Table 1.

Respondents’ Perception in terms of the Marketing of a Spa

Based on the data gathered, advertisements that can be seen in the internet, social
media or mass media such as television ranked 1st which is verbally interpreted as
Very Much Important which is similar to the study of Ashe-Edmunds (2019), who
suggested that the optimal spa marketing strategy should include social media and
client promotions as key parts of the plan. Nelson (2018) also stated that Social media
is quickly becoming one of the most important aspects of digital marketing, which
provides incredible benefits that help reach millions of customers worldwide. She said
that if they are not applying this profitable source, brands are missing out an
incredible marketing opportunity, as it makes it easy to spread the word about their
product and mission.According to Berger (2019), Social media and online
communication have definitely sped the diffusion of information. In an article by
O’Halloran (2019), he stated that television is still an effective marketing medium for
independent spa retailers. In other words, a TV campaign could result in a marketing
“draw” and still be effective .

2nd on the list is the spa is heard from word of mouth from people and/or radio
which is verbally interpreted as Very Much Important that has similarity to what Jason
Kiwaluk (2015) stated, that loyal customers can be the best sales people. Loyal
customers will not only buy more from the company, they can also increase the sales
by recommending the products to others. There’s no better advertising than
word-of-mouth with peer recommendations being the most trusted source for product
information. Like many other service businesses, spas rely on referrals,
word-of-mouth and customer loyalty to stay in business. While paid advertising can
help get new clients in the door, personal contact is key to generating repeat business
and viral marketing, Ashe-Edmunds (2019) stated. According to Elliot (2016),
customer service is important because it can help the company to increase customer
loyalty, increases how often a customer buys from the company and generate positive
word-of-mouth about the business. He also stated that 92% of consumers will believe
a recommendation from friends and family over any other type of advertising. That
simple statistic casually hides one of the most powerful truths in marketing. The
biggest marketing asset is the existing customer base. People love referrals. They tend
to trust the opinions of their friends when making purchasing decisions. Accordingly,
an easy way to encourage word of mouth. One powerful type of user-generated
content is reviews – and getting customers to write reviews is one way to facilitate the
spread of word-of-mouth marketing. When potential shoppers read reviews, it builds
customer trust by showing them that a verified customer offers their endorsement of
the brand McMillen (2016) stated. And 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as
a key influencer in their purchasing decisions. The Advantages of Word of Mouth
Marketing is a higher engaged customers buy more often and recommend their friends
more often (Warren, 2019).

Respondents think that advertisements that can be seen in the newspapers,

magazines and flyers is the least important among the three as it came 3rd which is
verbally interpreted as Somehow Important which is similar to the study of Summers
(2018) who stated that smaller towns often have a community-based weekly
newspaper which can also be a good source of new business. Kennedy and Kesler
(2014) also implied that for small businesses, advertising in local newspapers still
works.

Table 2. Respondents’ Perception in terms of The Sales and Distribution Factors

of the Spa

According to the collected data Spa that offers loyalty programs like “frequent
customer cards” ranked 1st as the Very Much Important in terms of the Sales and
Distribution factors of a Spa which has similiarity to an article by Johns (2018) who
wrote that loyalty program is one of the simplest and most effective ways to give back
to the clients. A loyalty program provides a reason for customers to stick around and
keep purchasing. It also provides data/information to allow businesses to continue to
meet the needs and desires of consumers. But more than that, loyalty programs allows
businesses to influence customer buying behavior using targeted rewards. A great
loyalty program can win the hearts of the potential clients, JEN (2015) stated.
 It is followed by the spa that gives coupons to all customers which ranked as the
2nd which is verbally interpreted as Much Important similar to the study of
McMalcolm (2013) who stated that Sending out mobile coupons and using QR codes
are the latest ways to increase the spa revenue and profits. According to Armstrong
(2013), sending out a coupon for a discount on a service that they regularly receive
shows them that they are noticed them and that the company cares enough to give
them a discount for something they enjoy. Nielsen (2018) also stated that, with the
exception of consumers who are purchasing with the intent to replenish their stock,
coupons are the main influencing factor as to why consumers may make particular
brand purchasing decisions. In fact, coupons can be more influential than even
recommendations and advertising. Another study found that 80% of shoppers would
very happily switch brands if there was an enticing coupon involved.

Ranked as the 3rd but also considered and verbally interpreted as Much Important
is the spa that has lean hours “siesta deals” similar to the study of Alexakis (2019)
who stated that nearly every spa experiences downtime, 50% of spa sales in the slow
season are for gift certificates.

Table 3. Respondents’ Perception in terms of the Customer Service of a Spa

Based on the data gathered Staff that are always approachable in a Spa ranked as
the highest which is verbally interpreted as Very Much Important that can also be
considered similar to an article written by Olga (2019) which stated that one way of
satisfying customers is by being approachable. According to Creatiq (2018), being
polite and courteous might seem trivial, but it actually makes the difference between a
company that goes under and a company that thrives. According to a study by G.
Harding (2018) where it was stated that eight out of ten customers say they have
stopped doing business with a company because they had a bad experience with
customer service, and rudeness was a prevalent grievance raised. L. Maxwell (2019)
also stated that being approachable can dramatically increase the opportunities
coming your way.
 Placed 2nd is the spa staff’s willingness to help me make feel at home which is
also verbally interpreted as Very Much Important which has similarity to the study of
Shapiro (2016) who stated that businesses should welcome everyone into the store as
they would welcome that person into our home. Rubin (2011) also suggested that
creating a welcoming atmosphere for customers to make them comfortable because
they know it will encourage them to stay around the shop, browsing the products and
learning more about the brand and greatly increasing the chances of a sale.

Spa staff are consistently courteous with customers ranked 3rd with mean of 3.74
which is also verbally interpreted as Very Much Important which is similar to the
study of Creatiq (2018) who stated that being polite and courteous might seem trivial,
but it actually makes the difference between a company that goes under and a
company that thrives. According to Silket (2017), customers want to be treated to a
courteous experience when they speak to a service representative.

Table 4. Impact of Amenities to the Spa Experience of the Respondents.

Based on the collected data Spa facilities that are clean, convenient and
visually attractive ranked as the highest with the mean of 3.78 which is verbally
interpreted as Very Much Satisfied is similar to the study of Mio (2019), it is also
very important that the spa is clean and comfortable. If there’s too much clutter and
things look odd and messy, clients may even discontinue from using your services.
Haynes (2017), suggested that environment can play an important role if a client
chooses to come back. Clean environment can help clients feel relaxed before their
massage and can help put clients in a sweet state of mind.

Followed by Spa’s physical facilities are matching with the products or services
offered by the store which the respondents found also Very Much Satisfied, similar to
what Beck (2009) stated in an article that it is important to match the ambience to the
services and products that are being offered, this way the customer will not be
confused and would immediately recognized the services and products offered. It is
also important to serve as a constant reminder for the business to focus as to what is
being offered. Spa guests expect a spa to promote a general sense of well-being.
When entering a spa, they want to immediately feel at ease. Their spa escape can only
be gratifying when they feel safe. The key to the guest’s satisfaction lies in a spa
design solution that takes into account form, flow and function of the spa environment,
d’Etre (2017) stated.

Respondents found the Spa has updated functional equipment and fixtures as the
least satisfying among the three but still got the mean of 3.56 still considered and
verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied which is similar to the study of Lemi
(2018), When you invest in always having the best and the most innovative equipment,
you will be develop an esteemed reputation that will attract a wider clientele. Stanton
(2019), stated that spa equipment can help excite your clients, increase your profit,
and keep your clients coming back for more. New modalities and equipment will not
only expand your services but increase your worth to your clients. Products alone are
sometimes not enough, which is why professionals consider purchasing equipment.

Table 5. Impact of Staff Responsiveness to the Spa Experience of the

Respondents.

According to the driven data Customer complaints that are handled

immediately and are solved easily by the employees is the most satisfying for the
respondents ranked as the first which is verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied
which has similarities to the study by Vaught (2019) who stated that another key to a
good spa experience is if they can effectively manage complaints. The main downfall
of many businesses is they don’t spend enough time dealing with customer complaints.
In reference to 3C Contact Service (2018), when the company addresses complaints in
an appropriate manner, customers will be left with a positive image in their mind,
even if the product or service didn’t initially meet their expectations. An effective
complaint handling system resolves issues raised by a unsatisfied clients. It can also
provide information that can lead to improvements in service delivery (Field, 2017).
All in all, complaints management truly is an essential component of customer service
and business success. Not only is it the means to gather valuable customer insight, it
also helps the company progress to improvements that lead to reduced costs,
increased profitability and increased customer satisfaction (Evans, 2013).

It is followed by the customers are sincerely accommodated by the spa employee

that is ranked as the 2nd which is also verbally interpreted as Very Much Important
that is similar to the study of Kilawuk (2015), who stated that in order to ensure
customers keep coming back, the most important factor is ensuring customers have a
good experience with every aspect of the product or service, according to a survey of
US small business owners, the primary driver of repeat business is well-established
relationships with the customer base, a well accommodated guests tend to enjoy
coming back.

Ranked 3rd is the spa staff in the outlet have knowledge to answer customer’s
question which respondents found as Very Much Satisfactory which has similarity to
the study of B. Fernandes (2015) who stated that knowing the products and services
also contributes to a satisfactory spa experience. She states that product knowledge is
the most important tool for closing sales. It instills faith, trust, and respect in the
customer, which creates a positive customer experience. Customers are more likely to
trust sales people who show confidence in themselves and what they are selling.
Hudson (2018) also believes that product knowledge can mean more sales. It is
difficult to effectively sell to a customer if they cannot show how a particular product
will address his or her needs. According to Clark (2014) Product knowledge is
important because knowing products well will make the service agents display a great
level of confidence when they talk about the products being sold making the customer
feel that the information they receive is accurate. It is an important component of
delivering high-quality customer service, as having more knowledge allows
employees to meet customer needs to a greater extent. It also contributes to an
employee’s understanding of the market and of their competition – knowing their
product’s important features means employees can better explain how it differs to
competitors, Walker (2018) stated.
Table 6. Impact of Convenience in the Spa Experience of the Respondents

Based on the data gathered the spa that has suitable opening and closing time
placed 1st among the three which is verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied which
is similar to the study of K. Solarz (2018) who stated that picking when to
“open-close” a store is very hard to decide but a successful business always learn
what do the consumers demand and always focuses on the convenience and
satisfaction of the customers. Christine J. (2016) also suggests,that setting up office
hours is essential for creating some sort of work-life balance.

It is followed by the spa’s space makes it easier for customers to move around
with the mean of 3.72 which is also verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied
which is similar to the study of Starr (2018) who stated that the spa should be big
enough to perform the treatments and services that will deliver the therapeutic vision,
but not so large that the logistics of operations will overwhelm them. Rooms need to
be comfortable but feel cozy to achieve a sense of privacy and intimacy with the
client, H.M. (2010) stated.

Respondents is also Very Much Satisfied with the spa that is conveniently located
from their work or residential place who ranked in 3rd with the mean of 3.6 which is
similar to the study of Santra (2018) who implied that location plays an important role
in the making or breaking of a salon and spa business. The success of a salon business
depends on how much easy it is to reach it. It is ideal to choose an area that has a lot
of offices and other commercial establishments as that, more often than not, ensures a
steady stream of customers. Choosing a location for the salon/spa is one of those
important decisions they will have to make in the early stages of establishing a new
business. They should locate it in an area that’s easily accessible by highway or
byway, with plenty of traffic (both foot and the four-wheeled variety) and parking.
The surrounding area should be attractive, well-lit, and safe. There should also be
other retail businesses nearby (as opposed to parks or a regional airport) because they
can generate business for you as they attract customers through their own doors,
Sandlin (2014) also stated. Accrding to Luthor (2019), the location of a business
positions it not only to attract a customer base but also to attract the right sort of talent
to make the business a success. A business’s location also helps it create a brand and
image. Positioning includes various factors, from location to the price of the product
or service to the message the company uses to promote the business, online and
offline, Oppong (2018) stated. Gettler (2015) also suggests that business has to be
accessible to its market. Location becomes the be-all and end-all.

Table 7. Impact of Price in the Spa Experience of the Respondents

Based on the data collected the spa offers packages for guest got the first place
with the mean of 3.76 which is verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied that has
similarity to the study of Sholanki (2019) suggested that promos and packages is
important in upselling products and services. It is also an effective way of introducing
new products and services to the customers.

Followed by the spa that has promos which gives customers discount on the
services which also made the respondents Very Much Satisfied which is similar to an
article by McMalcolm (2013) who wrote that consumers are always looking for ways
to save money, and they prefer to buy from stores that offer the best deals. One thing
the company can do to attract more customers is to offer discounts on the products or
services. Discounts are not only beneficial to the customers; they can also do great
things for the business.

Third on the list is the spa prices are reasonable with the mean of 3.66 which is
also verbally interpreted as Very Much Satisfied which has similarity to the study of
Riley (2009) who wrote that pricing also has an important role as a competitive
weapon to help a business exploit market opportunities. Understanding how to create
and implement a coherent spa pricing strategy is essential for maximizing yield. The
consumers’ spending pattern will be very important at the moment of setting prices.
They already have preset expectations of what to experience and at what price, Uberoi
(2011) also stated.