IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
generational differences • melissa rodriguez • ihrsa research manager
attitudes towards health club membership. Conducted in partnership with the Leisure Trends Group in the US, the report examines why people join, stay at and leave their health clubs. While the study is limited to the US, the results are relevant for club operators worldwide. Each quarterly report contains responses and analysis based on the following questions: 1. Are you currently a member of a
T
health club (a fee-paying member with a daily, monthly, seasonal or annual pass)? 2. What keeps you coming back to use
the health club you currently belong to? 3. Which of the following are personal
goals that lead you to use the health club you currently belong to? (respondents are then given a list from which to choose, including getting fit and overall wellbeing) 4. What keeps you from joining a club? 5. Why did you quit your former club? The report for the quarter ending 31
December 2011 provides a special focus on Generations X (individuals aged 31–45) and Y (individuals aged 21–30), plus insight into opportunities for operators.
he IHRSA Trend Report is a quarterly report that tracks membership trends and consumer
During this quarter, 17 per
cent of Generation X and 19 per cent of Generation Y were health club members. The following were the top five reasons why they continue to use their club: • Overall health/wellbeing • It’s in a convenient location • To make progress with my personal goals • Access to group exercise and fitness professionals • To have fun Both generations are more
NEWS
T e study identifi es the top fi ve reasons why members use their club
likely than Baby Boomers (those aged 46–55) to select “to have fun” as a reason for remaining a health club member. Based on this, as well as the importance that these two segments place on access to group exercise and fitness professionals, club operators must consider offering a variety of on-trend, entertaining fitness programmes – these may go a long way in retaining Generation X and Y members. Consistent with results from former
members overall, cost is the number one reason Generations X and Y cite for
leaving their health clubs. “I moved/the location was no longer convenient” was another common reason for leaving, with Generation X more likely to cite this reason than Generation Y. The IHRSA Trend Report also provides
insight into the barriers to joining a health club and opportunities for owners and managers in targeting Generations X and Y. The report is available as a pdf by
visiting
www.ihrsa.org/research. It’s free of charge to IHRSA members, or US$49.95 for non-members.
Ask an expert: Equipment maintenance and repairs Joan Carter, vice chair of CYBEX International, offers her thoughts on the topic of service contracts
Service and maintenance contract pricing varies widely based on the equipment type (CV or strength), the number of pieces in a single location, frequency of preventative maintenance, whether emergency visits are included, turnaround times, etc. Most servicers will customise a contract
based on your needs. They should be able to provide you with a list of all items to be cleaned, checked for wear, lubricated, adjusted and items to be recorded such as mileage or usage rates. Make sure you have an opt-out clause built into the agreement, in the event that you want to change the terms or the provider. Preventative maintenance (PM) is crucial to keep equipment
functioning properly and safely. Whether you do it yourself or include it in your maintenance contract, even the best fitness products in the world require periodic maintenance.
22 If your service contract includes PMs,
they are usually scheduled in advance and downtime can be as little as five minutes for a strength piece or up to 45 minutes for treadmills. For equipment that is down due to a parts failure, common items should be carried in the servicer’s inventory and repair can begin when the technician arrives. For non-standard parts requiring custom
PM is crucial, advises CYBEX’s Carter
painting or manufacturing, delays can be a week or more, depending on the item and manufacturer. A rough guideline is to expect service within 48–72 hours of a problem report and, if a part is ordered, a replacement visit in less than 48 hours of receipt of the
part. CV equipment will typically require more maintenance and service than strength, with usage and the manufacturer’s recommendations the determining guidelines. Read more answers at
www.ihrsa.org/industryleader
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital april 2012 © cybertrek 2012
PIC:
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84