The hallmark of any great spa is their attention to personal detail - they make a point of knowing each customer by name, and learning as much as they can about their clients' personal likes, dislikes, and preferences.

Simple things like remembering how they like their coffee, the names of their kids and pets, and even what times they like to book appointments go a long way towards creating loyal customers.

Pay Attention To Details

Another technique that leading spas use is continual customer engagement - making their clients feel special, even when they're not getting a pedicure, manicure, or hot stone massage.

Spas do this by sending out personalized, hand-written birthday cards and holiday notes with messages targeted to each one of their clients. This reminds their clients of that pampered feeling their customers get at their spa, helping to keep a personal connection alive.

Create A Loyalty Program

The owners at Willow Spa in Santo Monica, California knew that they needed to up their game when it came to pampering their clients - after all, the spa business is highly competitive on the West Coast.

In order to encourage their clients to return to their spa, the owners created a points-based loyalty program that provided incentives to encourage both repeat visits and the use of some of the spas' less popular treatments.

While their initial program needed some adjustments, overall the owners report that their loyalty program is a success. According to co-owner Coco Iv, "We've been able to gain and retain repeat clients with no additional work put into the process".

Say Thank You

Ask any successful spa owner what the single most effective thing is that they do to retain customers and chances are good they'll mention thank you notes - simple, old-fashioned, hand-written notes or cards that make clients feel appreciated.

In fact, the idea of sending a hand-written note as part of an overall relationship management strategy isn't unique to spas - many big-name companies like Land's End have also embraced the idea of mailing out personalized cards as a way to thank their clients and create a positive, lasting impression.