Add-on services can be a major revenue generator when the price is right.
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An effective add-on service strategy rewards both the spa business and its clients. But pricing and selling these add-ons can be a delicate business, one that many therapists would just as soon avoid. However, when an add-on is truly beneficial and fairly priced, there’s no need to feel uncomfortable. Make sure there’s time for the add-on and then be upfront when suggesting it and communicating the cost.
“It’s essential to let a guest know the price of a treatment, even though that conversation may feel a little ‘transactional’,” says spa consultant Peggy Wynne Borgman. “They don’t want any surprises at checkout.”
How much should an add-on cost? Less than many spa owners think, according to consultant Lisa Starr. “The biggest mistake I see is add-ons that are priced too high; for example, the facial is $85 and the add-on is $30,” she says. “The purpose of the add-on is to raise the average ticket and expose the client to menu options, targeted results and potentially more retail products. I like to see a selection of add-ons priced in a way that incrementally increases the client’s total spend. With an $85 facial I would suggest add-ons priced between $9 and $18, which is approximately 10% to 20% of the facial price.”
These percentages may sound modest, but they still represent a boon—as long as the cost of providing the add-on remains little to nil. As spa consultant Dori Soukup sums up, “Add-ons should be able to be performed within the same amount of time as the scheduled service so that you’re adding revenue, not time, and they should be low on product cost.”
