interview
to tick. And the attitude is: wouldn’t it
be great if members didn’t come in,
because they get in the way of me ticking
all these boxes and doing all the things I
have to do to make sure I’m compliant
with health and safety and so on.
“So we’re simplifying what we do,
taking out a lot of the reasons why our
staff can’t get on the gym fl oor. Anything
they’re doing that means they’re tucked
away in the offi ce, we’ll ask why, and if
there’s no real reason, we’ll remove it.
“It’s also about getting the right
balance between competence and
behaviour in our staff. REPs is about a This year alone, LA Fitness will refurbish about 20 clubs as part of a £3m brand refresh
technical skillset, and that’s important
– we need standards – but a technical to the gym – but we can care about being clubs, the Crown Sports clubs we
skillset doesn’t necessarily mean great their conscience and trying to make sure acquired a few years ago. It doesn’t have
customer service. You can teach people that they do. Because all our members the consistency I’d like.
technical knowledge. You can’t teach come in for a reason – they all have a “There will always be local variances of
them to want to talk to people. goal – and we’re going to be looking at course, to cater for local demographics,
“So how we recruit, where we how we truly embrace those goals. but it’s a balance between capturing
recruit – that’s all changing. TAG, for “But to create more time for members, those nuances, making sure they’re right
example – the apprenticeship scheme you have to create more time for for the marketplace, and keeping the
for youngsters from challenging staff – coaching them, developing them, brand’s energy and integrity.
backgrounds – gave us an opportunity creating career paths – and that’s the “We’ve already refurbished our
to bring new blood into the business. second prong of our new approach. I Piccadilly club in central London, and it’s
We’ve got some real gems in there: don’t think you’ll ever create good clean, it’s crisp, it has a bit of attitude.
people who really know how to chat to member retention unless you create In the swimming pool for example, the
members. They’re fantastic. good staff retention, and I think that’s an mural on the wall says: ‘Butterfl y. Go on,
“But it’s also up to us to change the issue in the industry as a whole. I dare you!’ And, as you enter the club,
way we work. Our staff come to us with “So we’re creating stepping-stones, you get to the bottom of the stairs and
lots of energy, wanting to help people setting out career paths. Our regions it says: ‘That’s the hard bit over’. We
with their fi tness, but they’re often given are now smaller, with a lot of ownership haven’t changed everything in the club,
a sales job. We’re pulling all the fun and within them. I want people to feel they but it has bags of energy.
energy out of the industry. own the business, and to feel that there “We’ve also refurbished Muswell Hill –
“So energy and a real desire to want are opportunities to progress. the fi rst residential club we’ve done, as
to talk to people, and to help them, will “It’s also a case of making sure staff well as being an ex-Crown Sports club.
be at the forefront of our staffi ng going know what a good job looks like. You The challenge has been to extract the
forward. You have to care. We can’t sell can give them a job description with elements from Piccadilly that will work
someone a 12-month journey and only all sorts of boxes to tick, but I’d rather in Muswell Hill while still maintaining a
input into the fi rst three or four weeks. have a job description that says ‘your job commonality between the two.
We have to create a business that makes is to make sure the members are happy’. “Now, going forward, I think we have
a genuine attempt to ensure a member That’s empowerment.” a good idea of the template for both our
gets value throughout the period of their city and our residential clubs.
membership. They may choose not to brand identity “All in all, I don’t think there’s a single
take that – we can’t force them to come “We’re also refurbishing about 20 of our stone the new management team and
clubs as part of this project. We need to I have left unturned in looking at our
revitalise the facilities a bit, accentuating business, asking ourselves: Is it right?
the energy and the passion that exists Should we change it? When do we
within the business. change it? How do we change it? How
“It’s also a clean-up and a re- can we change the perception of LA
presentation of the LA Fitness brand. Fitness? Refurbishment is part of that,
If you look around our clubs at the but mostly it’s changing the way we
moment, there are remnants of three operate. Ultimately, this is a people
or four different campaigns run by the business. If you don’t get the people bit
business over a number of years. right, then you’ve got nowhere to go.”
“LA Fitness can also, at present, be a
Irreverent signs at the Piccadilly club different brand as you move around the kate cracknell
help engage with the target market country – the city clubs, the residential
healthclub@leisuremedia.com
34 Read Health Club Management online september 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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