technology series
STEPHANIE JENNINGS
Director of sales, MINDBODY
Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, to name just a few. Mobile allows people to connect simultaneously, at any time, from anywhere. And let’s not forget text messaging. A phone call can take 20 minutes, but it only takes 10 seconds to send a text. In a time-poor society, speed is of the essence. Perhaps that’s why mobile technology is being adopted faster than any other technological advancement in history, with each new innovation embraced quicker than the last. According to Apple, iPad adoption is three times faster than that of the iPhone: over 112 million Americans
T
he way people interact socially has changed dramatically. It’s all happening online via Facebook,
are expected to have an iPad by 2016.
For a client-based industry like health clubs, this social shift means that gym
owners must adapt by being online in all the right places. Future clients are online investigating your facility. They start with a search
that leads them to your website. They visit your
Facebook page, read reviews on Yelp, view your location on YouTube, tweet to discover your
latest promotions. And fi nally they book and pay for your classes and training appointments online. And they do it all from their mobile devices.
Today’s consumer expects to be able to do business with you online. Make it easy for them and prove that you understand the importance of their time by adding
New clients are now more likely to check out your gym online before visiting
online booking pages to your website or embedding them in your Facebook page. Ultimately, ensure your client relationships survive and thrive in the mobile age by being where clients can fi nd you, and offering them the convenience they crave.
TOM WITHERS
Head of sales, Gladstone Health and Leisure
I
n today’s busy society, the focus is on convenience. Clever companies are looking to offer quick, tailored solutions for the individual. Think Oyster cards, sat navs and the millions of mobile phone
applications that are designed to make our lives easier. Apple’s new iOS 6 software is a great example. Its new Passbook app will allow users to scan their iPhone to use a coupon or a concert ticket, and could be used by operators to promote an activity, special discount or even for members to access their leisure facility. The app automatically displays vouchers or passes based on time or location, so when you walk into your club, the relevant voucher appears and can be scanned for entry.
But hold off on purchasing your
new iPhone just yet, as there’s much speculation that the iPhone 5 could contain RFID (Radio Frequency Identifi cation) technology, a non-contact system that transfers data from a tag attached to an object, like the Oyster card. Once RFID becomes a prominent mobile phone feature, customers could do away with their membership card altogether, accessing leisure facilities and interacting directly with your business – even swiping to pay for vending machine items – all via their mobile devices. With this customer expectation of
smart technology at your fi ngertips when you need it, the leisure industry needs to follow suit. It must create more specifi c software, linked to the wide range of individual job roles in the sector and enabling staff to achieve their tasks more effectively. Think of McDonald’s, where staff are sent to the drive-thru with handheld devices so they are able to take orders during busy periods. In the future, we can expect to see
Smartphones may perform the role of membership cards in the future
58 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
leisure technology centring around the right software for the right person, with the specifi c applications each role requires on a handy mobile device. Ultimately this will offer a more fl exible, personalised working environment and allow operators even greater interaction with customers.
october 2012 © cybertrek 2012
TANATAT /
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
FLYDRAGON /
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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