FLEXIBLE STAFFING R
estaurants have used part-time serv- ers to supplement
Some disadvantages BOB SCHRADER
their core full-time teams for years. T e model allows owners to better tailor the staff to guest ratio and max- imise their margins. Forecasting the number of potential cus-
tomers is key to this fl exible staffi ng approach. Resort spas have an advantage in forecasting as they have a better idea of demand based on seasonal hotel occupancy trends, the type of hotel guests and predicted capture rates. Resort spa guests are also more inclined to book treatments farther in advance compared to day spa customers. Restaurants typically look at numbers a
week beforehand and staff extra servers if required. Restaurants really don’t have a cut off point for calling in staff – it’s just a matter of how short of a notice the employees will tolerate. Unfortunately reliability and quality of part-time staff is a bit of ‘a chicken or the egg’ scenario – typically high-caliber, part- time servers will be more reliable if they’re off ered consistent work in a busy restaurant;
President, Aston Remick
but if you don’t have high-caliber, depend- able servers then the chances are that the restaurant won’t be as popular and thus not as busy. Another issue when looking at part- time staffi ng could be location – you’re more likely to have a bigger pool of part-time staff in a major metropolitan area than in some retreat in the mountains. One difference between F&B and spa
employees is that, typically, servers earn minimum wage and depend on gratuities for the majority of their income. T erapists, on the other hand, can earn higher hourly wages and guaranteed commissions. In the US, labour laws require staff to be paid for a minimum of two hours – so bringing in a part-time therapist for just one treat- ment wouldn’t be cost eff ective. Other costs, including uniforms and benefi ts for addi- tional staff , should also be considered.
“The fl exible staff model allows owners to better tailor the staff to guest ratio maximising their margins... forecasting the number of potential customers is key to this approach”
M
ost hotel spas rely on creative scheduling and
to part-time team mem- bers are: it can be diffi cult to instil company values; they receive less day to day training; they are not fully indoctrinated to the culture
and standards of a company; employers are more reluctant to invest in training dollars for part-time staff ; and they contribute to a higher level of therapist dissatisfaction as a result of not feeling included. All of which can impact on the quality of service. In the past, spa operators could aff ord
to employ a greater number of full-time therapists on the basis that if they had staff available, customers would book. But with the poor economy and soaring costs over the last couple of years, they’ve become more in tune to the cost of being over staffed. Flexible staffi ng can be a solution to this problem. Operators have to strike a balance between staffi ng costs and excellence of serv- ice. Because spas are a high-touch business, labour costs will remain a signifi cant factor to budget for and control.
Bob Schrader specialises in corporate, multi-property and property-based manage- ment – including operational restructuring
– in the luxury hospitality sector. Compa- nies he’s previously worked with include Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Miraval. Details:
www.aston-remick.com
KIRSTY MACCORMICK
opening hours to ensure they capture the majority of guests at optimum times. But as the current practice is to book treatments at the last minute, turnaways and missed opportunities are an issue. T e business model of large destination
Corporate director of spas Onyx Hospitality Group
Less rigid staffi ng schedules do work suc-
spas and health resorts is to calculate the capacity of the facility along with the capac- ity of staff and sell packages based on this. T ey do not base their bookings on the sched- ule in place, instead the therapist schedule is created based on the packages sold. T is current staffi ng structure is necessary
in higher end spas in certain regions in Asia such as T ailand where freelance therapists – who are typically just used in day spas – only get paid when they perform a treatment and demand a percentage of the treatment price: sometimes up to 50 per cent. Unfortunately, this can also have the issue of ‘extra services’ being off ered to guests.
SPA BUSINESS 2 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
cessfully in other businesses. T e majority of the fi tness industry works on a fl exible model which allows classes and personal training to be booked when required and restaurants work effi ciently with staff work- ing on split shiſt s due to business demand. A similar fl exible employee model with
more part-time staff would help lower the number of turnaways in spas. However, it would not be sustainable entirely on its own. A core number of permanent staff would be essential with the fl exible staff fi lling in when required or for specialised services One disadvantage to freelance therapists is
that they usually have a much higher hourly rate and transportation costs may even need to be covered if they are called in at the last
minute. To make the most of part-time staff , operators could cluster appointments around the times that they’re in for – but not by off ering discounts as this wouldn’t be cost-eff ective.
Another obvious challenge of using part-
time staff is ensuring service levels and standards are met – freelance employees do not guarantee a quality treatment, rebook- ing or retail sales. And the diff erences in pay structure could cause friction with the core spa team. To ensure high standards, implementa-
tion of initial and ongoing training would be essential. T is would be an investment for the operation and should be built into the overall cost of this type of business model.
Based in T ailand, Onyx brought in Kirsty MacCormick in 2010 to oversee spa operations and development. She has 20 years’ industry experience and has worked for MOHG and Spatality. Details:
www.onyx-hospitality.com
Read Spa Business online
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