AT Rest, no two treatments are ever the same. 'Different customers that walk in will have different problems, but even the returning customers will not have the requirements each time they come back,' says Jessica Loo, the principal consultant at the one month old day spa located at the basement of Palais Renaissance. 'The question is: how do we make sure that our treatments can address this issue?'

The solution that they came up with is a simple but effective one - customisation - which they achieved in two ways.

Firstly, a remarkably extensive treatment menu was developed for the spa. From a treatment as specific as a golf massage, to dedicated post-laser facials to face and body treatments created especially for teenagers, there will be pretty much something for everyone even though this means more work and education for the therapist.

Secondly, each treatment, be it for face or body, can and will be tweaked to suit each patron after an assessment which Ms Loo believes is Rest's biggest selling point.

'For example, a customer that walks in may request our Star Light Star Bright facial ($168) to brighten up their dull skin,' she explains. 'However, we might also notice that this patient has exceptionally bad dark circles so we might tweak the treatment by throwing in an extra eye serum into the mix or focus a bit more time massaging the eye area, all without additional charge.'

She insists that this is an important mantra for Rest because the place aims to be known as a problem solver: 'I'd like our customers to be able to walk in and say, 'This is my problem, how can you help me?' I don't think we'd be able to do that if we simply adhere to a cookie cutter model with regard to our treatments.

'Yes, there will people we won't be able to help in-house - such as those with chronic back problems who are better off seeing a chiropractor - but at the very least, we will do our job and guide them in the right direction. If you want to learn how to massage, we can organise lessons for you as well.'

While the proof is always in the pudding, it seems that the people at Rest do stick to this mantra even when it comes to the therapists themselves.

Although the Aromatherapy Botanical Body Massage ($138) was recommended as a base treatment for my sleep and stress related problems, the ingredients that went into the massage oil were handpicked and blended to target these issues. Furthermore, I was impressed when, upon noticing that I had a big bruise on my left shin, the therapist immediately suggested she do a lymphatic draining massage on my left leg to expedite its healing.

'All our therapists are trained to look out for these little details,' points out Ms Loo with pride.

As for the facial, I tried the Medi-Detox Facial ($238) that is said to help detoxify and promote elastic and healthy skin but an extra boost of Vit-C Serum (Vitamin C) was also added into the mix to plump up my skin. An eye cream designed to reduce the puffiness around the eye area was also applied which went a long way toward helping me look much fresher.

To up the ante on other spas in Singapore, Ms Loo reveals that all facials at Rest utilise a massage technique created by a physiologist that is not only relaxing but designed to help one's skin remain taut and firm.

Taking the idea of customisation one step further, Ms Loo adds that as far as possible, Rest will try to provide the best therapist for each job. This means that those who specialise in face therapy will usually only do facials and likewise for body therapists.

She concludes: 'I don't believe that anybody is perfect. Any therapist that goes for a course will be able to do basic facials and some types of body massage but some will be better with the former and others the latter but they are seldom if ever very good at both.

'Which is why, if possible, we will try to switch between therapists even when a client comes in to do both face and body treatments. Though this is more hassle for us, it will definitely mean better results for the customers, which is what Rest is all about.

Rest
Palais Renaissance, #B1-07
Tel 6836-1863

This article was first published in The Business Times