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Every year around the holidays, spas feel that familiar rush — phones ring more, therapists are fully booked, and guests arrive with a relaxed excitement that seems almost contagious. A large part of this seasonal buzz comes from spa gift cards, which continue to rise in popularity. Data shows that gift card sales climbed 20% year over year, and the average recipient spent $142. Even more interesting: one in four people who redeem a gift card has never visited the spa before.
According to the 2025 Beauty and Wellness Benchmark Report, this growth was especially strong among non-membership spas, which saw an 81% increase in online gift card sales.
This is more than just revenue. It's a built-in flow of new relationships walking straight through your doors.
And the timing couldn’t be better. According to McKinsey, the global wellness market now reaches $1.8 trillion annually, with the U.S. segment growing 10% a year and totaling $480 billion. Clearly, people aren’t viewing self-care as a now-and-then luxury anymore — they’re turning it into an ongoing lifestyle.
One thing that makes gift card clients so promising is their mindset: they walk in open, curious, and with no buyer’s remorse. They didn’t research prices or debate whether it was worth it. Someone else made that decision for them. As a result, their attention is fully on the experience — the ambience, the sense of calm, the warmth of your team. All of these little details become emotional anchors. When a spa makes a strong first impression, it creates a memory that lingers, and memories are what spark loyalty.
Gift card redeemers may not have chosen your spa initially, but they will choose whether they come back. And with the right journey, they often do.
According to Kaitie Firm, a Senior Customer Success Manager at Zenoti, retention is shaped by a series of small moments throughout the guest journey, not a single interaction at checkout.
The irony is that many spas unintentionally treat gift card clients as temporary passersby. They’re hopeful first-timers, yet they slip away almost unnoticed. And it usually comes down to a few predictable friction points:
Without clear guidance, even happy clients drift away. Life gets busy. Their wellness intentions get pushed aside. They don’t dislike the spa; they simply lose the thread.
Another part of the picture is decision fatigue. After enjoying their service, many clients think about returning, but without a path laid out for them, the thought fades. It’s very rarely hostility that stops them — it’s lack of direction. And direction is exactly what spas can offer when they handle the journey intentionally.
Segmentation is one of the most underrated tools in spa membership marketing. When a guest books or checks in using a spa e-gift card, they should immediately enter a dedicated CRM pathway.
Some helpful segments include:
Segmentation allows spas to create messages that feel personal. And according to Zenoti’s psychology of loyalty research, personalization is tied to stronger spending and repeat visits.
Even small touches, like referencing the treatment type or therapist, help clients feel seen. When they feel seen, they feel naturally more connected.
This also sets the stage for automation that doesn’t feel automated: messages timed to their wellness needs, reminders that align with their goals, and nudges that make sense based on their behavior.
Understanding how a guest arrived is only part of the equation. According to Kaitie Firm, Senior Customer Success Manager at Zenoti, what matters just as much is understanding why they came, and what mindset they arrived with. That context shapes how spas should market to them, follow up, and guide them toward something more than a one-time gift card redemption.
When spas recognize these differences, they can move guests beyond the mindset of “I only came in because I had a gift card” and toward a relationship that feels intentional and personal.
If the first visit is handled thoughtfully, gift card clients don’t feel like “gift card clients” — they feel like returning guests. And the best place to start creating that sense of belonging, and securing the best appointment, is to do the following.
A short but genuine conversation at the start sets the tone. Providers can ask:
These don’t feel like a script; they feel like care.
During the treatment, therapists often identify patterns — chronic tension, dehydration, congestion, sensitivity. When they share these observations softly and naturally, the guest begins to grasp the advantage of consistency.
This isn’t selling. It’s education.
Many spas lose the client’s momentum at checkout. But a seamless handoff — warm, brief, and aligned — keeps the energy intact.
One of the most influential moments in the guest journey is how a return visit is introduced. Instead of waiting until checkout to ask, “Do you want to rebook?”, high-performing teams invite guests back with clarity and intention.
For some first-time guests, including gift card recipients, this conversation can even happen during the service itself. Kaitie Firm, a Senior Customer Success Manager at Zenoti, partners with salon and spa operators to build sustainable growth through better guest experiences, recommends this approach:
“While this may feel aggressive to some teams, many guests actually appreciate a seamless, efficient experience — especially when the recommendation is grounded in what the provider is observing in real time.” explains Firm.
By the time the guest reaches the front desk, the return visit already feels like the natural next step, rather than a decision they still have to make.
Once a rebook is clearly established, membership becomes a continuation, not a leap. This is where value-based language matters.
Membership works best when it’s positioned as a way to support the cadence already discussed.
“I recommend our monthly plan based on what we discussed. Our team member can tell you more at the desk.”
For many guests, this signals continuity. Someone is paying attention to their needs, and the spa already has a plan in place.
When the front desk echoes the same supportive tone, the visit feels cohesive, and membership feels helpful rather than sales-driven.
“Providing concrete next steps matters. Whether it’s a suggested booking timeframe, a specific service plan, or a recommended cadence, clarity helps guests visualize what ongoing care looks like.”
— Kaitie Firm, Senior Customer Success Manager, Zenoti
A plan can be successful for nearly every type of service guest — from massage and waxing to facials and nails — because it removes uncertainty and replaces it with confidence.
Here’s what tends to work best:
“You released a lot of tension in your shoulders today. Most people with similar patterns feel their best when they come monthly or biweekly. Our membership makes that easy.”
“Your skin loved today’s treatment. A monthly facial helps maintain that. And our membership includes a complimentary enhancement each month.”
These aren’t hard sells; they’re value conversations.
Gift card clients rarely rebook unless someone initiates the process for them. A simple layered approach like the one below works best:
24–48 hours
5–7 days
Zenoti’s 2025 Loyalty Gap Survey shows that personalized outreach — including thoughtful post-visit communication — is rated by guests as one of the most effective retention strategies.
14–21 days
This timeframe is ideal for sharing helpful content — stretches for massage clients, skincare tips for facial clients. These don’t push a sale; they reinforce that you remember the guest and care about their wellness journey.
30 days
Whether they used their gift card for a massage or facial, you can customize the message to fit the service. The goal isn’t pressure, it’s partnership.
Advanced software helps maintain consistent follow-up during this period, so engagement doesn’t drop, and conversion opportunities aren’t missed. Leverage tools like Zenoti’s AI-powered marketing and segmenting to automate targeted outreach.
Long-term success comes from creating simple, attractive pathways, such as:
These options support spa recurring revenue strategies while helping clients stay consistent with their self-care.
Zenoti’s membership tools automate billing, usage, perks, and renewals, making it easy for teams to manage and even easier for clients to understand.
Automations can act like a soft, invisible concierge.
Examples of this are:
Timely communication boosts spa client retention. But the magic happens when automation feels personal. For example:
“You mentioned that working long hours tightens your shoulders — this follow-up will help keep that tension away.”
That’s the kind of message that feels human, not automated.
“Thoughtful product recommendations extend the relationship beyond the service and create a natural reason to follow up and once the guest is using the product at home. ”
— Kaitie Firm, Senior Customer Success Manager, Zenoti
Dr. Sara Allen, founder of the Skin Clique, coaches her providers to fully focus on the individual in front of them and go the extra mile to show how much they truly care.
This includes what she calls “obsessive follow-up" — reaching out multiple times after a service: within 48 hours, at 7 days, and again at 2 weeks.
Why? Because the care you show after a service signals to clients that they’re more than just a transaction. That’s what builds emotional loyalty. These post-service touchpoints also open the door for early intervention if a client has concerns, which prevents small issues from becoming big complaints.
Read more:Delight and multiply: 7 ways to turn customer satisfaction into growth – from the experts
These are the metrics that matter:
This data tells the story of what’s working, and where small adjustments can create big results.
Loyalty data notes that 42% of loyal clients bring in about 80% of a spa's revenue. Those guests don’t become loyal automatically. They usually stick around because the experience feels personal, consistent, and tailored to them. Personalization is a key driver of emotional connection, which is what keeps people coming back instead of treating the spa like a one-off stop.
Even a small boost in retention can make a big difference. According to Faster Capital, improving customer retention by just 5% can boost your profits by 25% — a notable return for such a modest change. So, it simply makes financial sense to focus on the people already in front of you.
That’s why gift card guests matter. They arrive curious and halfway there. And adding a bit of personalization can turn that single visit into the start of a long-term relationship.
Another key aspect of your post-holiday spa marketing? The booking experience.
Zenoti’s booking trends reveal:
This directly impacts your ability to turn spa gift card users into members after the holiday rush.
Gift card redeemers didn’t choose your spa initially, so their tolerance for inconvenience is low. Your booking system must be:
This kind of frictionless booking experience can become a major conversion lever for you when first-time guests start pouring in.
Gen Z is quickly becoming a core wellness demographic. Zenoti’s Gen Z Playbook data shows:
If your membership, booking, and communication pathways are aligned with Gen Z expectations, you’re well positioned to capture long-term loyalty among your youngest clientele.
When spas combine segmentation, humanized consultation, natural scripting, thoughtful follow-up, warm automation, and frictionless booking, something remarkable happens:
Gift card guests, who once felt like seasonal passersby, become the heart of your growing membership base.
Their openness, curiosity, and first-visit experience create fertile ground for loyalty. And when you guide them with care, transparency, and a little structure, membership stops feeling like a pitch and instead becomes the natural extension of their wellness journey.
Find out how Zenoti can help support every step of membership recruitment and retention.
Written by
Melanie Fourie, Guest Writer
Melanie Fourie is the founder and CEO of a business magazine showcasing global industry trailblazers. She's also a journalist, editor, and content strategist with over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. An acclaimed top website content creator, Melanie has built a reputation as a brand aficionado.
Learn more about Melanie Fourie
Reviewed by
Cheryl Cole, Managing Editor
Cheryl uses her background in journalism to help brands bring their unique stories to life. Passionate about content strategy, she has extensive experience leading both print and digital publications. As managing editor of The Check-In, Cheryl is committed to providing wellness professionals with high-quality, tailored content designed to help grow their brands.
Learn more about Cheryl Cole
