EX-MEMBERS RESEARCH


Stay W


hat happens when people leave our health clubs and leisure centres? We know retention is an


issue, but what we don’t know is how well we handle the leaving process. With anecdotal evidence suggesting it’s nothing short of terrible, we asked a focus group of 12 ex-members to share their experiences. Before the focus group took place, we


set the scene by surveying 50 different leavers about their experiences. The results reveal that, despite the many personal explanations why people leave, the main reasons can be grouped into


‘cost’, ‘moved’ and ‘no time’ (see Figure 1). We then asked how these leavers felt


their decision to cancel was handled. Just over half (51 per cent) said it had been handled reasonably well, but more than a third (36 per cent) thought it had not been handled at all well (see Figure 2). Lastly, just under two-thirds said they


would consider rejoining a health club or leisure centre, but almost a third said they wouldn’t (see Figure 3).


FIGURE 1: The main reason for leaving


or Leave?


Why do members leave? The focus group then explored in more depth the 12 ex-members’ experiences of leaving a gym. All had recently left one of three clubs in the Norwich area of the UK: a private hotel-based club, a university-based gym, and a local authority management contractor site. The group was first asked to reflect


on why they’d decided to cancel their membership. The answers related to a wide range of personal reasons, most of which – on the surface – were beyond the centre’s control. For example, several talked about lack of motivation and ‘being lazy’. Jordan, a 17-year-old student, was typical of this view: “I joined with good intentions, but after just the second visit I just couldn’t be bothered. It’s not the gym’s fault I’m just lazy!” General lack of motivation and


perceived lack of time are issues that come up regularly in Leisure-net surveys, with ‘time’ the number one reason people give for not being more active. Operators need to be more proactive


FIGURE 2: How your leaving process was handled


Why do people leave health clubs, and how are they treated during the leaving process? Mike Hill shares the findings from research carried out exclusively for Health Club Management


in addressing this, providing tailored support to help maintain members’ motivation and working with them to find time to fit in exercise sessions.


Perceived value for money Two of the leavers had specific issues that seemed to be major factors in their decisions to leave. Neil, 44, a quantity surveyor, said: “I was really annoyed by how they treated customers. Some new equipment arrived which I’d been using for weeks. One day, while I was working out, a member of staff asked if my induction had included this new equipment. As it was prior to the equipment’s arrival I said no. The staff member told me I could therefore no longer use it until I’d had another induction. I asked if I could have this immediately and was told no, so I asked for the manager, who was also very unhelpful and said I would have to wait.” In Neil’s case, this led to an


immediate decision: “I told them I would like to cancel my membership


FIGURE 3: Would consider rejoining a health club/ leisure centre


COST – 26% OTHER – 32% REASONABLY WELL – 51%


MOVED – 16%


NO TIME – 12%


NO COMMENT – 6% NO MOTIVATION – 8% NO – 32%


VERY WELL – 13%


NOT VERY WELL – 36%


YES – 68%


62


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January 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


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