Gary Oberoi, the owner of SoHo’s Red and White Spa believes that the secret to a successful spa experience is to focus on the value of the overall customer experience rather than the cost of services. In the current climate of ever-increasing downward pressure on pricing due to popular “deal-of-the-day” websites such as Groupon and Living Social, focusing on value should be equally important to both customers and spa owners, according to Oberoi.
“When Groupon began introducing its services, it was common to pay around $69 for a massage,” notes Oberoi. “Now you can regularly find massage deals for $29. With Groupon taking a 40% cut, that’s an excellent recipe for spas to drive themselves out of business.” By carefully orchestrating a spa experience that focuses on delivering a superior customer experience, Oberoi advises, spas can mitigate the pressure to compete on price and begin to separate themselves from their competition based on a strategy that will engender positive emotions and loyalty that will last beyond the latest deal-of-the-day online.
Selecting a spa based on service rather than price is a winning proposition for customers as well. Oberoi cites customer experiences as Red and White Spa as proof that customers who have a remarkable experience will not worry as much about price. “When a customer comes in, the first thing we do if offer them a bottle of water. When a service provider approaches the customer, he or she doesn’t say, ‘Let’s go do your facial,’ he or she says, ‘Let’s go have some fun.’ Every interaction, every role that each service provider plays, is designed to cater to the guest and to separate ourselves from every other spa.” According to Oberoi, this philosophy has helped Red and White Spa separate themselves from the hundreds of competitors within walking distance in Manhattan and has contributed to a business that is growing through word-of-mouth and client recommendations.
Guest comments on Red and White Spa’s Yelp profile bear out Oberoi’s emphasis on customer service. One customer writes, “This has become my prime go-to spa in NYC. They focus on excellent services at excellent prices,” while another notes that “This is hands-down the best spa appointment I’ve ever experienced…[my service provider] was very professional and quick, and made me very comfortable.”
Overall, Oberoi’s focus on creating a “wow” experience for the customer is driven by a simple goal. “I want to be known not as the flashiest, biggest or most elegant spa in New York, but as the best and happiest spa,” he says. “When you cater to the happiness of your staff and make sure that your basic focus on the best customer service, you don’t have to wake up in the morning sweating over whether you’re going to have a good business day. Your role is to provide the best you can provide and you know that’s the way you can transform the customer experience.”
Red and White Spa is located at 484 Broome Street in Manhattan and has a second location in East Midtown at 204 East 60th Street, Suite 2. For more information visit: http://www.redandwhitespa.com