IHRSA EUROPE UPDATE
NEWS
How to lose – or keep – members • Patricia Amend • Executive editor, Club Business International
of club operators has taught me a lot about clubs. So has being a long-time health club member. What I’d like to do here is point out
I
some things that I think club owners oſt en overlook – things which, I believe, mean a lot to members. I off er my opinions both as a journalist and as a customer. Take my advice as you will – it comes from a good place.
Hire good-hearted people: The staff at my current club (which I won’t name) don’t know my name. However, I don’t care about that. What I do care about is that they greet me pleasantly, respond when I have a question, and bid me farewell when I leave.
If a member reports a problem, pay attention: In this same club, I made a point of letting the front desk know when my favourite piece of equipment wasn’t working. While the staff was responsive, the manager wasn’t, even after I followed up. Although I’d been on a first-name basis with her before this, she lost my respect when she
n the last two decades, I estimate I’ve written 700 articles about the health club industry. Interviewing hundreds
failed to acknowledge my correspondence and follow through on my perfectly reasonable request.
Don’t ignore the details: Another time, the music/TV system had problems – it was crackling and cutting out. I reported this to the front desk, yet it took weeks to get it fixed. This isn’t a budget club by any means. I want to feel that I’m getting what I’m paying for.
Don’t nickel and dime people: At one point, I had an off-peak membership due to my flexible work schedule. Once that changed, I upgraded to a regular membership. A salesperson took care of it in just a few minutes. There was no charge, except for the bump in membership dues. However, when I enquired about a reciprocal membership, which would allow me to access other clubs in the company’s estate, the salesperson told me I’d need to pay a US$100 fee. That seemed unreasonable to me – especially since I wasn’t charged a fee to upgrade before,
Ask the experts: Websites on a budget
“Do you have suggestions on how to revamp a website on a budget? Or other alternatives to enhance our presence on the web?”
• Consider setting up your website as a blog. There are several that are very customisable and easy to manage. • When posting content on your website or social media channels, use many keywords. Think about what your target customer is searching for online and use those words. • Pictures tell a thousand words. Take pictures of workouts, equipment and people, and share them with a little blurb. Pictures can serve as content updates and help with marketing, so choose them carefully.
• Look at outsourcing website help (try
elance.com or
odesk.com). There are many talented independent contractors who can put up a simple, quick website for very little money. Be clear on what you want. The more you can provide to the designer, the cheaper and faster they can get it done. You don’t need a big budget to have
Jashinsky: Good websites don’t need big budgets
• Take advantage of social media and apps that allow you to share content across multiple platforms. While it’s ultimately better to have different types of content on different platforms, this is a way to make sure you’re posting fresh updates.
20 Take part in the Health Club Management reader survey:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQDN2R6
an attractive website. Have a clear idea of your message, the content, and the site’s purpose. If you need more help with these things, be prepared to spend a little more money. Karen Jashinsky – O2 Max Fitness founder and CEO
Read more answers to this question at
www.ihrsa.org/industryleader
November/December 2012 © cybertrek 2012 If a member at your club reports a problem, deal with it swiſt ly
I’d been a member for five years, and the economy remained sluggish.
Despite these issues, I’ve not yet
cancelled my membership – but were the club not so convenient for me, I would have done. For now, I’m watching the market for another, more responsive club. I urge you to listen to your members
so you keep committed people like me – people who will bring in other members who are equally devoted to fitness.
© STOCKLITE/
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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