Dayspa....

ROBERT ANDREW-- THE DAYSPA SALON

Robert Andrew is named after its owner and visionary, Robert Andrew Zupko. Known as “Bob” to his employees, colleagues, and clients, he is a practical and professional businessman who has applied sophisticated business practices to the dayspa business.

Bob owes the success of his salon and spa to his loyal clients, his dedicated staff, and to his philosophy: "We want our clients to feel totally comfortable when they come to Robert Andrew. We want them to know that we will take the greatest care of them."

The Start of a Dayspa Success Story

Bob began his career at a Georgetown salon called Aurelio & Antonio. In 1966, Bob bought the Bethesda, Maryland, salon that he was managing at the time. He subsequently bought eight more troubled salons in the Washington, D.C.--area, leading to a chain of nine traditional beauty parlors operating under the name Robert Andrew Hairstyling.

They were niched as upscale neighborhood salons servicing clients at that time (with rollersets only). "This business move was a definite learning curve in my career," says Bob. "It was extremely difficult to manage so many locations without physically being there all the time." Bob believes he was taught a valuable lesson: In order to be a progressive, hands-on dayspa owner, he had to devote his full time and energy to a single location.

As the beauty industry became more demanding, Zupko released all but one of the salons, then named Robert Andrew Hair-Skin-Nails. Bob and his daughter, Melissa Hash also realized that their facility simply could no longer accommodate all of their clients' needs, which included more skin care and spa services, massages, body treatments, hydrotherapy, and more. Then general manager of the dayspa, Melissa is now CFO and vice president of Robert Andrew and also the owner/manager of sister dayspa, Rush! Express Salon and Spa Bar.

He chose to situate Robert Andrew Hair-Skin-Nails in one of the growing residential areas near the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas--Crofton, Maryland. In 1996, after more than twenty years in business, Robert Andrew Hair-Skin-Nails became the Robert Andrew DaySpa Salon, a 7,000 square foot facility that could better service the needs of their clientele.

The expansion from salon to dayspa salon brought Robert Andrew unprecedented success as one of the very first "true" dayspa salons in the United States. In 1997, Modern Salon Magazine honored the Robert Andrew DaySpa Salon with one of the most prestigious awards in the beauty industry--The 1997 “Modern Salon of the Year.” For four consecutive years they have been named one of the “Top 200 Salons In North America” by Salon Today Magazine. Zupko’s goal is to be the premier dayspa salon on the East Coast.

In the summer of 2002, the newest 22,000-square-foot, Tuscan-themed dayspa was opened. With the creation of their latest state-of-the-art facility, now known as Robert Andrew--The Salon & Spa, they are well on their way to this prestigious title by once again raising the bar for dayspas in the area.

A Dayspa Star is Born

Keeping with the philosophy of innovation, the largest transformation was yet to come. In the summer of 2002, his dream, entitled Robert Andrew--The Salon & Spa, was born. The decision to expand was an easy one. Bob felt that it "was time to raise the bar as a dayspa salon in our market." He continues, “These days, dayspa clients are willing to travel greater distances to receive quality services, which Robert Andrew is dedicated to providing. By constantly observing industry and fashion trends, we have established one of the most respected dayspas in the metropolitan D.C./Baltimore area.”

A Tuscan Oasis

Centrally located between Washington D.C., Annapolis, and Baltimore, Robert Andrew draws an affluent demographic profile. The new Robert Andrew is at a level to be compared to a destination spa and is the only one of this caliber in the area. They are presently the largest dayspa salon on the east coast and one of the largest in the country. Clients can escape the everyday stresses of life in the spacious two-level facility that offers innovative ideas such as the “Express Service” and a “Group Events Room,” which is ideal for corporate meetings, bridal showers, parties, and more. The retail department and waiting area boasts a large water fountain, which adds to the sensation of being on a Tuscan street.

There are also 11 spa treatment rooms, two wet rooms, two VIP suites (which double as couples rooms), 26 styling stations, a separate chemical processing department (with 16 haircolor stations), a separate makeup area, and spacious nail care rooms with the ability to serve 20 clients at a time. The spa also includes the innovative and private “Men’s Quarters,” complete with steam room, showers, “old-world” barbershop chairs, and ESPN.

More than 150 service providers service more than 100,000 client visits annually, contributing to $7 million in total revenue. The following 3 areas represent truly unique design elements that we think contribute to both the functionality of the space and the customer experience:

Main Piazza. The overall theme of the Robert Andrew – The Salon & Spa is that of a Tuscan village--and what Italian Village would be complete without a main Piazza? As the signature design and service element of our facility, the Main Piazza is located in the center of the main floor and features a 12-foot fountain, stone floor, and hand-laid mosaic café tables. The Piazza serves not only as the main reception area, but also as a “gathering place” where customers and Robert Andrew staff can interact. The Piazza connects the dramatic 3,000-square-foot retail area with their check-in and check-out stations, hospitality bar, and main styling floor. Bob says, “We endeavored to create not only a unique flow control area, but also a design element that would truly impact our customers. With busy days seeing in excess of 400 customers, it was essential to create a design element that served to facilitate customer flow in such a busy environment--much like the piazza in a village square.

Grand Staircase and Sky Bridge. When you enter Robert Andrew you are impacted by soaring 24-foot ceilings bounded by a sky-bridge, grand staircase, balconies, and second floor framed windows. To carry forward the Tuscan village theme, Bob believed that it was important to create a dramatic statement once you entered the building. To accomplish this, they designed the Grand Staircase and Sky Bridge. This soaring curved staircase connects directly to a 50-foot Sky Bridge that floats over the main entryway leading to the second floor service areas and meeting room. From a pure esthetics point of view, clients taking the Grand Staircase to the second floor spa and nail facilities experience the splendor of the view of the Main Piazza, as well as distinctive artwork and finishes. The design of this area is intended to give clients a panoramic view of our facility and enhance their experience in our Tuscan village theme.

Spa Reception and Tranquil Area. While the main floor of Robert Andrew resembles a square in an Italian village, quite a different feeling is required for the spa area, where clients seek peace and tranquillity. “To support the transition from the drama and energy of the main entry to the spa service area, we created an elegant spa reception area,” says Bob. Featuring domed ceilings, water-view Trompe L’Oeil, marble floors, and a custom imported marble two-sided fireplace, the tranquillity room resembles an Italian villa on Lake Como. The fact that clients comment extensively on the unique design of this area reinforces their belief that the investment they made in setting the proper mood for their spa clients was a wise one.

Bob says, “In designing our the new Robert Andrew Salon & Spa we paid particular attention to providing an environment that would be attractive to the diverse clientele of the greater Washington/Baltimore market, which includes business, conventions, tourists, the military, sportsmen, and of course, our local clientele.” Unlike most dayspas, Robert Andrew’s clients come from a 100-mile radius that includes three states and encompasses a demographic mix of politicians, athletes, students, professional men and women, housewives, and more.

Their business objectives for the new dayspa were simple, Bob says. “We wanted to attract new customers, we wanted our clients to come back more often, refer more friends, and buy more of our products and services. To accomplish these objectives our design had to break the boundaries of what people traditionally expected a salon and spa to look like.” Some of the unique design elements that demonstrate how their design accommodated this unique demographic mix include:

Themed Suites. They had noted a shift in demographics reflecting the fact that more and more people want an “experience” rather than just a service. Whether it’s for a day of beauty or just a simple facial, the complete experience is what ultimately determines customer satisfaction. So, in keeping with their Tuscan theme, they constructed two large suites that can accommodate from one to three people. The suites are themed as Venetian and Tuscan. They both contain a six-foot soaking tub, Trompe L’Oeil murals, marble floors, an area for private dining, and specialty lighting. One also has a spacious shower.

The suites allow Robert Andrew to accommodate a variety of “parties,” ranging from couples, mothers/daughters, girls-nights-out, company excursions, and many other special occasions. Additionally, the suites provide a unique opportunity to reward their loyal customers by “upgrading” them from a standard treatment room to a suite--giving them the same special feeling they get when they are upgraded to first-class on a flight.

Men’s Area. While many salons and spas say they cater to men, Robert Andrew decided to make a statement by creating a comprehensive men’s area. The “Men’s Experience” at Robert Andrew encompasses almost 1,500-square-feet and includes three traditional barber stations, waiting area, manicure and pedicure and of course, CNN and ESPN on television. The design theme of the Men’s Experience is dark woods, with oversized comfortable furnishings. With its own entrance, a tranquil area, and locker room access, male customers can receive the same private experience that female customers do.

Satellite Hospitality Areas. With more and more clients coming for multiple services, it is essential to maintain client flow, while still providing customers with the ability to enjoy their experience. Rather than utilize a “central” reception/waiting area, they endeavored to create satellite hospitality areas within each service category. Thus, the nail, spa, hair, color, and men’s areas all contain their own hospitality suites--which include refreshments, visual merchandising and displays, and comfortable seating.

Elements Designed To Enhance Productivity And Profitability

There are several elements within the facility that directly impact their profitability and productivity. The most important consideration is that they designed it that way in the first place. Traditionally, most salon and spa owners start to design their new space and then figure out the business plan.

They took the opposite approach. Bob says, “Long before we started the design process, we established a team of consultants and took the time to finalize our business plan.” In it, they addressed such issues as: Who is our client? What is our expected traffic flow? How will we sell more retail? How can we increase our average ticket? What type of flexibility will we need in treatment rooms?”

“With this business plan complete, we then set out to build a design team that could deliver on our business objectives,” says Bob. Some of results of this planning and collaboration can be seen in the finished facility, including: separate check-in, check-out and call center (by separating these three functions, they are able to create a more efficient work flow while not interfering with the customer experience); satellite cash and administration room (added directly behind the check-out desk to allow the guest relations team to efficiently deal with the workload at peak business times); flexible treatment rooms (allowing them to book individuals, couples or large groups); the Spa Dining Room (a dedicated room that allows us to accommodate all our clients in a warm and comfortable environment); the Express Area, which was designed specifically to allow for a simultaneous manicure, pedicure and facial (this unique area allows them to promote lunch-time business and handle short-booking requirements); Multi-Function Room (this 600-square-foot multi-purpose room allows for the booking of large parties and corporate events, as well as training and education programs for staff); and satellite mini-dispensaries in the nail, spa and men’s area (more productive, by limiting the amount of time they spend retrieving supplies).

When asked what he’d do differently, Bob smiles and says, “I would have gone on an around-the world golf trip for five months and come back when it was finished.” However, he quickly adds, “My honest answer is that I would not have done much differently. Early on we recognized that building a 22,000-square-foot facility was a daunting task. Not to mention the fact that we had a very specific budget and timeline that had to be maintained. So, we made the decision early on to surround ourselves with talented professionals and consultants, including: design space planning specialist; salon and spa business consultant; interior design specialist; equipment manufacturer; architect; construction management consultant; and marketing consultant.”

Bob says, “Not only was this group of professionals extremely talented, but they worked together seamlessly. This dynamic team helped us to realize our end objective close to budget and almost on time.” While the cost for this extensive team may appear prohibitive, Bob says the money and time saved by focused planning, realistic options, and overall flexibility far outweighed the immediate and long-term impact on revenue. The end result is a truly remarkable facility that has taken dayspas to a new level.

The new dayspa has made many local, national, and international headlines. They have been featured in The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Washingtonian Magazine, Celebrity 101 HairStyles, and Vogue Magazine. They have been nationally recognized in professional beauty trade publications including American Salon, Salon Magazine, Modern Salon, Les Nouvelles Esthetiques, Salon Today, Nails Magazine, Dayspa, Island Sun Times, Skin Inc., Salon Business Strategies, and Professional Only. Robert Andrew has also been selected two years in a row as the “Official Salon & Spa” for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders.

Along with garnering great press, they marketed the spectacular new facility by creating a video showcasing the interior and all the features offered. In addition, they marketed cable commercials to a wide audience--encompassing Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis. The onslaught of new customers they received from the cable advertising campaign then became their next marketing vehicle. “Our customers couldn’t wait to tell their friends and family about our new location,” says Bob. “The referral program that was created by the new clients, as well as our existing clientele, has kept us busy ever since we opened the doors.”

Bob believes the next big trend in salon design will be larger-scaled dayspas incorporating themed designs. “I also believe dayspas will become more like resort spas in respect to how they cater to men and couples.” As in the past, he’s already at the forefront of this trend!

Some Ideas That Work

*We listen and adapt to our client's needs through one-on-one dialogue and comment cards
*We offer discounts with partner businesses such as limousine services, photographers, and local restaurants
*We offer a VIP program that discounts services and retail purchases
*We held a "Friends & Family" night for invited guests to experience our new facility pre- official opening
*We sent 300 of our top clientele customized holiday cards, retail vouchers, and Robert Andrew gift boxes averaging $50 per box. About 200 of these clients have been with us for more than 10 years!
*All new clients receive a welcome letter, which includes a discount for a return visit
*With dissatisfied customers, we offer their return visit to be at no charge--or discounted, when necessary.
*We celebrated "Daymaker Day," on which we offered complimentary services to the families of US soldiers
*We take part in our shopping center's "Fall Festival" by offering complimentary services, giveaways, and consultations
*We offered 20% off cards to all the businesses in our shopping center
*We sponsored a baseball game at the local Bowie Baysox, for which the community received free tickets
*We hosted a chamber of commerce mixer, during which we raffled off Robert Andrew services and products for charity. This is now an annual spring event.
*All of our employees go through our Superlative Customer Service program featuring the video, "Give 'Em The Pickle", hosted by Bob Farrell.
*We offer monthly service promotions in our spa and nail departments. These include seasonal services and regular services with a free add-on or gift.
*We offer special retail promotions in all departments
*We provide our clients with introductory offers for specialized services at Rush, our sister-salon
*We offer gift card purchasing incentives like, “Buy 5--Get the 6th at Half Off” and “Buy 10--Get the 11th Free.”
*We track retention through our software program, Harms Millennium. We run reports that show which clients have visited during specific dates. We also utilize reports that show retention for individual service providers. We send direct mail to those clients who have not visited in three or four months.
*We are also proud to participate in various charitable programs. We feel especially strong about participating in charities that benefit women and children in our local area. Past participation has included the AIDS Relief Fund for Beauty Professionals, Dress Down For A Cause, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Hospice, Excess Access, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Team Philosophy

These are some things Bob does to enhance his company’s team concept:

*We realize that our strength and continual growth depends directly on the contribution and development of each individual in the company. We continue to develop systems that are directly related to our employees’ job satisfaction through continuous training, motivation and individual self-development.
*We have continuing education for our hair department conducted in-salon by our Director of Hairstyling & Education, Brian Washburn, as well as other national educators.
*We have ongoing education classes for our spa and nail technicians, covering services, products and business strategies. *We send our team members to education events around the country. Team members are chosen based on different types of criteria, including customer retention, product promotions and service promotions.
*We have departmental focus groups that meet monthly. Five people are selected by the department head to represent their department. They bring to the table any challenges or new promotional ideas.
*We understand the need for communication and how important it is that our team members know they are being heard and truly are part of the Robert Andrew team.
*At our annual employee and family picnic, which takes place near the end of our fiscal year, checks are distributed to employees based on our profits of the previous year. We also have an employee recognition awards ceremony.