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How to train med spa staff across multiple locations

Maja Muzhdeka
August 4, 2025
Reviewed by: Teodor Jurukovski

Things change once your med spa business grows beyond a single front door.

What used to run smoothly under one roof now spans postcodes, new teams, and shifting client expectations.

Without consistent training, cracks show. Instructions get skipped, chart notes are incomplete, and policies start to blur between locations.

One-off handovers and rushed shadowing won’t cut it. What your team needs is a real system they can follow, whether they’re at your original clinic or the newest spot across town.

A clear training framework holds it all together. 

This guide walks you through how to build that framework. One that keeps your standards high, your team in sync, and your client experience reliably exceptional, no matter the location.

Why is it important to have a consistent training program across multiple locations

In a multi-location med spa, training isn’t optional. It’s what keeps your standards intact when you’re not physically present to oversee every consult, treatment, or client interaction.

The tricky part is that there’s no universal playbook. 

Most states don’t set hard rules on training. It’s usually up to the clinic owner or medical director to decide what counts as “qualified.” And let’s just say the bar can vary wildly.

As this American Med Spa Association article points out, high-quality training in a medical spa goes beyond a quick course. It involves hands-on learning, mentorship, and regular evaluation.

When done right, a consistent training program delivers:

✔️ High-quality, repeatable med spa services across every location

✔️ Fewer errors during medical procedures like microneedling or chemical peels

✔️ Stronger HIPAA compliance and safer healthcare delivery

✔️ Smoother onboarding for new staff members

✔️ Consistent patient experience, even as your team or service menu grows

Skip the structure, and sooner or later, your “signature experience” starts playing out like improv.

7 tips for training med spa staff across multiple locations

It’s easy to assume that running a couple of med spa locations is a world away from managing a full-blown franchise. And yes, the setup is different. But growing under one brand brings its own set of challenges.

You’re navigating different personalities, changing workflows, and daily decisions that shape how your brand is delivered. Without structure, consistency fades and mistakes creep in fast.

List of 7 med spa staff training tips for multiple locations

Source: Pabau

The tips ahead will help you train staff in a way that feels organized and ensure each location runs like an extension of your best work. Let’s break them down. ⬇️

1. Standardize services and protocols

There’s no room for winging it when you’re running multiple locations.

You need Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for medical aesthetics treatments, as well as for every step of the client journey. Think intake flows, consent forms, charting, front desk scripts, pre- and post-care instructions. Anything repeatable should follow a clear process.

As Taylor Siemens, NP-C, notes in her AmSpa article on patient safety:

Quote about aligning SOPs with medical director guidance by Taylor Siemens, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner.

Illustration: Pabau

And while plenty of clinics still rely on PDFs and pieced-together Google Docs, the right software can do the heavy lifting.

With Pabau’s all-in-one practice management software, you can:

✔️ Create custom intake forms for each service

✔️ Standardize how each service is delivered with built-in client pathways

✔️ Automate key steps like sending forms, reminders, and post-care instructions

✔️ Keep every location aligned with consistent treatment workflows

Get the process right and everything else gets easier. That includes training, delivery, and the kind of client experience that builds loyalty.

2. Customize training plans by role and location

Everyone on your team has a different job to do, so the training they get should reflect that. 

Front desk staff don’t need to understand how a chemical peel works. Injectors don’t need to learn your scheduling scripts. There’s no value in training people on tasks they’ll never touch.

Here’s how the focus shifts depending on the role:

Table of med spa roles, responsibilities, and training focus

Source: Pabau

And that’s only half of it. Where your clinic is located makes a difference, too.

Demographics can shift the entire dynamic. Age, income level, and even cultural preferences can shape everything from treatment demand to how much education your staff needs to offer during consults.

Then there’s compliance. State rules vary, sometimes a lot, and your training needs to account for that.

Note: In California, registered nurses and physician assistants can’t perform injectables or laser treatments without direct supervision from a physician or nurse practitioner. In contrast, Florida tends to allow more autonomy for trained professionals, depending on the procedure and clinic setup. Either way, your clinical team needs to be clear on what their license actually allows in your state.

When your training plans reflect both the role and the setting, your team walks in confident. They’re not bogged down with extras they’ll never use. Instead, they’re ready for what actually shows up on their schedule.

3. Centralize your training materials

Every staff member should know where to find the info they need. One shared hub keeps your training program clean, current, and easy to navigate, even as things evolve.

Here’s what goes in there:

  • Step-by-step guides for aesthetic treatments like Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and laser hair removal
  • Quick-reference checklists for skincare protocols and post-treatment care
  • Video demos for intake processes, follow-ups, and inventory handling
  • Shadowing schedules and refresher training timelines
  • Marketing how-tos covering referrals, pricing updates, and social media content

The easier it is to access, the faster your team gets aligned. That’s when things start running smoothly across every location.

4. Choose team members to lead training in each location

You don’t need a formal “Head of Training” title at every clinic.

You need someone who knows how things work on the floor. Someone who notices when a step gets skipped, a form goes unsigned, or a new hire is just nodding through a protocol they don’t fully get.

This person becomes the go-to. They guide onboarding, answer questions that fall outside the manual, and help keep your standards from drifting over time.

They also make sure your SOPs don’t just sit in a folder. If consent forms are getting missed or post-care isn’t being covered properly, they’ll spot it and step in before it becomes a bigger problem.

💡 Pro tip: It’s best not to throw scheduling chaos on your team leads. Their job is to train, not chase shift swaps. If staffing’s still a mess, this guide on multi-location scheduling shows you how to clean it up.

5. Provide software training

A new system might promise to streamline your entire workflow, but if your team is only shown where to click (not why it matters), you’ll still end up with missed notes, duplicated records, and front desk chaos.

Software training needs to go deeper than a login and a few how-tos. It’s about showing people how to use the system in the context of how your aesthetic practice runs.

That includes:

  • Booking the right service with the right provider
  • Recording treatments clearly and completely
  • Sending follow-ups without missing a step
  • Managing inventory properly so supplies don’t run low mid-treatment

Once your team’s comfortable in the system, they’re quicker, more accurate, and far less likely to call for backup every five minutes.

💡 Pro tip: If you’re looking for an example of what well-organized, role-based learning can look like, take Pabau (yep, that’s us). We offer:

👉 On-site training for clinics that want hands-on support

👉 Pabau Academy for flexible, self-paced learning

Because even the best tools fall flat without the training to back them up.

6. Implement shadowing and refresher training

There’s only so much a training manual can do. Some things need hands-on training to really land.

For example, watching a seasoned injector guide a nervous client through their first visit or seeing how the front desk handles a chaotic 5 p.m. rush teaches more than any checklist ever could.

And it’s not just theory. In a 2022 BMC Medical Education study, students who shadowed peers in clinical settings saw their job motivation scores jump from 25 to nearly 40. That’s a big shift on a 45-point scale.

Quote showing job motivation rise from 25 to 40 after clinical shadowing

Illustration: Pabau / Data: PubMed

Shadowing only works if there’s a plan behind it. Letting someone trail a team member without context usually turns into aimless observation. Instead of just winging it, here’s what helps:

✔️ Assign specific shifts instead of leaving it open-ended

✔️ Define what trainees should observe, like consult flow, skincare upsells, or consent handling

✔️ Leave space for questions and discussion while the experience is still fresh

Then layer in quarterly or bi-annual refreshers. They’re what keep new protocols top of mind, correct issues before they snowball and make sure your standards don’t fade over time.

7. Gather feedback and improve training programs consistently

Training isn’t something you set and forget.

What made sense last quarter might miss the mark today, especially if your team, tech, or service list keeps expanding (and let’s be honest, it probably will).

That’s where feedback earns its keep.

Ask your team what’s landing and what still feels unclear. New hires are especially helpful here. They’ll catch gaps your seasoned staff have quietly adapted to without realizing.

Keep an ear out for things like:

  • “It wasn’t clear where to find the post-care instructions.”
  • “I didn’t know how to escalate a client concern.”
  • “The skincare upsell process was different depending on who trained me.”

Those comments aren’t complaints. They’re the blueprint for fixing what’s murky before it causes trouble.

Client feedback matters too. If your reviews mention mixed messaging or rushed appointments, that’s not a staff issue. It’s a signal that the training needs attention.

Simplify your med spa procedures with Pabau

As your clinic expands, so does the need for structure.

Training, onboarding, client records, internal protocols… everything runs smoother when your team has the tools and knows exactly where to find them.

Pabau brings it all into one place so your team can:

✔️ Keep client records, forms, and treatment notes organised in one system

✔️ Follow standardised intake, consent, post-care, and treatment workflows

✔️ Use the iPad to complete each step of the client journey, from medical history to consent to before-and-after photos

✔️ Stick to the same process every time, with no gaps or second-guessing

Whether you’re hiring your fifth team member or opening your sixth clinic, Pabau helps keep your operations consistent, your team aligned, and your client experience reliable at every step.

Want to see it in action? Book a demo and find out how Pabau can simplify your training and set you up to scale.