| IHRSA Report | Club Advisor
Telltale Signs You Don’t Care
By Patricia Amend
What message are you communicating, silently, to members? When they visit your club, do they get the impression that you’re focused intently on your business, that you’re seriously committed to meeting their needs and wants? Or do certain things about your club sug- gest that, in fact, you just don’t care. The following is a short list of items that club operators, consultants, and members say give your true feelings away.
A worn-out, unkempt look: If your cardio equipment is old and the data displays don’t work properly; if the vinyl is ripped on your strength-training machines; if your fitness-floor carpeting is frayed—then it’s clear you don’t care about upkeep, says Tom Kulp, the chief motivational officer at The Universal Club, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “Club cleanliness is also a part of that, and people pick up on it. You’re giving the impression that you’re not devoted to the business or to them.”
Broken equipment: “I’ve told the manager about the music system on the Arc Trainer, my favorite machine, a number of times,” says a young woman who belongs to a club that’s part of an East Coast chain. “It crackles when I try to use it, which is really frustrating. The manager has promised to take care of it, but hasn’t done anything yet.” Equipment breakdowns are commonplace, but
some operators are slow to fix problems or, even, to acknowledge them, admits Skye Kaiss, the director of operations for two Gold’s Gyms in Regina, Saskatchewan. “If a member comes in and sees a broken treadmill, and you don’t say, or seem to be doing, anything about it, they’ll think that you’re a poor operator. If, however, you let them know when it’s going to be fixed, they’ll think you’re on top of your game.” To handle equipment issues, Kaiss has developed
his own software program, Club Vitals, to record equip- ment purchase data, report problems to maintenance personnel, and track maintenance and repair progress.
Inattentive, robotic staff: “I’ve belonged to many clubs over the years,” says a middle-aged man who’s now a member of a club in the Southwest. “Inattentive service
is a complaint that I’ve had at many of them. Clubs do a fantastic job of recruiting new members. But after you’ve joined and completed the initial orientation, the attention wanes, and your appreciation of the club experience fades. Simple interactions—for instance, a receptionist who welcomes me—would make a big difference … And then there’s the gym floor—trainers are forever walking around, but they never offer assis- tance. They could easily build rapport with members by offering exercise tips and answering questions.”
Poor employee relations: “There are lots of mistakes you can make with your employees,” observes Will Phillips, the founder of REX Roundtables for Executives, based in Quincy, Massachusetts. “You can demonstrate that you don’t care by spending little time at the club. You can neglect to acknowledge or listen to staffers when you’re there. You can simply issue orders and then blame them when things aren’t done or aren’t done properly. Behavior like this can cause negative feelings that members will eventually pick up on.”
Overcharging: Clubs also frustrate members financially, points out Stephen Tharrett, the president of Club Industry Consulting, Inc., in Highland Village, Texas. “Some charge for services that are supposed to be included in a membership. Others keep billing for dues following cancellation,” he points out. “I’ve been a member for years, and want to upgrade
my membership,” for-examples our East Coast source. “Yet, they want to charge me $50 and have me sign a one-year contract—they didn’t do that the last time I upgraded. I’m not convinced theywant my business!—|
– Patricia Amend,
PAmend@aol.com www.
ihrsa.org | SEPTEMBER 2011 | Club Business Internat ional 99
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