Russian spa staff have more medical education than other countries but less focus on service and sales skills. There are three main types of spa specialists in Russia with precise roles focused solely on massage, facial treatments, or coordination. Education levels are higher, ranging from medical college to university degrees. Motivation systems typically involve a fixed salary plus a percentage of treatments provided or bonuses for meeting goals. Managing Russian spa staff requires investing in soft skills training while being prepared to answer questions and set clear standards.
1 of 26
More Related Content
Russian Spa Staff
1. MAIN DIFFERENCES OF RUSSIAN STAFF
specifics of the Russian spa staff
motivation and training
2. Good Afternoon!
Maria Filatova
development director
Trend Cosmetics LLC, Moscow
14 years in hospitality & spa business
* Letoonia Hotel, Turkey
* A-Class Touroperator, Russia / Turkey
* Rixos Royal Spa, Russia / Turkey
* The Ritz-Carlton, Russia / USA
* [comfort zone], Russia / Italy
3. RUSSIAN EMPLOYEES
How do they differ?
What makes them tick?
How we should work with them?
4. 3 MAIN THINGS
you should know
about Russian Spa staff
7. spa technologist
providing body treatments
a) spa masseur
mostly massage
sometimes hamam, peelings, srubs
b) body specialist
spa massage and exclusive techniques, spa-rituals, body treatments: peelings,
wrappings, thalassotherapy, etc.
machinery treatments: LPG, Vichy shower, hydromassage, press-therapy, etc.
Usually no facials (only as additional express service)
8. facial specialists
providing only facial treatments
a) beauty specialist esthetician
spa facials, masks, soft peelings
machinery: UF cleansing, vaporisation, phonophoresis, miostimulation, etc.
PROHIBITED: medical treatments and invasive methods
b) cosmetologist esthetic doctor
specialist with higher medical education
medical-based facials, laser cleaning, mesotherapy, injections, medical
peelings, etc.
NB: Only in spas with medical license!
9. spa coordinator
spa specialist with or without higher medical education
medical and functional diagnostics for the first time clients
and co-ordinates spa programs
May also provide some treatments himself.
12. Minimal Level of Education
Spa body cosmetolog spa
esthetician
masseur specialist ist coordinator
basic education
medical college * * * *
natural science
university * * *
sport academy * * *
medical university * *
professional education
official massage
courses * * *
official cosmetology
courses * * *
16. most popular system
fixed salary + % of treatments provided
minimal wage 200-500 USD
+
25-30% (up to 50%)
of generated money income received from provided treatments
17. fixed salary + bonus for meeting the profit goals
50% fixed
+
50% bonus for meeting the monthly planned goals
(money income received from provided treatments)
18. fixed salary + KPI
50% fixed
+
50% bonus for meeting the KPI goals
(profit / service / team work, etc.)
mostly in a highly profitable, long working spa
20. RUSSIAN STAFF HAS
* MUCH MORE MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
* A LOT OF SELF -CONFIDENCE
* A LOT OF JOB OFFERS
* LESS DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT TO
MANAGEMENT AND AUTHORITIES
* LESS SERVICE SKILLS
* LESS SELLING SKILLS
HARD SKILLS SOFT SKILLS
22. SPA MANAGERS:
BE READY to ANSWER a lot of QUESTIONS
BE READY to SHOW YOUR MORAL STRENGTH
and to WIN AUTHORITY
PROVIDE a lot of SOFT SKILLS TRAININGS
MOTIVATE to PROVIDE GOOD SERVICE
be ready to learn a lot from them
23. SPA OPERATING COMPANIES:
PROVIDE a lot of SOFT SKILLS TRAININGS
WORK on SERVICE STANDARTS
PROVIDE GOOD MOTIVATION PLAN
to KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES
and MEET YOUR BUDGET GOALS
be ready to learn a lot from them
24. BRANDS / DISTRIBUTORS:
PREPARE MORE SPECIFIC and
EVIDENCE BASED SELLING MATERIALS
BE READY to ANSWER a lot of QUESTIONS
PROVIDE a lot of SALES TOOLS
be ready to learn a lot from them
25. RUSSIAN EMPLOYEE
IS MUCH MORE EDUCATED
BUT LESS
SERVICE & SALES ORIENTED.
INVEST IN SOFT SKILLS OF
YOUR EMPLOYEE AND YOU WILL
WIN THE MARKET!
26. Have any questions
about Russian Spa market?
feel free to write me:
filatova.m@trendcosmetics.ru
THANK YOU!
Editor's Notes
Ladies & Gentlemen! Thank you for being here with us and for your interest to our market.First let me introduce myself and tell just few words about my experience .So as you see I was lucky to work with all these international companies who entered the Russian market. And one of the first questions always was following:
every staff member in Russian spashas a very precise job description and provides only specific spa treatmentsjob title may differ from spa to spa, so there are still a lot of mess about these on the market. but last year with the help of Spa & Wellness Council we agreed on the following terms
The person, who is called spa therapist over the world, can not be called so in Russia. As the word therapist is used only for the medical doctors. So we consider calling these position spa technologist
Spa masseur: spa specialist, who uses one or more spa technologies, usually only massage (classical or sport, sometimes also special or exclusive techniques). Sometimes he provides also / or only hamam treatments, peelings and scrubs. Medical massages only in spas with medical license.body specialist:spa specialist, who provides one or more spa services - specifies on spa massage and exclusive techniques, spa-rituals, peelings, wrappings, thalassotherapy, etc. Machinery treatments: LPG, Vichy shower, hydromassage, press-therapy, etc. Usualy no facials (only as additional express service)
beauty specialist \\ esthetician:spa-specialiasts, who specialize on providing spa facials, masks, soft peelings. Machinery: UF cleansing, vaporisation, phonophoresis, miostimulation, etc.Not invasive methods!Cosmetologist: specialist with higher medical education, doing more medical-based facials, laser cleaning, mesotherapy, injections, medical peelings. May provide these treatments only in spas with medical license.These kind of therapy is very popular in Russian, as our clients are very result-oriented, so the demand for medical treatments, providing good visible results, is very high.
spa specialist with higher medical education, who makes medical and functional diagnostics for the first time clients and coordinates spa program. May also provide some treatments himself.
due to the Russian laws medical education is mandatory for all types of spa specialists
The minimal level of education needed vary depending on specialization. For spa technologists it can be medical college, natural science university of sport academy. Also official massage education is needed.For esthetician it should be medical college plus cosmetology coursesCosmetologist needs higher medical license, preferable in dermatocosmetology faculty, and official cosmetology coursesAnd spa coordinator can have any kind of education, but if he provides some kind of treatments he should have the according education.
The second specific of all Russian staff is widespread higher education.
This is a very interesting phenomena: in Russia there are a lot of people with higher education. And usually they are working in absolutely different fields than they were educated to.First reason is that after 90s, when perestroika continued and SovUnion dissolved, a lot of people lost there jobs due to the high rate of unemployment . So a lot of people with higher education tried to survive, working on a low level job. Second, after 90s a lot of universities and institutes appeared, so desirable higher education became much more affordable. A lot of young people nowadays have a higher education in legal and financial sectors, but as the quality of education is poor and their interests are laying not in the field of education, and Spa is interesting for them, you may find that lady on the reception has highr legal education. But what is important, that these level of education creates much more higher expectations and level of self-confidence
Next:Motivation systems also differ in Russia.I will not go much in details now, but the most popular systems are the following
Fixed salary + commission of treatments providedminimal wage 200-500 USD plus 25-30% (up to 50%) of generated money income received from provided treatmentsThis is the most popular system and I think like 95% of our clients use it
Next system is used rarely, but more and more spas are coming to it.So the staff member monthly receives his fixed half and second part of salary if he meets the planned profit goals
These system you can find in a highly profitable, long working spas.Staff member receives half of his salary fixed and half as a bonus for meeting KPI goals. It can be profit reached, level of service, good team work or any other.
These are 3 main differencies.So what do these mean, when coming to life?
If I should describe main differences of Russian staff in 3 words, I would say, that they have.
Work hard on your service standards as you will meet the reistance