Hand & Stone innovates with customer rewards

The art of massage has been practiced since ancient times, but that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t ready for innovation. Case in point: Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa’s new rewards program.

Launched in January, Hand & Stone Rewards is billed as the industry’s first nationwide member rewards program. What’s more, the company also launched an accompanying mobile app members can use to book appointments and more.

“We decided to launch Hand & Stone Rewards so that, in addition to great service, we could give back to our members and show them how much we value their experience with us,” Todd Leff, president and CEO of Hand & Stone, said in a statement. “We put a great emphasis on quality and loyalty. The member rewards program is a great way to show our appreciation to our guests.”

Consumers big fans of rewards programs
Hand & Stone’s new rewards program could be a game-changer for the massage industry. Data shows such initiatives can pay off big in terms of customer loyalty and satisfaction for businesses, but rewards programs have traditionally been limited to restaurants and retailers.

A brand loyalty report from analytics company ClickFox found that 63 percent of consumers do not feel companies are doing enough to reward their loyalty. Meanwhile, more than half of survey respondents said they would consider increasing the amount of business they do with a company in return for loyalty rewards. Forty-six percent said they had spent more in the past because of rewards programs.

Taking the massage experience mobile
Besides its rewards program, Hand & Stone is also branching out with its mobile app. In addition to scheduling appointments, app users will also be able to view past services, access account information and tally up the rewards points they’ve accrued so far.

These efforts are in keeping with Hand & Stone’s mission to differentiate itself from traditional spas.