Whidbey Island spa features exclusive brand partnerships, advanced certifications and word-of-mouth to speak to their credibility.
Any business can claim to be the most experienced or most client-focused, but how can customers tell if it’s true?
We’ve used Whidbey Island’s The Seaside Spa and Salon as a case study to see how asking these three questions can reveal the true values of any business.
1. Who are their friends?
You can tell a lot about a business by the company they keep. A quick scan through the brand partners and product lists in the boutique at The Seaside Spa and Salon (which offers a selection of clothing, home decor and spa products) gives you a good sense of their quality standards, along with their professional brand partners who are considered market leaders in the salon and spa industry.
“All of the brands we carry are thoughtfully chosen. Every single partner brand is either woman-owned, minority-owned or veteran-owned,” says owner Aaron Wiley. “Each one gives a portion of their proceeds to a good cause, from supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking to animal welfare and the environment. Social and environmental issues are extremely important to us as a salon company.”
For some brands, the spa also goes through an extensive interview process, just to gain permission to sell those products — adding further credibility.
2. What’s are their qualifications?
Looking at a business’s certifications is another way to assess the quality of their service.
“Businesses need to be constantly learning, just to stay relevant. I was just at a conference about elevating the client experience, getting new ideas and up-to-date guidance on what matters to consumers and employees,” she says.
You can tell a lot about The Seaside Spa and Salon based on the services they offer, and the advanced education required to offer them. They’re the only salon north of Seattle offering MicroLines hair restoration, a service similar to hair extensions that combines a client’s natural hair with handmade human hair to cover bald or thinning areas. The salon is also Green Circle Certified, which means they recycle up to 95 percent of their beauty waste.
“We collect everything from unused hair color to used foils, wax strips, cotton balls and cut hair, and ship it all to a recycling facility in Spokane. Some of it is converted into clean energy, and some of it is turned into new products. Cut hair is actually very effective at cleaning oil spills, and it can be turned into bio-composite plastic. Some of the trash cans in our salon are made from it.”
3. What do their customers say?
Reviews can be a great way to assess a business. Recommendations from neighbors and friends is another.
“As soon as clients experience our services, they stick with us. They tell their friends, and that creates a chain reaction. We set the bar really high and offer an elevated level of consistency to our clients, on top of the continuous training we need to stay inspired to do our best for them every day. Whidbey has been incredibly supportive of our business since the day we opened. I’m very grateful for our clients who support us, notice how hard we work, and make it possible for Seaside to exist,” Wiley says.
The Seaside Spa and Salon is hiring! Learn more at seasidespaandsalon.com/careers.html. Find Seaside Spa – Coupeville at 5 NW Front Street, (360)678-0508. Find Seaside Spa – North at 830 SE Bayshore Dr., Oak Harbor, (360)679-4477. Learn more about their wide range of services at seasidespaandsalon.com and keep up to date with the latest news on Facebook and Instagram.
The Seaside Salon and Spa is Green Circle Certified, which means that almost all of their salon waste is recycled.
