Our registered business

Laurel Hub Consulting Pty Ltd is the official registered name of our practice. We were established in 2016 in Melbourne and have worked exclusively with client-facing service businesses across Victoria and interstate.

How we started

Founder Elena Vasquez spent twelve years managing operations for a regional physiotherapy group before noticing a pattern: clinical outcomes were strong, but client retention hinged on reception habits, wait-time communication, and follow-up calls that often never happened. She left operations in 2015 to study service design and began consulting independently the following year under the Laurel Hub name — chosen for the laurel wreath symbolising recognition, and “hub” reflecting the central role of the client interaction point in every service business.

What we believe

Customer experience in a service business is not a department — it is the sum of every person who faces a client. A physiotherapist can be excellent, but if the front desk cannot explain insurance rebates clearly, the client leaves confused. A hairdresser can be talented, but if the appointment reminder never arrives, the chair sits empty.

We believe improvement comes from observation, honest conversation, and standards that staff can actually follow — not from software dashboards or motivational posters.

Our team

Elena Vasquez, founder

Elena Vasquez

Founder & Lead Consultant

Elena leads journey audits and standards workshops. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Service Design from RMIT and has mapped client journeys for over 40 Australian service businesses.

Marcus Chen, senior coach

Marcus Chen

Senior Front-Line Coach

Marcus delivers coaching programmes for hospitality and personal care teams. He previously managed front-of-house operations for a Melbourne restaurant group.

Sonia Patel, associate consultant

Sonia Patel

Associate Consultant

Sonia specialises in health and wellness settings — dental, allied health, and skin clinics. She trained as an occupational therapist before moving into consulting.

Working with us

We are direct, practical, and respectful of your team’s time. Engagements are scoped clearly before work begins, and we communicate in plain language — no jargon, no inflated promises. Most of our clients come through referral from other business owners who have seen the difference in their reception area.

Get in touch to discuss your business.