Define dormancy for your spa
Dormant does not mean the same thing to every spa. A client who comes monthly and misses two visits is drifting; someone who last booked a year ago is a different case. Set your own thresholds: one window for clients who used to come often, another for those who booked rarely or tried the spa once. Write the rule down so the team applies it the same way and the list does not swing between staff. When dormancy is defined, the win-back stops being a guess and becomes a list you can work through calmly.
Choose one honest reason to reach out
The fastest way to lose a lapsed client is a hollow greeting that says nothing. Pick a real reason instead: a treatment they used to book has room in the calendar, the therapist they liked has open times, or the spa has added a service that suits what they came for. One reason per message is enough. If the text tries to say four things, none of them lands, and the client files it with the rest of the noise.
Write the first message
Keep it short and free of pressure. Name the spa, refer to the client by name, and give the one reason you chose. Leave out guilt and countdown language; a lapsed client does not owe the spa an explanation. Offer a simple next step, such as a reply to book or a link to a time, and stop there. The goal of the first message is a reply, not a booking, so do not overload it.
Make replying effortless
A two-way reply path is what turns a win-back into a visit. Let the client answer with a word or two and have the team or the system turn that into a booking. If they ask for a different time, offer two options rather than making them search. When a client replies and nothing happens quickly, the win-back fails at the last step, so route replies to someone who can act on them.
Re-enter them gently
When a dormant client books again, treat the return as a fresh start. Confirm the visit, send the reminder, and after the treatment offer the next slot while the experience is fresh. Do not immediately add them to every campaign; ease them back into the regular rhythm first. A client who feels welcomed back instead of chased will settle into the schedule again on their own.
Keep the list honest and compliant
Update the record when someone books, opts out, or moves away so the dormant list stays accurate. Send within reasonable hours, respect quiet times, and honour stop requests right away. Under Canadian anti-spam rules each message should identify the spa and offer a clear way to opt out, with consent recorded. A tidy, consented list is what makes a win-back worth running.
Elevoi answers calls, books appointments, and sends SMS follow-ups, so a dormant client who replies is handled even when the desk is busy. Run the messages through the wider SMS marketing for salons plan, with an AI receptionist for massage spas ready for the calls the campaign prompts.