January is a big month for most fitness centers — a busy time when people join with the best of intentions. During these critical first few months of the year, don’t blow it for everyone else in the industry by using hard sell tactics or ignoring members once they hand over their money.
It is no secret that the fitness industry doesn’t have the best reputation among consumers. People can feel ignored, confused or embarrassed as new members, or cheated when they have a problem with their membership. Remember that Friends episode when Ross tried to quit his gym and they wouldn’t let him? The industry’s reputation precedes you.
The Better Business Bureau ranks consumer complaints by category. The category “Health Clubs” was in the top-25 of U.S. businesses that had the most complaints in 2006 — out of almost 4,000. (In Canada, Health Clubs ranked No. 7!) Health Clubs was also one of the categories that received the most requests from consumers who were looking for reputable companies (in the top 100 of categories requested). Again, people are weary about joining (and they’re doing their homework).
With so many new people coming into your fitness center this January, make them feel welcome not only into your facility, but to the fitness industry as a whole. Get to know new members, ask them how their workouts are going, create a clean and welcoming environment, take complaints seriously, and be up-front and professional about your membership contracts, initiation fees and dues.
People don’t like to feel like they were tricked into doing something, or to find out that someone else got a better deal for the same products and services. Fitness centers, like used car dealerships, have the reputation for “hard selling,” and then leaving the customer out in the cold after the deal is made. We all need to help change this image. When the new year comes around, let’s make new members feel welcome and wanted, and not just one more sucker who helps pay your monthly utility bill.
3 comments:
Great article.
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I have been to too many workshops on "retention". They don't work. Let's face it, on the whole, Americans are lazy and eat too much. They watch infomercials and think there is a quick fix for everything. Join in January out by March/April. I guess it's our fault they didn't get the body they were hoping for. Look, keep your place clean, keep the equipment running well, help the new member as best you can. That's all you can do. Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New year
The industry has a long way to go to overcome the stigma of perfect people go to the gym. You can't pay the bills if you limit your club to the perfect people. When will the industry catch up to the market place? I own a nitch club serving over 40 unfit and many overweight clients. We have attended industry CEC training only to discover the teachers were not very fat friendly. When asked how to determine if an overweight client is in neutral position for strength training, the instructor told the questioner to send the overweight member to the treadmill until they lose weight. Thank goodness for the Biggest Loser program, maybe the industry will see that overweight members need strength training and maybe clubs need to teach the hard bodies how to train and turn the marshmellows into hard bodies. Maybe the time has come to convert personal trainers into regular employees and get them out on the training floor assisting everyone. Reduce club quiters by showing them how to get results. Charge a higher membership fee and include basic assistance how's that for customer service?
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