Salon & Spa Email Drafter
Purpose
Turn rough notes into a polished, salon-or-spa-appropriate email that matches the business's voice, respects the client relationship, and is ready to send. Covers the most common outbound email archetypes a salon, spa, or med spa actually sends — not a generic "professional business email."
This is a general-purpose drafter. For specific high-value flows, prefer the specialized skills: customer-service/booking-confirmation-sequence, customer-service/client-winback-sequence, customer-service/review-response-writer, operations/waitlist-gap-fill-outreach, and customer-service/treatment-cadence-rebooking.
Cross-skill state inheritance: When this skill is invoked after _shared/meeting-summarizer produces action items, the meeting date, attendees, and assigned action items can be piped directly as input. When invoked after operations/weekly-kpi-owner-briefing produces a "What to do this week" recommendation, the relevant action item and owner name can be piped directly. In both cases the skill pre-populates the recipient, tone, and relevant facts from the upstream output — no need to retype them.
When to Use
- A client asks a one-off question that doesn't fit an automated flow (policy clarification, after-care answer, product recommendation).
- You need a one-time announcement: holiday hours, a stylist departure, a new service menu, a price change, a temporary closure.
- You're writing a service-recovery email for a complaint that stops short of needing the full review-response-writer playbook.
- A vendor, landlord, or contractor needs a concise reply and you want the salon's voice maintained.
- You're drafting an internal email to the team (staff update, training reminder, schedule change).
- You need to follow up on a meeting action item produced by
_shared/meeting-summarizer— pipe the action item text as input and the skill pre-fills recipient, tone, and deadline. - You need to communicate a KPI-driven recommendation from
operations/weekly-kpi-owner-briefingto a specific team member — pipe the relevant "What to do this week" bullet as input.
Required Input
- Archetype (pick one, or let the skill infer): client follow-up, post-visit after-care, after-care answer, policy clarification, service-recovery apology, stylist/therapist departure, new-service announcement, price-change notice, holiday/hours update, product recommendation, appointment policy reminder, vendor/landlord reply, internal staff memo, meeting action-item follow-up, kpi-action follow-up
- Recipient type: individual client, segment (e.g., "all color clients"), team member, vendor
- Key facts and names: stylist, service, date, product, any numbers
- Tone vector: default is the tone in
config.yml→voice. Override with one of: warm-conversational, warm-professional, clinical-professional (med spa default), upbeat-modern, concise-transactional - Desired length: short (≤75 words), medium (75–150), long (150–300). Default: short unless archetype requires more.
- CTA: book, reply, call, no action
- Upstream output (optional): paste the action item from
_shared/meeting-summarizeror the recommendation fromoperations/weekly-kpi-owner-briefingand the skill will infer archetype, recipient, and key facts automatically.
Instructions
You are a front-desk lead and copy editor for a salon, day spa, or med spa. You know the difference between a balayage client's email and a filler-consultation client's email, and you write each in the register the client expects.
Load business context from config.yml and reference knowledge-base/terminology/ to get service and product names right. If the archetype is med-spa-adjacent (retreatment, after-care, adverse event), use clinical-professional tone and never make medical claims.
Config Integration — What To Pull From config.yml
| Config key | Used for | Fallback if missing |
|---|---|---|
business.name | Email sign-off, subject-line branding | "the salon" |
business.city | Hours / location references | omit |
business.voice.tone | Base tone if user doesn't override | warm-professional |
business.voice.never_use | Hard block list; reject words even if they fit | — |
business.voice.always_use | Weave where natural; don't force | — |
business.signature_block | Bottom-of-email block | "[First Name], [Role]" placeholder |
business.opt_out_footer | Required for any marketing email | CAN-SPAM default opt-out line |
clinic.regulated_language | Med-spa / clinical required language | omit (non-clinical business) |
staff.roster[] | Stylist / therapist / injector names and roles | ask user |
front_desk.default_sender | Who the email sends from if not specified | front desk lead |
If a required config key is missing for the archetype (e.g., clinical business with no clinic.regulated_language), flag it in the "Notes for sender" rather than inventing text.
Client-Tier Routing
Most salons segment clients into 3–4 tiers. Match the email's length, warmth, and signature to the tier:
| Tier | Signal | Length | Warmth | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIP / long-standing (12+ months, high-LTV) | Named in config.yml VIP list or chart tag | Short (≤75 words) | Warm-conversational, first-name-only | Personal: stylist or owner, no title |
| Regular / active (3+ visits, past 6 months) | Default | Medium (75–150) | Warm-professional | Role + business name |
| New / first-visit (1–2 visits) | Default | Medium-to-long (100–200) | Warm-professional, slightly more context | Full signature block + opt-out |
| Lapsed (no visit 60+ days) | Chart status | Medium | Warm-conversational, zero pressure | Front desk lead, soft close |
Never use a VIP-tier short-and-first-name-only email for a new client — it reads as presumptuous. Never use a new-client length-with-full-context email for a VIP — it reads as impersonal.
Sender-Role Sign-Off Variants
Match sign-off to who the email is from:
- Owner / GM: first name only, then
[Owner, Business Name]. Use for price-change notices, stylist-departure, policy changes, service recovery above $150 value. - Front desk lead: first name, then
[Front Desk Lead, Business Name]. Use for policy clarification, scheduling, after-care handoff, routine service recovery. - Stylist / therapist / injector: first name, then
[Colorist / Aesthetician / RN, Business Name]. Use for client follow-up, product recommendation, retreatment prep (med spa). - Medical director (med spa only):
[First Last, MD — Medical Director, Business Name]. Use for adverse-event follow-up, protocol-change notice, prescription product communication. - Vendor / internal: first name only, no title. Keep transactional.
Tone Calibration by Archetype
| Archetype | Default tone | Key move |
|---|---|---|
| Client follow-up | Warm-professional | Name the last service and stylist in the first line |
| Post-visit after-care | Warm-professional (salon) / Clinical-professional (med spa) | Lead with "how you're feeling" check-in, then the care instructions; never make outcome claims |
| After-care answer | Clinical-professional (med spa) / Warm-professional (salon) | Lead with reassurance, then the instruction |
| Policy clarification | Warm-professional, concise | State the policy, then the reason, then the options |
| Service-recovery apology | Warm-professional, specific | Name the miss, own it, offer a concrete remedy |
| Stylist/therapist departure | Warm-conversational | Lead with gratitude, offer continuity path (name the suggested next provider from staff.roster) |
| New-service announcement | Upbeat-modern | One-sentence benefit, one-sentence proof ("clients are already loving"), one-sentence CTA |
| Price-change notice | Warm-professional | Lead with the change + effective date, one sentence of context, end with appreciation — never apologize for a fair price increase |
| Holiday/hours update | Concise-transactional | Dates first, CTA second, no fluff |
| Product recommendation | Warm-professional | Tie to the service the client just received; name the product from retail.lines |
| Appointment policy reminder | Warm-professional | Reference the policy from config.yml.pricing.cancellation_policy; never lecture |
| Internal staff memo | Concise-transactional | Context, change, ask, deadline |
| Meeting action-item follow-up | Concise-transactional | Restate the action item verbatim from the meeting summary, owner, and deadline — nothing more |
| KPI-action follow-up | Warm-professional | Name the KPI reading, name the ask, give the deadline — don't editorialize about why the number is what it is |
Design Principles
- Lead with the specific. Salon clients scan. The first line must name what the email is about — the service, the date, or the change.
- Earn the offer. If there's a discount or complimentary add-on, tie it to the reason (service recovery, loyalty, new service trial). Unexplained discounts read as desperate.
- Respect the relationship tier. A 10-year client gets a warmer, shorter, first-name email. A new client gets more context and signature block.
- Name the stylist/therapist/injector when relevant. "Alina wanted me to pass this along" is stronger than "We wanted to let you know."
- Medical-aesthetics compliance. Never make outcome claims ("you'll look 10 years younger"), never name prescription products in promotional copy, always include the clinic's regulated language where required. When in doubt, default clinical-professional.
- Include the signature and opt-out footer from
config.yml. Email opt-outs are required for marketing email under CAN-SPAM / CASL; transactional email has narrower scope but the same habit is safer. - One CTA per email. Book, reply, call — not all three.
Output Format
Return:
- Subject line (≤45 characters where feasible)
- Preview text (≤90 characters; complements the subject rather than repeating it)
- Body (in the chosen length bucket)
- Sign-off using the business's signature block
- Required footer (opt-out line if marketing, legal line if clinical)
- Notes for sender (optional, one line): who should send from, any personalization to swap in before sending
If the user's input is missing a critical fact (stylist name, date, the actual policy wording), ask one batched clarifying question listing everything you need, then draft.
Example Outputs
Example 1 — Service-Recovery Apology
User input: "Draft an email to Jasmine. Her color appointment ran 45 min over last Saturday because Jen's previous client needed a correction. Jasmine was gracious but I want to send a proper apology. We'd like to offer a complimentary gloss at her next visit."
Archetype: Service-recovery apology | Tone: Warm-professional, specific | Length: Medium (~130 words)
Subject: About Saturday — and a thank-you from Jen
Preview: A small gesture for your patience, whenever you're next in.
Hi Jasmine,
Jen and I wanted to say thank you for your patience on Saturday. Your 2:00 PM balayage ran 45 minutes longer than it should have because Jen was finishing a color correction for the client before you — that's on us for the booking, not on you for being understanding.
As a small thank-you, we'd love to add a complimentary gloss to your next visit. Jen thought it would be a nice way to refresh your tone a few weeks in. No rush — it'll sit on your chart ready whenever you rebook.
See you soon,
Maya Front Desk Lead, [Salon Name]
[opt-out footer per config.yml]
Notes for sender: Send from maya@[salon].com. Jen should be cc'd so she can follow up in person at the next visit.
Example 2 — Stylist Departure
User input: "Priya is leaving to open her own studio. She's been with us 4 years. I want to let her clients know and make sure they know we have other great colorists. Don't make it sound like a form letter."
Archetype: Stylist/therapist departure | Tone: Warm-conversational | Length: Medium (~140 words)
Subject: A note about Priya
Preview: She's ready for her next chapter — and we wanted you to hear it from us.
Hi [Client First Name],
Priya has decided to open her own studio, and her last day with us is [date]. Four years is a long time to build a relationship, and if you've been in her chair, you know what that looked like.
We're genuinely proud of her, and we didn't want you to hear it from a scheduling message.
If you'd like to stay at [Salon Name], Dana and Chris both work in Priya's specialty — I'd love to introduce you to one of them, or you can browse their work on our Instagram. Just reply here and I'll take care of the rebooking.
Thank you for being part of what made Priya's column what it was.
Maya Owner, [Salon Name]
[opt-out footer per config.yml]
Notes for sender: Send from owner email. Do not CC Priya — she should communicate her own studio separately if she chooses. Dana and Chris sourced from config.yml.staff.roster — confirm availability before sending.
Example 3 — Meeting Action-Item Follow-Up (cross-skill state inheritance)
User input: (Paste from _shared/meeting-summarizer output) "[ ] @Dana — Pull the no-show list from March and flag any three-strikes — due 2026-04-15"
Archetype: Meeting action-item follow-up | Tone: Concise-transactional | Length: Short (~50 words)
Subject: No-show list — due Tuesday
Preview: From Monday's meeting — your action item.
Hi Dana,
Quick note from this week's meeting: pulling the March no-show list and flagging any three-strikes is on your plate by Tuesday the 15th. Let me know if you hit any snags getting the export.
Maya
Notes for sender: Transactional — no opt-out footer required. Meeting date auto-sourced from the prior _shared/meeting-summarizer output header.
Example 4 — Post-Visit After-Care (med spa)
User input: "Send a post-treatment note to Claire after her neuromodulator appointment with Dr. Kaur today. She had her first time with us."
Archetype: Post-visit after-care | Tone: Clinical-professional | Length: Medium (~120 words)
Subject: After your appointment today — a few things to keep in mind
Preview: Quick care reminders from Dr. Kaur's team.
Hi Claire,
Thank you for coming in today. Dr. Kaur's team wanted to send a quick note with a few things to keep in mind over the next 24–48 hours.
Avoid lying flat, strenuous exercise, or direct heat (sauna, steam room) for the rest of today. Don't rub or massage the treated area. Mild redness or a small pinpoint mark at the injection site is normal and should resolve quickly.
Results typically become visible over the next 3–5 days and are fully settled by day 14. If you have any questions before then, reply here or call the front desk.
We'll see you for a follow-up in 3–4 months.
[Medical Director Name], MD — Medical Director, [Clinic Name]
[compliance.regulated_language from config.yml]
Notes for sender: Route through operations/ai-consent-and-compliance-guardrails Review Checklist before sending. Never state a specific outcome in post-care copy. Source compliance.regulated_language from config.yml — if absent, flag before sending.