INDEPENDENT FOCUS
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Driving auxiliary spend through services such as group PT is, says Wright, a huge opportunity for independents
IAN MAHONEY VERA RILEY-SHAW
MD, REEBOK SPORTS CLUB
OWNER, GIRLZONE,
BASINGSTOKE
T
here’s a real chance that 2010
could be one of the most
successful years in our industry.
I believe most of us have no idea yet just what an incredible I
n my opinion, we’ve come through
the worst of the recession, but that
doesn’t mean we can sit back and wait for the good times
impact the Olympics might begin to have on our country. to return. Competition is fi ercer than ever: in the past year,
Being situated in Canary Wharf, with many members drawn we’ve seen big clubs get bigger as well as the infl ux of low-cost
from the Olympic organisations, we’re beginning to sense the chains. We need to be fl exible with the memberships we offer.
enormity of the event and the excitement it will generate. I’m I think people – and especially women – are fed up with
convinced there will be an unprecedented upsurge in exercise just being a number on a membership card. They like to feel
activity throughout our population that will represent a once valued and free to speak to someone face-to-face to discuss
in a lifetime bandwagon for our clubs to jump onto. their particular problems, goals and aspirations.
I also think operators will have to sort themselves out in We’ve all experienced the frustration of service calls to a
terms of their offering to members and prospects: I doubt helpline: that anonymous voice telling you to press 1 for this,
there’ll be a middle road any more whereby clubs can idle 2 for that, 3 for the other, at the end of which you often still
along without fully defi ning themselves. Stalls will have to be have the original problem, plus the added stress from spending
set out, either offering very cheap rates and little service, or hours on the phone with no answers. We need to go back
charging a premium for decent service. The low-cost option to the days when service mattered. Health and fi tness is no
cannot, however, mean poor equipment or facilities, while the exception: to stay competitive, we independents must ensure
premium end cannot rely on a fi ve-star offering backed up by we’re adding value to our product over the chains by knowing
lousy service and a preoccupation with personal training at the everyone by name, offering them the results they want and
expense of all else. Independents should ensure their offer is the support they need – in other words, offering an excellent
crystal clear and that they deliver it consistently – especially if service rather than, if you’ll excuse the pun, simply paying lip
they need to make changes to keep trading robustly. service to it. We need to make members feel genuinely valued.
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