No matter how good your club and staff are, you are going to receive complaints. Once you receive a complaint you have two objectives:

1. Tactical response: contact the complaining member(s).
2. Strategic response: look internally for root causes before taking actions.

Here’s a very common example:

TACTICAL RESPONSE
Member: “Most of your staff is great, but your trainers will only talk to you if they’re paid. They seem arrogant.”

The wrong response: “Our trainers are excellent at their jobs and focus on their clients….Have you tried working with a trainer?”
Member heard: “You’re wrong and we are not about to change anything.”

The correct answer is too say: “Thank you, for your input. I am sorry for your negative experience. We will be discussing what we can do to remedy this. I will personally let you know what actions we are taking.”
Member heard: “Your input is appreciated.  Thank you!“

STRATEGIC RESPONSE
To the discover the root cause the trainers were brought into a meeting and were showed all 15 negative comments specific to trainers (with the members blacked out). The 45 positive once were kept separately. When asked  “why” and “how” the trainers were very defensive, but the root cause was revealed. The issue:  trainer compensation. Immediate changes were made and all negative comments vanished.

Another Tip: Surveying is a great way for getting hints to problems before they turn into major complaints. Doing these quarterly will help you design your business around the customer experience and ultimately satisfy your customers. The most important thing in handling complaints is to keep your cool, listen and respond appropriately.

Your members will appreciate!

Cheers,
Matt Z.

Source: http://digital-edition.clubindustry.com/?iid=6af19aa8

Why do members really quit? Is it because of standing on the same old treadmill watching the same old television? What can we do to avoid boring our members?
The study Why People Quit, published by IHRSA in 1998, cites reasons people quit their clubs that we’ve all heard before: can’t afford it, it’s overcrowded, new demands on one’s time, inconvenient location and lost interest or motivation. If someone wants out, these excuses are as good as any. One great way to help keep members longer is to develop a personal relationship with the member to help motivate them to make it their priority to find time to exercise at YOUR club!

Key is ‘creating constant opportunities for contact and interaction between the club and members on a daily basis.
Here are some tips:

1. Member Appreciation Month – Each day during this month, put out large bowls of complimentary fruit, hand out free bottled water, and create fun events that grab members’ attention. Hold special activities at the sports/juice bar, such as a Happy Hour every Thursday from 6-7pm with free drinks and snacks. Barter with a local disc jockey for in-club music during this time. Consider offering free one-on-one or semi-private group training for every member who wants to try it (this results in more training business during the following month).
2. Announce Adding or Replacing old Equipment – It’s all a matter of presentation. New pieces can be presented as a gift to members for their loyal support. But don’t just buy the equipment – announce it to your members through your iGo Figure Software Welcome Screen, a large sign, ribbon or anything else you can think of. Everyone will notice that you care for your members and share the appreciation.
3. Group Exercise, Weigh Management Programs, Personal Training – Motivation can work wonders and it is a lot easier to create this in a group. Seeing others doing the same exercise and looking great shows your members that your club is right for them. Don’t forget to mix it up and offer different or even additional classes like a boot camp for the summer. It’s easy to track them with the iGo Figure Member Management Software as well as providing their results and achievements.
4. Open 24/7 – Anyone can be available 24/7 with a Door Access System. Systems like the iGo Figure Door Access do not require any additional staffing, because members simply scan their card and your doors open automatically. Your members will appreciate the extra hours you are there for them and no longer use time as an excuse to quit.

Start creating an environment in which every member is touched every day. Do this, and a higher retention rate is practically guaranteed.

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=18576

In times of recession “Service Means Survival”, but keep in mind the difference between customer satisfaction and loyalty is significant:
Member Satisfaction means meeting a member’s expectations and the member does not feel valued. There is no memorable “WOW” experience. As a result the member will be more price sensitive and consider competitors’ offerings. Member Loyalty  means exceeding member expectations and he/ she does feel valued. Delivering a memorable experience that WOW’s the member. As a result the member will be a long-term customer, less concerned with price.

How do you drive a Member Loyalty-Centric Corporate Culture?

1. It must start with an unwavering commitment by club ownership and senior management.
2. Hire people who have an ingrained passion for serving people exceptionally well.
3. Develop and train all staff who interact with members on “best practices” based on members’ wants, not the club’s convenience. Everything that impacts a member experience. Ask “What would WOW me?” When did you receive exceptional customer service – How did it make you feel? How did it affect your shopping habits at that store? How many people did you share it with?
4. Don’t allow staff to use the word “policy,” as 99% of the time upon hearing that word, a member knows he/ she is about to be given an excuse as to why his/ her need will not be met. Train employees on how to innovatively problem-solve to say yes vs. giving excuses for saying no.
5. Coach staff to view angry members as an opportunity to convert them to members for life: teach them how to use “mirroring” to diffuse anger, then go the extra mile to exceed their expectations.
6. Ask for examples of “memorable experiences” and “exceeding member expectations” at every staff meeting. Hold employees accountable for achieving them, and give rewards to those who do.
7. Don’t cut expenses that negatively impact quality service delivery for short-term financial gain. That will cost the company much more in lost revenues and profits over the long term.

Reasons to implement a Member Loyalty-Centric Corporate Culture?

1. It’s far less expensive to keep a member than acquire a new one.
2. Positive word of mouth by loyal members generate far more new members than cold calling and other lead generation efforts – and it’s free.
3. A negative member experience will be told to at least 10 people (oftentimes many more), resulting in potential lost new members; and
4. The lifetime $ sales value (“LSV”) of a loyal member can be as much as 20 years and in addition the cumulative LSV of all new members he/ she refers.

You can start by writing a short “Congrats” or “Great hair cut” message to individual members. Simply utilize the Member Welcome Screen in the iGo Figure Software.
It will put a smile on your member’s face, when they see that you remembered. Never forget, member retention is key!

It’s all about the way people feel when they walk into your club – happy, comfortable, special.

Get started today!

Cheers,
Matt Z.

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=21029

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Cheers,

Matt Z

Usually we think it is lack of time or money for not joining a health club, but there are more prevalent factors.
Identifying and monitoring these will help you retain more members:

1. Fear of pain
2. Fear of embarrassment
3. Fear of not being able to achieve their goals

Here are some suggestions for successfully addressing these potential roadblocks to membership:

1. Pain. Negative emotions have a greater impact on us. Therefore, we are more likely to run from pain than confront it. A good sales person recognizes this fear factor at membership sign up and he can skillfully educate the prospect that exercise doesn’t need to be a painful experience. Help your members to overcome their reservations by tracking their results. This will not only boost a member’s self esteem, but also establish trust in your club. The iGo Figure Software allows you to easily monitor a member’s progress and gives you tools to demonstrate their results.

2. Embarrassment. As a new member you always feel like everyone is in better shape around you. Remember that especially new members take little steps! Make a member feel special and encourage them to continue by sharing tips, tricks and emotional support. Greet your members with a daily personalized message when they sign in through the iGo Figure Welcome Screen. It really motivates and shows that you care.

3. Goals. The sales and personal training departments must maintain a close relationship and effective communication to assist members in achieving their goals. At the point of sale, the salesperson should have already clearly identified the new member’s goals and explained to her why the club is the ideal choice in helping her achieve the results she desires.

Let us help you achieve your and your members goals!

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Source: http://clubindustry.com/stepbystep/retention/0201-inside-new-member/