Something in the world of floating have you stumped?
Show Highlights
So we’ve already talked about trying to set the perfect temperature in a float tank, now listen to Graham and Ashkahn talk about how they deal with complaints from customers about it at Float On.
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Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)
Graham: And today’s question is “how do you handle temperature complaints in your float tanks?”
Ashkahn: The friggin’ temperature complaint are-
Graham: Yeah, and we-
Ashkahn: Okay. Getting me all riled up over here!
Graham: We do have an episode where we talk about how to actually try to get the perfect temperature in the float rooms, things like that. So we won’t concentrate on that so much. Just like, once someone’s come out of their float and complained, what do you do?
Ashkahn: So it’s just frustrating, because it’s like it’s just the most frequent complaint you’re gonna get. It’s just because it’s hard. It’s just really hard to maintain temperature perfectly.
Graham: And if it’s not the most frequent complaint you get, you’re really doing something else very wrong. Like listen to those other complaints very closely.
Ashkahn: So I mean, you can try to fix it for their next float, is part of it, right? And most people are satisfied with that. You’re saying “Hey, you know” … All your scheduling software has a way for you to put notes somewhere. So putting a note onto someone’s account saying “Hey, this person likes it a little bit warmer, or a little bit colder,” letting the customer know that you did that. “Hey, I put a note on your account and next time you come in, we’ll turn the temperature up for you a little bit.” 90% of the time, that’s enough for them to be like “Okay, cool, yeah that sounds great. Next time I come, we’ll give it a go.”
Graham: And also along with that too, you know, if they really had a miserable experience. Like if they come out and they’re like “Man, I was shivering there the whole time,” or they get out early because the temperature was either too cold or too hot, or something like that, offering a free float is a really good way to get them back in, as well. So it’s kind of like it’s sort of like a one-two whammy of like “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll put a note on your account. The temperature will either be adjusted up or down next time you come in. And here’s a free float to come try that again. We just can’t get the temperature right for everyone. It’s just how our bodies work. We keep it at the average point for people, but everyday we still have people it’s just not their exact body temperature. So please come try it again on the house. It’ll be better then.” And that’s kind of … Again, for those cases where it did ruin their float because the temperature was so far off a good addition.
Ashkahn: And another thing that’s good to clarify that I found this question really useful when I started asking it was did they feel like the air was cold or the water was cold? Because often when you ask, they’ll know. They’ll be like “Oh, it was the air. The top of my body felt really cold.” And that helps you figure out hey, do I need to turn the air temperature up, or the water temperature? Or am I getting consistent complaints about one versus the other, and it helps you kind of adjust a little bit to cut those down.
Graham: For sure. And just as a little point of interest too, I found that especially for women, the air temperature seems to be more, what’s the word? Finicky, or you have to get it more precise for them to really feel comfortable. And I’m not sure if it’s just breasts being exposed and that being a little more sensitive on women than men, but they do seem to really be cued into that air temperature a lot more than men do, which I found interesting.
Ashkahn: Yeah, and at the end of the day, this whole thing is just so uncontrollable. It’s crazy. Someone will come in the next time and their body will be in different place and maybe they just ate, or maybe they just worked out, or maybe it’s a different time of day and they’ll just be running at a different temperature. So despite your best efforts, there’s only so much you can do that will actually make the temperature perfect for everybody.
Graham: Yeah, for sure. What else … I guess, the other side of this is sometimes it’s actually hard to get complaints out of people as well.
Ashkahn: Yeah.
Graham: So finding multiple ways to try and solicit those … And again, usually it’s a complaint about temperature. But a lot of people get out and they’re like “Oh, maybe I just run a little …” It’s amazing how much guilt I think people carry around with them.
Ashkahn: They think they screwed it up.
Graham: The amount of floaters who get out and they were cold and they feel like it’s their fault, and so they don’t mention it is non-trivial. It’s actually a huge percentage of people.
Ashkahn: Yeah, we do like a feedback email. So if it’s gone three months and you haven’t floated after you came in and floated with us, you’ll get an automated email from us asking you for feedback and I’d say the most common thing we get back is someone saying “It was nice, but I felt a little bit cold, or I felt a little bit hot.”
Graham: Other than just incredibly positive feedback, which I’d say is the most common.
Ashkahn: Or like “I moved, that’s why I haven’t floated again.” We get some of those. But in terms of the complaints, that’s definitely the lion’s share of them. And these are people who I don’t think mentioned that to us after their floats. They didn’t come out and say that to the person working the front desk or anything. They just kind of sat there, went home, and then three months later, once they got this email, they’re like “Oh, this is why. I was just kind of uncomfortable in there.”
Graham: Yeah, so figuring out some way for collecting information that’s not just passive and relying and people coming out and complaining, whatever that is, I think is a good method to get to the bottom of this too. Is there anything else do we handle temperature complaints? Tell the person never to come back. “Get out of here, man. The temperature is the temperature.”
Ashkahn: It’s perfect. You’re the one who’s wrong. Yeah, I mean, just keeping a good eye on temperature, really trying to … We’re constantly testing and adjusting and listening to the feedback and stuff like that. That’s just part of the process in cutting down on the complaints in the first place.
Graham: Alright. Great question and as always, if you have questions of your own, don’t hesitate to send them in. Floattanksolutions.com/podcast.
Recent Podcast Episodes
Should Float Centers Tone Down Their Personality in Rural Areas? (Rise) – DSP 150
Another great conversation that came out of Rise. Graham and Ashkahn sat down with Russ, a local float center owner who is just about to open his doors. He wanted to talk to the guys about how best to present floating to a more rural and conservative area. Graham and Ashkahn have seen float centers from across the world in rural and metropolitan areas alike and share their take on how best to present floating to people who aren’t as exposed to other alternative wellness practices.
Customers Who Overstay Their Welcome (Rise) – DSP 149
Graham and Ashkahn sat down with Mark and Jennifer Gurley at Rise to talk about an issue that can seem scary for float center owners, especially those who haven’t worked in customer service. What do you do about the customer who takes advantage of your generosity and overstays their welcome? How far is too far? And what are the appropriate steps to take when you have someone who won’t respect your boundaries?
Graham and Ashkahn share their experiences from the handful of times it has happened at Float On over the years and how it’s worked out and compare notes with the Gurleys and their float center.
Should I Filter Tap Water When Filling My Tanks (Rise) – DSP 148
Graham and Ashkahn got cornered at Rise with a question from one of the attendees, a float center owner named Gina. And even though the event is over, it’d be a shame to not share this episode. They answer all her questions and concerns about municipal water systems and the levels of filtration that should be done when using water straight from the tap (which probably almost everybody does), they also talk about what you really need to worry about in your tap water.
How do you do All the Things? (Rise) – DSP 147
This episode from Rise comes at you recorded live with another very special guest, Rick from Float St. Louis. Not only does he work in a float center, he’s also releasing a float themed quarterly magazine called Third Wave Magazine. While he was a bit tight lipped about the magazine, his choice of question may speak to just how demanding it has been on him lately.
Listen to him chat with Graham and Ashkahn about how to do all the things and when doing too many things is too much.
Live at Rise Float Gathering! – DSP 146
Graham and Ashkahn are coming at you LIVE (well, recorded live) from the Rise Float Gathering! They managed to wrangle Jake and Kevin, the organizers of Rise and the founders of Float STL in St. Louis. Check out this episode where they talk about bath robes, hosting events, and just how amazing this industry is.
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