Teen Spirit
May 1, 2009 By: Peter C. Anderson American SpaQ. Many of my clients are parents who have expressed interest in bringing their teenagers to the spa. I'm interested in capitalizing on this market but am unsure if it's a wise business move. Will it alienate my other clients? Do I revamp the menu to accommodate this younger clientele? And where should I set the age restriction?
A. The root of your concerns lies in the question, "Will the inclusion of teenagers alienate my existing client base?" First, you need to understand that teenagers accompanied by their parents are a very different target market than teenagers visiting without parental guidance. This is not to say that all unaccompanied teenagers are problematic, but the potential for problems is severely lessened when parental authority is present. Before we get into menu engineering, teen protocol, and more, it is important, first and foremost, to ensure that you are technically and legally allowed to offer spa services, particularly massage treatments and body treatments, to those under 18 years of age. No matter how you do the math, nudity plus underage clients equals potential problems.
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In some cities and counties, there is no administrative line that separates the therapeutic massage one might get at a four-star resort from a therapeutic massage one might get at a half-star massage parlor. This is not to imply that all massage parlors are fronts for vice-oriented activities or that expensive linens at a pricey destination resort is the panacea to inappropriate activities. It is important to remember that many laws that govern spa services and massage were written long before the recent popularity of spas. In some areas, spa activity and the like have been historically bundled together with issues related to firearms, alcoholic beverages, and other vices. The restrictions and responsibilities in these statutes are sometimes broad, vague, and, on occasion, unevenly enforced. This is to say that in some jurisdictions, you may be operating outside of the law to offer massage services to those under 18. Before you consider including teen treatments on your menu, do your homework and ensure that there are no legal or administrative barriers to providing spa services to this market. If there are barriers, investigate if you can apply for a variance, waiver, or permit. I cannot stress enough that you must comply with the existing laws no matter how antiquated or unreasonable they may appear. Even if other spas in your market provide services to teenagers, that doesn't give you de facto permission to do the same.
Once you have established that you can offer teen services, ensure that your menu capitalizes on the needs of this market. You don't need to rewrite your entire menu, but you may consider creating parent/teen treatments or adolescent-oriented treatments. These can be developed as an insert or addition to your existing menu. Create treatments and rituals that address their skin, hair, and nails. Allow mother-daughter day and half-day packages. Offer informal classes or treatments that support back-to-school skin, sun-damaged hair, or prom-season nails. Make it natural and fun, and focus on wellness and balance.
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I have seen some spas that have taken a large couples' room and turned it into a room specially targeted for mothers and daughters. Adolescents are much worldlier than their mothers were at their age, and access to spas is much more common than it was 20 or 30 years ago. As the trends in the spa industry move towards health, wellness, balance, and perspective, it is relatively easy to make the argument that spa-ing should be a family affair. Helping teens develop good grooming habits early on in their adult lives not only creates a future spa market for you and other spa operators but it can also be viewed as a way to enhance self-esteem. In addition, the quality time that parents spend with their teens at the spa is good for their relationship and good for your spa's utilization levels.
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