.

Retail Staff

Most spas supplement profits with retail sales. If the spa has only a few products displayed near the front desk, the front desk reception staff can handle sales. However, larger spas may have an entire retail shop dedicated to the sale of spa accessories, exclusive products and branded items.

A retail store within a spa will usually be operated like any retail store with a store manager overseeing full and part-time employees. There may also be a retail buyer who works closely with the spa director to select and purchase items for sale. Retail employees are expected to have a basic understanding of all products and may work closely with spa service providers who recommend specific products to their clients.

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• Find the Field that Fits
• Paying for Massage & Beauty School

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