TALKBACK katie barnes • assistant editor • health club management
everyone’s talking about . . .
member rewards
Should we reward members for coming to the gym on a regular basis? If so, what kind of
incentives and schemes should be offered – and should this include subsidised memberships?
T
o encourage regular activity, month in which people will be given a the non-incentive control group...
health club operators might £1 Asda shopping voucher for every The promise of simply being healthier
consider following the pound in weight they lose (see below). doesn’t work for many people, but
example of the weight-loss Health specialist Mike Adams fl ashing some cash seems to work
industry, which is getting people to recently wrote about the proven relatively well to incentivise their
shed pounds through different rewards. effectiveness of fi nancial incentives weight-loss efforts.”
In Australia, for example, overweight on
NaturalNews.com. He said: “In While weight loss might not be
bus drivers have half of their Weight a [newly-published] study involving the right target to set for health club
Watchers bill paid by the state 57 subjects, half were rewarded with members – it’s been argued that this
government; the union is now thinking a lottery prize if they achieved the could be potentially dangerous, and
about paying them to work out too. weight-loss goal (16 pounds). The other isn’t in any case the goal of every
Closer to home, the UK fi tness half were asked to make a substantial member – the notion could be adapted
camp FitFarms is rewarding those cash deposit (several hundred dollars) for the fi tness industry. But if this is
who lose half a stone during one of its which they would forfeit if they failed indeed the way to get more people
programmes with £100. to lose the 16 pounds. more active in the future, just what
Meanwhile, Basildon Council in “The results? The incentive group kind of schemes could be offered? We
Essex will launch a pilot scheme this lost about four pounds more than ask some experts for their opinions.
SHOULD WE OFFER AN EXTRA INCENTIVE TO GET PEOPLE MOVING? EMAIL US:
HEALTHCLUB@LEISUREMEDIA.COM
john kersh david stalker
vice-president of international development • anytime fitness chief operating officer • fitness industry association
“P
rospective members decide
whether to join a club based on “I
n our world, where retention is
the Holy Grail, it’s not the nature
several factors, including price, location, or the value of the incentive which
the club atmosphere and operating improves retention, but the fact that the
hours. But tell them that they can earn club manager and his/her team is actively
US$20 a month if they actually use engaged with their members.
the club on a regular basis and they’ll A few years ago, LA Fitness piloted
respond: ‘Where do I sign?’ a concept called Promise – a results-
In partnership with dozens of health led, no music, no mirrors proposition
benefit providers, we’re paying over 100,000 of our 700,000 which promised to refund members’ money if they did not
members US$20 each month if they exercise a minimum of 12 meet their objectives. Apparently they never made a refund
times a month. The reimbursements are wildly popular. They and retention was more than 90 per cent.
appeal to new members and are a good retention tool. Ahead of its time, Promise was designed specifically for the
Lowering membership fees might encourage some people 30 per cent of the population who do not exercise at all and
to join a club, but it won’t incentivise them to use it. Human who are referred to as the ‘hard to reach’. They were not hard
nature is such that most people hate to miss a free opportunity. to reach: we just tried to sell them cabbages, when what they
Our members tell us that they love getting paid to exercise. really wanted to buy were apples.
The money gets them into the gym. The fitness results they Supporting and rewarding members who have a clear
then achieve keep them coming back. If you want members to and realistic understanding of what they want from exercise
develop a genuine loyalty towards your club, then give them and/or their gym has enormous long-term benefits for the
multiple reasons to visit on a frequent basis. Reward them for gym manager/owner. We therefore have to challenge our
their visits. They’ll see that exercise has its own rewards, and model and really try to get to grips with what our members
you’ll have a member for life.
”
want from us.
”
30 Read Health Club Management online september 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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