IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
Ayurveda in Sri Lanka • hans muench • ihrsa director europe
I
nvented in Sri Lanka, the ayurveda system – with its roots dating back 5,000 years – involves cleansing the
body and spirit. I recently visited Oasis Resort and have never received better service anywhere in the world. It’s a true wellness role model and I want to share my experience with you all. The Sri Lankan culture permeates the
entire experience, which includes five or more treatments every day, healthy food, medicine twice a day (based on local herbs), and with only modest creature comforts (one television channel). There is a simple fitness centre, but with two yoga classes available each day, as well as a swimming pool and a white, sandy beach 200 yards away, it gets sparse usage. Back to service: we tipped generously
each day, which here means giving therapists, restaurant, cleaning and garden staff US$1-2 each per day. T ough they were happy to receive it, we never had the feeling that it was expected or that the service would be any less friendly or swiſt without it. We experienced a genuine culture of friendly, attentive natives – with a headcount of 1.5 staff for each guest. Staff earn, on average, less than US$1,000 a year. T e daily head, face and body treatments were augmented by doctors’ consultations
(there are four on-staff ), herbal and fl ower baths, nasal treatments and inhalations and special ayurveda applications as required – such as foot, acupuncture, and shirodhara (special oils applied to one’s forehead). Two to three hours a day was enough but not too much, considering there was also relaxation, three meals daily plus tea, excursions to national parks, visits to temples, shopping and so on. Two weeks (some stay for
NEWS
T e ayurveda system involves cleansing the body and spirit
three or more weeks) of bliss: a wonderfully relaxing, cleansing experience, which also provided ample time and impulses for refl ection. In our western world – increasingly fraught with burnout due to deadlines, permanent availability thanks to smartphones, email overload and social media – it’s good to take a step back, or a step aside, to think about how we lead our lives, what is important to consider in the pursuit of happiness, and get some perspective, all the while having a healthy experience in a diff erent context. My takeaway for health clubs: middle- and upper-end clubs can provide their
own ‘oasis’ for members and a temporary escape from the hustle and bustle of modern living. Genuine friendliness and caring can leave lasting impressions, where the lowest price is not being sought by the consumer. T e experience has me wanting to return to the resort, which is what we want our club members to do. Additionally, my increase in energy was
felt by those around me on my return, and shared with friends and business associates in various forms (in person, in writing, via social networks, etc), which again is what we hope will result from our customers’ experiences.
ask the experts...... measuring sales staff productivity
How do you measure the productivity of your sales staff ? Eddie Tock, partner at REX Roundtables, off ers his thoughts:
T e key measurements analysed in the REX Roundtables which result in increased sales are the number of appointments you schedule today for a future date, and your effi ciency rating (sales per hour). Both of these will have diff erent numbers for every club, depending on size, marketplace and niche in the market. Typically, aſt er 60 days of carefully monitoring sales, you can benchmark both of these numbers for your club. T e ultimate goal is to increase sales –
and while performance counts in sales, it is accountability that really pays.
20 T ere are two keys to implementing
accountability in your club: 1. You must create a culture where your sales team freely and willingly accepts the premise that each person is responsible for their own successes and their own failures. 2. You must have a system in place for measuring and monitoring factors other than pure sales results. If you’re a sales manager at a health
Eddie Tock says accountability is key to success Accountability simply means being
held answerable for your own actions and results. If you wait until the sales reports are in, it’s simply too late. You’ll need to track performance along the way.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
club, it means that you have three primary responsibilities: to lead your people, teach your people and coach your people.
Find another answer to this question
– from consultant Casey Conrad – at
www.ihrsa.org/industryleader
february 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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