Making It Easy

When a member wants to cancel his or her membership due to financial hardship, does your club make it easy, or hard?

It seems like common sense: If a client is having trouble paying, give them a break and they’ll be more likely to return as customers when the going is good again.

So why are huge chains like LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness making it so tough for members to quit?

It’s easy to chalk it up to the impersonal “service” members get at big box clubs vs. the personal touch they get at small independent facilities — each client means more to them, so they work harder to keep not only their business, but their favor.

But is it really so black and white? I hate to think so.

Pick! Your! Spin!

Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the first-ever game of Pick Your Spin! Today’s topic is how to use the recent study on caffeine and muscle pain to your club’s advantage without falling victim to the undesirable effects of poorly chosen spin.

In today’s game we’re picking the perfect article to post on the bulletin board in hopes it inspires members to take a regular pre-workout trip to the coffee bar.

We’re generous folks at the FM Blog, so let’s start off with a “gimmie” to get things going. The actual study is out of play due to its snooze-inducing title: “Effect of Caffeine on Quadriceps Muscle Pain During Acute Cycling Exercise in Low Versus High Caffeine Consumers.” Sorry, scientists.

Now grab your wheel, players, and get ready to Pick! Your! Spin!

The losers: Surprisingly, some big names are big losers in our little contest. Scientific American is a reputable source, but its headline has the “p” word: Pain. Same with a number of other outlets. Do you really want to emphasize that working out can hurt? We didn’t think so.

The runner-up: The obscure Twirlit makes an impressive showing with its article titled “Better Workout? Drink Caffeine.” It’s unlikely that any of your members are regular Twirlit readers, but the headline doesn’t mention pain so its obscurity could be outweighed by its message.

The winner: The New York Times! Its headline — "It’s Time To Make A Coffee Run" — is pure spin magic. The source is respected and has instant name recognition. Print this article, blow it up and make sure your members see it.

Thanks for joining us in the FM Blog’s first game of Pick Your Spin. We hope you had fun and encourage you to play at home.

A New Idea

I’ve never liked people who criticize someone without offering their own ideas for a solution. It’s counterproductive and, on some level, cowardly.

Last week I said believe Planet Fitness’ low-priced membership strategy may cause long-term harm to the industry. Whether I agree with it or not, it is a valid attempt by a successful business to find a solution for a problem every club is facing: getting more customers in an economic crisis. And, in the spirit of my statement above, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer another possible solution for clubs looking to lower prices without devaluing their services.

Here is my idea:*

Forget the “Pay as You Go” membership model. What about “Pay as you DON’T Go”?

Clubs want to build loyalty, right? You want your clients to build fitness into their routines, value the services they receive at the club, want to spend time there. Why not reward them for doing exactly that?

Say each club visit is worth $5. You establish an “ideal” visit rate of three times per week, averaging out to $60 per month. So, the member’s base fee is $15 per week. If they go once a week, knock $5 off their dues. Twice a week, knock off $10. Three times per week, and that week is free. Your members are saving money by working out at your club.

And while these sensible members are at your club, sell, sell, sell. Sell personal training sessions, sell smoothies, sell weight gloves, sell private Pilates lessons. Sell the heck out of everything you’ve got without being too aggressive or annoying.

If you employ this model, you’re obviously taking a risk. What if members do exactly what you want them to and come to the club like clockwork? Perhaps you could establish a base fee, and the $5 per visit is on top of that. What if members stop by on their way to the grocery store, swipe their card at the front desk and count it as a workout? Perhaps you could require members to swipe in and swipe out, with a minimum visit length of 20 minutes. Problems will pop up, but so will solutions.

Now’s your chance to tell me why you think this idea won’t work — or why it will. The comments are open.

*Whether you love it or hate it, I promise this is my own idea. I thought of it at my dining room table while nursing an epic Easter head cold. However, if another club has already come up with a similar idea, please let us know in the comments section.

The Dollar Dilemma

Have you heard? Planet Fitness has devalued the fitness industry lowered its dues to an offensive amazing $1 sign-up fee and $10 monthly dues with no commitment requirements! Isn’t that awful great?

It’s not like I didn’t expect this. Businesses lower prices to compete. But even if this means Planet Fitness can keep its lights on for another month or so, what does it mean for the industry after the economy rights itself?

Will the fitness industry end up like the airline industry? Airfare wars have driven prices so low that I wonder how long it takes before somebody offers to pay me to fly, instead of the other way around.

A $10-per-month price-tag is ridiculous. I can’t see how this lowball strategy will help the industry in the long run.

What am I missing? How can this possibly be a good idea? I seek enlightenment in the FM Blog’s comments section …