Professional Spa & Wellness North speaker Q&A: Madeleine Raynel

Madeleine Raynel, head of supply at Wahanda, on why she's speaking about Managing online reviews to grow your reputation at Professional Spa & Wellness North on September 20

What made you want to speak on the topic of Managing online reviews to grow your reputation?
Our partners often see reviews as something they should be worried about. In reality; they are a powerful tool with which to interact with your customers and ensure you remain aware of your online reputation, while gathering and acting on valuable feedback

How good would you say that spas and salons are, in general, at understanding the importance of online reviews and responding to them in an appropriate way?
Of course it varies, but we work closely with our partners to show them the importance of monitoring reviews and responding to them. We also encourage them to reply to negative comments, as this shows that they care and are working to resolve any issues. Our advice is always to respond positively and calmly and, where possible, to take the dialogue offline.

What do you plan to cover in your presentation?
I will not only cover the importance of reviews and how to respond to them, but also how to actively use reviews to grow your business.

What do you hope delegates will take away from the session?
There are some basic yet vitally important tools that everyone can utilise to grow their business and boost efficiency. I hope that I will be able to share a couple of tips that will encourage people to embrace, and not be put off by, the online world.

What do you think are the most important elements that industry events such as Professional Spa & Wellness North add?
Industry events are a great chance to step away from the busy spa/salon environment and give time to learning about the experiences others have had, to hear new ideas and to see if and how they could work in their own business.

Which other conferences sessions are you particularly looking forward to?
I think the social media session will be interesting as lots of us use Facebook, Instagram etc on personal level, but don’t know how to approach it for business.

Managing online reviews to grow your reputation session is at Professional Spa & Wellness North at 3pm on Sunday September 20
To view the full programme, or book a pass to Professional Spa & Wellness North, taking place as part of Professional Beauty North at the Manchester Central exhibition centre on September 20-21, click here