3rd Place
3rd Place: Best of the Best Salon/Spa of the Year, 2009
Spa Scotta
4915 25th Avenue NE, Ste. 103, Seattle WA
206-522-5800
Owner: Jessica Campbell
Year Founded: 1998
Mission Statement
“Look good. Feel good. Do good.”
Employees: 16
Stations: 15
Describe the culture of your business—how do you want clients to feel when they walk through the door?
Spa Scotta is a spa without pretension. We created an environment where clients do not need to “know the rules” in order to feel comfortable.
What makes you different than other salons/spas?
Education is paramount to us. Employees receive an education stipend each year to use on any class within the industry to keep them fresh and engaged. They are also allowed to use the stipend to pay themselves if they are participating in free education but need to take time off to participate. By staying current on the latest ideas, techniques and innovations in our industry, we are able to offer our clients truly effective services.
List courses and other learning opportunities that you and your employees have participated in over the past year:
We host guest speakers in house to educate our employees: building your clientele, best business practices etc. In addition, we have our vendors in on a regular basis (once a month) to teach product knowledge classes. The staff take many classes solo like myofacial release, energy work (reiki), eyelash extensions, OPI manicure and pedicure classes etc.
What three words best describe your business as a whole?
Professional, Creative, Supportive
What is your customer service philosophy?
Strive to provide the best service to every client, every time.
What promotions do you conduct?
Client referral program, frequent client rewards, package discounts, quarterly specials, new client gift bags.
What’s exciting, new, unique and enticing about your menu?
We are constantly tweaking what we have to offer to our clients. We strive to keep the menu simple but we respond to client requests and our staff’s interests. For example, we had a tremendous amount of requests for makeup services so we sought out industry leaders of mentor us and then added the services to our menu. Clients were interested in modified services for their teens and tweens, so we researched these and added an exciting menu for our younger clients. Certain staff members wanted to become proficient in lash extensions, so they were trained and we now offer that service.
How does your salon/spa look, feel, smell, and sound?
We look inviting. The space is tidy, colorful and is laid out in a fashion that makes sense to both the service providers and to our clients. We smell clean...usually we have one of our favorite soy candles burning in the front of the spa and each room has a diffuser in it with a light, clean scent like cucumber. Our spa is broken into two spaces, the front end where nail services, retail and all of our client transactions take place and the back spa area where we perform our skin care and massage services. The front of the spa is bright with raspberry, green and white accents, the spa area is calm with blue and dark brown leather and wood accents. The music in the front is upbeat, the spa is serene.
How does your décor and mood shape your brand image?
It encapsulates who we are visually. Warm, welcoming, educated and interactive.
Has your business undergone a recent expansion? If so, please explain why you chose this new look.
We moved to our new space in January of 2008. Our look is completely new and truly reflects who we are. The staff was fully engaged in the build out. We had them meet with the architect during the process so that they would have a say in how the space was laid out. This helped us avoid a lot of issues with work flow and allowed the employees to have a sense of ownership in the space.
What do you do to stay involved in your community?
We fundraise, volunteer and participate in community activities throughout the year as a team.
How often do you meet with your staff for goal-setting, personnel reviews or progress discussions?
We meet as a group monthly, as individual pods (skin, nail, massage) on a more frequent basis.
Describe your business goals.
We will have launched our Spa Scotta Finishing School and will be looking for a dedicated space for it.
