service & maintenance
Reliable kit: BalanceMaster (right) and Matrix at The Gym Group (above)
and maintenance of equipment will also keep your kit – and with it your gym fl oor – looking good.
decreasing downtime With an engineer at the helm of the company, it’s no surprise that creating durable equipment is a priority for Keiser, which has been manufacturing fitness equipment in the US for more than 30 years. Tim Colston, managing director of
Keiser UK, shares his thoughts on how you can keep equipment in good shape: “Good quality raw materials and innovative design to reduce wear and tear on the key elements of the equipment are important. The hallmark of our M3 Indoor Cycle, for example, is its durability. It’s made of corrosion- resistant materials, has a two-year warranty as standard and is virtually
MILITARY FITNESS
Technogym provides equipment to the armed forces, with some pieces now more than 10 years old. Howard Swinyard, network and services director for Technogym, says: “This equipment is used to its maximum capability in some of the most hostile environments across the globe, and it’s serviced regularly by Technogym engineers to maintain the high level of performance that’s demanded from it.” According to Swinyard,
preventative maintenance is by far the most successful way to keep kit in action: “Our engineers believe that ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, meaning that a small maintenance issue that could go undetected over a period of time and lead to further problems is addressed early, avoiding a more expensive repair and leaving a satisfi ed customer.”
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maintenance-free thanks to a non-wear magnetic resistance system and anti-slip belt that needs no adjustment. “However, clubs really need to take
ownership of their equipment and follow daily, weekly and monthly checks as advised by the manufacturer. It’s very clear to us when we visit clubs for preventative maintenance visits and/ or planned call-outs if the equipment has been well looked after. By regularly checking and looking after kit, operators can decrease downtime.” John Treharne, CEO of low-cost
operator The Gym Group, knows the importance of keeping equipment fully functional. He explains: “Our gyms typically have around 1,100 users every day and they’re open 24/7, which means that the equipment is in use at all times. We need to make sure it’s robust and reliable.
CLUB VIEW
According to Ian Hobdell, health and fitness manager for sports and leisure trust Active Luton, ensuring the gym is in full working order is key to retaining members: “The first machine people see when they come in to our Profiles health and fitness suites is the BalanceMaster. Thanks to its durability and the fact that it doesn’t need traditional servicing, the BalanceMaster is the ideal piece of equipment to be front of house – immediately seeing an ‘out of order’ sign on a machine can give a bad impression of the whole facility.” Jason McMahon, national sales manager for BalanceMaster, adds: “Because
the BalanceMaster needs no adjustment or lubrication due to its sealed drive mechanism, it doesn’t require servicing in the way most other pieces of gym equipment do. This unique selling point makes the BalanceMaster an ideal low maintenance, multi-purpose piece of kit for any gym.” Active Luton didn’t take out an extended warranty for its BalanceMasters
as, says Hobdell, the machines had “proved they could cut the mustard”, only needing a call-out twice in six years. However, he believes that taking a service package for CV equipment should be standard procedure. “Regular servicing can add years to the equipment. Let’s face it, we all need a bit of TLC now and then.”
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital november/december 2010 © cybertrek 2010 “We’ve recently signed a two-year
agreement with Matrix Fitness which includes a service agreement that ensures the kit is regularly serviced and maintained to the highest level. Not only does this extend the life of the equipment, but it also means that our staff don’t have to worry about repairing the equipment in the event that something goes wrong, leaving them free to focus on our members.” Our case studies on these two pages
look at other examples of equipment that’s going from strength to strength, from Precor’s original cross-trainer to the low maintenance BalanceMaster, as well as getting the secrets of durability from Technogym, Pulse and Life Fitness.
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