STARS AND SAVVIES He continues: “Fit n Fast members who know what they’re doing can still work out on their own, but for those who are new to exercise – and about 50 per cent of our members fall into that category – we deliver pre-packaged, supervised 30-minute sessions. We have the Quickie Express, the Quickie Circuit, the Quickie Cycle, and we’ve just introduced Quickie Boxing. “With new exercisers, although they
claim not to have time, often it’s simply that they’re intimidated. All members are not created equal. There are millions of people out there who’ve never exercised, or who maybe joined a gym 10 years ago and went three times before leaving. We’re very focused on these people, and we call them our ‘Star’ members. We’re recruiting older instructors and delivering exercise in bite-sized pieces to try and get these people comfortable. That’s really the key. “Our other members – the
experienced gym-goers – we call ‘Savvy’ members. For them, the choice is simply
‘which product do I buy?’ But for a Star, the decision is: ‘Do I actually buy this product or service, or do I go back to sitting in front of the TV?’ When we identify that someone’s a Star, they get a
march 2011 © cybertrek 2011
whole different talk, a different tour, a different orientation.” Interestingly then, although de
Leede claims that Fit n Fast is a model where service has been cut out, in fact members get a very respectable level of attention even within their budget membership fee: initial orientation where required, plus Quickie Circuits and Quickie Cycle classes (30-minute group cycling sessions) run at set times throughout the day and supervised by an instructor. Personal training and small group training sessions, such as boxing, cost extra. However, de Leede insists: “I think
the whole concept of selling high service is a bit misplaced. If people drop out, everybody says we need to service better. But I don’t know what service equates to. Is it a smiling receptionist? Because one day they’ll smile and the next day they won’t. I think actually what people want is convenience and value. “I use the analogy of a ski resort. You
pay for access to the slopes and then you have three choices: either your friend teaches you how to ski, or you pay for a private lesson, or you pay for a group lesson. Just because you paid to get on the mountain, doesn’t mean you’re entitled to free instruction.
Selling the sizzle: Fit n Fast sites have “a lot of vibe and energy”, while still being comfortable for new exercisers
“In our clubs, what you’re paying
for is right of entry. You may get an induction upfront, but don’t expect to get continuous instruction included in the membership. We don’t have an army of instructors on the gym fl oor. That’s the reason why a lot of clubs fail: their staffi ng costs are too high. In my mind, if you want specifi c instruction – if you want personalised service – you pay for it. And I think that’s where our industry has gone off the tracks a bit.”
WORD OF MOUTH Basic membership at Fit n Fast costs A$6.95 a week, or A$9.95 including extras such as reciprocal membership, food and beverage discounts, and a free guest pass for every visit. There’s also a quarterly ‘membership upkeep fee’ of A$9.95, which guarantees the member’s dues will never increase. Around 60 per cent of members sign
up to the higher priced package, with the free guest passes the key driver.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 27
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