In this new weekly column, we present real-life day spa disaster scenarios, and reveal how pros dealt with each crisis.
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The Situation: “It’s nice to serve clients mimosas and champagne, but it’s a big liability when they drink too much,” says Julie Puccio, owner of Houston’s Bella Nova Day Spa and Salon. “We try to ‘unofficially’ limit guests to two drinks, but we recently had some guests end up drinking at our spa all day, which can lead to huge problems.”
The Solution: “The best way to handle drunk guests is to be upfront and straightforward with them,” Puccio says. “I went into the room and said, ‘Hello, ladies. I’m so glad you’re having so much fun, but it looks like maybe you’ve had too much fun.’ And then I explained that I could either call my car service (we work with one whose owner is a regular client) or a taxi, or else have one of their family members come pick them up, but that I couldn’t legally let them drive away from the spa—even if they’re obstinate and we end up paying for the ride, it’s way better than being sued for a drunk-driving accident! Luckily they said, ‘Oh, okay, call my husband.’ They were happy we didn’t let them get behind the wheel while intoxicated.”
What would you have done? Please sound off below in the comment field. Have you had a similar experience? Got a sticky situation to share? Email your spa horror story to [email protected]!
