Anyone can claim to be a spa consultant, so it’s up to you to verify your potential partners are who they say they are. Watch for these hints that they might not be on the up-and-up.
“First and foremost, look at promptness: How quickly does the spa consultant respond, and how detailed are they, even in setting up an initial call to get to know one another?” says Under a Tree’s Amy McDonald. “Do they ask good questions?”
You can often tell from a proposal how experienced a consultant is, she adds, so pay attention to the work they deliver in the early stages of your collaboration. The consultant should be able to point to work that they’ve successfully completed, and you shouldn’t have a problem independently confirming their involvement. If they can’t provide references from previous clients and spa directors, that’s a warning sign. You’ll also want to make sure that they have relevant experience in the field.
“Find out what the spa consultants did before they were consultants,” advises Civana’s Rianna Riego. “Unfortunately, there are several who have never even operated a spa.” Along those same lines, make sure you confirm that the consultant is spa-centered. “In other words, does the potential consultant sell equipment or product? That could be a major conflict with good sound advice,” says Segerberg Spa Consulting’s Jane Segerberg.
Finally, be wary of the boastful. According to JMPankey Partners' Julie Pankey, "watch out for a potential consultant who says they are an expert on everything.”
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