October 2nd, 2024
Spa Announces Appointment Policy Change
A Memo from the Owner, Sarah M Vail L.E.
2024 has been a rough year financially for many people. However, the spa has paid out a hefty sum of monies to spa employees even though the clients are not showing up! This does not include skincare product that has been depotted into product cups, disposables and other treatment room items that are thrown away as estheticians get the treatment room ready and items set out for the client. As much as I would love to say I understand, the online scheduling sends out an automated text when the appointment is made, an automated appointment confirmation 72 hours before the appointment and an automated reminder notification 24 hours before the appointment. The option to reschedule is in this. Clients who simply do not call or communicate, allow the spa to schedule support staff when not needed, and thrown out product has definitely become an issue this year.
I have always prided myself in being one of the last spas or salons that require a credit card on file to book, knowing that especially some of our clients may not appreciate or trust this. Putting a credit card on file has become commonplace in our industry, because of the growing number of no-call, no-show clients and the financial loss and burden that spa and salon owners like myself are having to bear… this year has left me no choice in the matter.
So moving forward, we will have all clients have a card on file.
Policy Changes and Information
The very first thing I wish for my clients to understand is the card information will NEVER be stored in spa, or be available for spa employees to view as it is encrypted through the Vagaro app and not even available to me, the owner. Rest assured that I will remain in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) set forth. Vagaro utilizes:
PCI-Compliant Gateway- Vagaro uses PCI-Compliant credit card gateway and banking networks to secure credit card transitions.
Cryptography Hash Functions- Vagaro uses cryptography hash functions to protect information
PGP Public Key- Vagaro provides a PGP public key for encrypting sensitive information, such as credit cards, passwords, and HIPAA protected information, before sending it to Vagaro
Security Experts- Vagaro works with security experts to implement the latest guidelines and mandates from the Payment Card Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
It is important to note the only time payments will be processed through Vagaro is when a client has received prior notice of appointment through it’s automated system. The Avalon Day Spa through Vagaro sends out an automated text when the appointment is made, an automated appointment confirmation 72 hours before the appointment and an automated reminder notification 24 hours before the appointment. If the client fails to respond to reminders and fails to contact the spa to reschedule and fails to attend their appointment then the policy for no-call, no-shows that has previously been put into place will go into effect, and 50% of the service will be charged to the card on file. There will be no refunds for this charge, per policy. Even if a client does not show up, as the owner, I am still financially liable to pay the support staff at the Concierge desk, the Therapist and pay for any product that must be thrown away.
When putting your card on file, you will notice that Vagaro updates expired cards or cards that have been reported lost or stolen. Vagaro partners with Plaid to provide security in the signup process. It is also important to note that Vagaro validates all credit cards when they are added, if the card in invalid or does not exist or is fraudulent, it will not be saved, and the appointment booking will not be completed.
Other Policy Changes with Appointments
Foot Soak services must be booked in advance giving the spa 24 hours or more to work with our wholesale flower vendor to provide the flowers in our foot soak services, so that we may guarantee exceptional service every time. We will not accept same day appointments for foot soaks, the services for this include : “Old Havanna Foot Soak”, “Jasmine & Oriental Spice Foot Soak”, “Deep Sea Foot Soak”, “Balinese Flower Foot Soak”, and “Restorative Foot Soak”.
Deluxe Tea Service is a cost of $10.00 per person and now must be booked in advance giving the spa 48 hours or more to work with our European dessert maker, La Crème Patisserie in Wyandotte to ensure that the dessert order from La Crème Patisserie can be completed. We can not guarantee that your dessert of choice will be available, however, we will accommodate your needs as close as possible. If your dessert of choice is not available, we will attempt to contact you. If we can not reach you, we will note in your preference if you prefer white cake, chocolate cake or fruit tarts and order made will be based off of your preference and availability.
Appointments changes on the day of the appointment is prohibited. The staff and support staff have worked tirelessly to provide exceptional service and amenities so that you, the client can enjoy a relaxing day. If you wish to change your appointment from one service to a different service or add on services, please call Concierge 24 hours or more before your appointment. Clients will not longer be able to cancel their appointment if their appointment is less than 24 hours.
In the end, I hope that each of these changes will ensure that the services we provide at the spa will remain, across the board, to the standards I feel are at a “standard of excellence”.
I built this spa with the understanding that I came with a service minded heart, along with my staff to ensure that we provided our clients with a quiet, relaxing environment for healing and self care. Last minute things can cause chaos and anxiety in the workplace. My staff deserves to also have a calm and relaxing environment.
And each client deserves to come to the spa and have professional services that are considered “service excellence”. This refers to the ability of service providers to consistently meet and occasionally even exceed customers’ expectations. I believe these changes in policy’s will help with this immensely.
If you have any questions with these policy changes, please email me directly at [email protected] and I will respond as soon as I can.