STUDIO NOIR

Private · Master Plan · v1.0
STUDIO NOIRHOSPITALITY SOPS

STUDIO NOIR · Hospitality SOPs

Moment-by-moment staff protocols. Written so anyone stepping into a shift can execute at the STUDIO NOIR standard.

Phase 1 SOPs are lighter because the team is smaller (Taj + Tia + Studio Manager + 2-3 contract instructors). Phase 2 flagship expands into full hotel-style SOPs.

Phase 1 roles that touch every member visit

  1. Greeter at the door (Phase 1: Taj, Tia, Studio Manager, or the incoming class instructor)
  2. Class instructor (delivery of the practice)
  3. Studio Manager (behind-the-scenes admin, occasional in-person)

Plus for escalation: 4. Trill (member issues that need founder authority, VIP handling) 5. Taj (final authority, brand-critical situations)

Phase 1 dress code

  • Taj + Tia: signature palette (Black Noir, Espresso, Warm Taupe, Soft Cream, Champagne Gold). Editorial casual. No logos.
  • Studio Manager: matte black or Soft Cream, understated. Small STUDIO NOIR lapel pin (brass tone).
  • Contract Instructors: black STUDIO NOIR training kit, own choice of top within brand palette. No visible outside brand logos on the studio floor.

No tattoo policing. STUDIO NOIR hires for hospitality soul first.

The 8 non-negotiable Phase 1 member touchpoints per visit

  1. Greeting by name at the door (within 3 seconds of member arriving)
  2. Drink offer at the door (prosecco / cucumber-citrus water / mint tea)
  3. Personalized note (class saved, favorite instructor teaching, or similar detail)
  4. Instructor greeting on class entry (by name, standing near door of studio)
  5. Music tuned to the class
  6. Post-class stretch time honored (studio stays open 20 min after last class)
  7. Departure farewell (by name, warm not rushed)
  8. Follow-up email within 24 hours if member had a first visit or a milestone

Missed touchpoints = conversation with whoever was on shift.

The greeting bank (Phase 1 scripts)

Staff have a bank of greetings to draw from. Not memorized robotically. Modulated to member energy.

At the door: - “[Name], welcome back.” - “[Name], good to see you.” - “Welcome. Everything is ready for you.” - “[Name], morning.” (before 10 AM) - “[Name], evening.” (after 5 PM)

Drink offer: - “[Name], prosecco to start? Or mint tea?” - “[Name], glad you’re here. What can I bring you?” - “[Name], we’ve got you on the 6:45. Prosecco?”

Instructor at class entry: - “[Name], glad to have you.” - “[Name], welcome. Your spot?” - “Good to see you today, [Name].”

Departure: - “[Name], see you Thursday?” - “[Name], easy rest tonight.” - “[Name], safe travels back.” - “[Name], come back and see me.” (only from Taj / Tia, warm not romantic)

What we NEVER say: - “Have a great day!” (empty) - “How can I help you?” (transactional) - “Do you have a reservation?” (assumes cold) - “That’ll be $X.” (money isn’t announced; billing runs through Mariana Tek automatically) - “Any questions?” (defensive) - “Enjoy your workout!” (gym language)

Name recognition system (Phase 1)

The Phase 1 member base (~60 members) is small enough to memorize.

System: - Simple spreadsheet or Airtable base with: photo (from social or waitlist form), first name, preferred greeting name, drink preference, favorite class, one personal detail (spouse’s name, work, hometown) - Pre-class briefing (5 minutes before every class): whoever’s greeting reviews who’s booked, notes any first-timers or milestone members - Monthly review by Trill and Studio Manager: any members we’ve been slow on recognizing?

By month 3 of a member’s tenure, every touchpoint knows them without checking notes. This is easier at 60 members than at 600.

Phase 2 expands this into a full CRM (Mariana Tek CRM + custom fields, or migrate to Mindbody Enterprise).

VIP protocol (Phase 1)

STUDIO NOIR may get occasional celebrity or athlete member interest even Phase 1 (Trill’s network makes this likely). Protocol:

  • Marked in profile with a discretion flag
  • Trill briefed in advance of visit
  • Taj or Trill personally greets during the visit if available
  • Preferred instructor confirmed if attending a class
  • No staff photos, ever, without member’s explicit repeated ask
  • No mention outside the direct service circle
  • Media reference to a VIP’s STUDIO NOIR visit = investigation

Phase 2 adds a private entrance and full VIP protocol infrastructure.

Amenity miss recovery script

When a member is disappointed (drink wrong, class starts late, instructor swapped last-minute):

  1. Acknowledge without excuse. “You’re right, that’s not what we should have done.”
  2. Fix in real time. Redo the drink, adjust the class booking, ensure the correction happens now.
  3. Deliver a small remedy. House drink comped for next visit, free class credit, an invitation to the next event, whatever fits.
  4. Log it. Incident + member impact reviewed by Trill weekly.
  5. Never over-apologize. One acknowledgment, one fix, one small remedy. Not five apologies.

Phase 1 remedy authority: - Any staff (Studio Manager, instructor): up to $50 (comp’d class, small gift) - Taj / Trill: any amount

Phase 2 will formalize this into a full authority ladder ($500 for staff, $1,000 for shift leads, $2,000 for Director MX, $5,000 for GM).

Complaint SLAs (Phase 1)

  • In-visit complaint: resolved before member leaves. No exceptions.
  • Email complaint: acknowledged within 24 hours. Resolved within 72.
  • Serious complaint (safety, discrimination, harassment): acknowledged within 4 hours. Trill personally responds. Resolution or plan within 72 hours.

Language and behavior standards

  • Members are addressed by first name after their first visit. Some may prefer last name; capture in profile.
  • Members are never asked personal questions unprompted. (“Where do you work?” is off-limits. Members volunteer.)
  • Staff do not date members. Written into any contract (contract instructor agreement, Studio Manager agreement).
  • Members do not tip staff. Service is included in the membership. Attempted tips politely refused and returned.
  • Cell phone use by staff on floor: silenced, in pocket, for member profile lookup only. No personal use in front of members.

Pre-shift huddle (Phase 1)

Every class day starts with a 5-minute huddle (whoever’s on shift, in person or on a quick call):

  1. Any operational issues (last 24h) — 1 min
  2. Who’s booked for classes today, notes on any VIPs or first-timers — 2 min
  3. Any milestone members (birthday, anniversary, first class after a break) — 1 min
  4. Product / amenity notes (prosecco stock, small merch drop) — 1 min

Post-class log (Phase 1)

Every class instructor sends a short written note to Studio Manager after their last class: - Class fill count - Any member interactions of note (positive or negative) - Any equipment or facility issues

Studio Manager compiles weekly and sends to Trill. Trill reviews Monday. Any issues get raised with Taj at the first Monday cash + operations review.

Weekly review cadence (Phase 1)

  • Monday: Trill reviews prior week logs, member notes, and cash position with Taj
  • Wednesday: Studio Manager checks in with lead instructor
  • First Sunday of month: Taj drops in for a class or event and asks 3 members for feedback

What breaks the standard and how we recover

Three most common Phase 1 breakdowns:

  1. Contract instructor doesn’t know a member’s name. Recovery: Trill or Taj covers gracefully, then coaches the instructor privately after class.
  2. Instructor is late. Recovery: Studio Manager or Taj apologizes personally + comps drink + gets the class started. Corrective: 3-strike policy for instructors.
  3. Amenity out of stock (prosecco, water). Recovery: honest acknowledgment + best alternative. Corrective: reorder cadence review.

The standard is high. The recovery is honest. Together they define STUDIO NOIR hospitality.

Phase 2 SOPs (preserved for reference, rebuilt in 2028)

Phase 2 SOPs are more elaborate:

  • Full concierge stand staffing with 2-3 rotating concierges + concierge leads
  • Doorman position (hospitality-first, not security)
  • Locker room attendants with amenity restocking, hand towel warming, curated display maintenance
  • Pre-shift huddle (10 minutes, GM-led): operational issues, VIP arrivals, first-time visitors, milestones, product notes, one brand vignette
  • Post-shift log written by shift lead, reviewed by GM Monday and Director MX Tuesday
  • Full authority ladder for remedy spend ($500 staff, $1,000 shift lead, $2,000 Director MX, $5,000 GM)
  • Full complaint SLA (in-visit: resolved; app/email: 4 hours to acknowledge, 48 to resolve; serious: 1 hour to acknowledge)
  • Weekly review cadence: GM Monday all logs; Tuesday full staff huddle with recognition + private coaching; Wednesday Director MX 1:1 with each shift lead; Friday GM + Head of Programming review KPIs; Sunday founder review

Full Phase 2 SOPs rebuilt in 2028 alongside the GM hiring plan.