It's no secret that spas struggle with retail, while follow-up calls after a visit are practically unheard of.

However, with a reported 76 per cent of customers repurchasing its products, the US-based skincare brand Skin Authority seems to have made a breakthrough.

Skin Authority, which sells its products through spas and plastic surgery clinics, has a call centre with 15 skincare coaches - trained and licensed estheticians - who offer free advice to customers, even those who aren't already advocates of the brand.

In addition, when customers visit a Skin Authority spa partner, they can opt-in to a home care programme where the coaches contact them to offer advice on products purchased and the results they should be seeing. Details: www.skinauthority.com