The Times They Are A Changing….NOT!
Last week I went to a brand new facility by a major national chain. Huge. Great equipment. Nice bathroom/changing facilities. Now all that was behind a wall. A wall of 10 sales people sitting at desks right when you walked through the door. This practice of selling the “deal of the day” is from 20 years ago and dreadfully ineffective. I felt like I was shopping for a plasma TV with all the sales staff hovering around me. I understand that the industry as a whole requires sales to survive but surely not this high pressure, first visit, lets make a deal type of sales. I started to wonder if the club could afford to staff the front with 10 sales people, surely they would have an equal amount on the floor supporting, educating and guiding their members during their workouts? NOT! Not a single one on the floor that wasn’t being paid by a client for a private personal training session.
Now the person that I eventually spoke with was very nice, well dressed and answered all my questions. Now I never ended up signing a membership (truthfully I wasn’t looking to) but had I been looking, this is what I would have wanted:
• Updated bios of all training staff and who I would have access to
• Direct access to the facility manager and if possible the regional manger
• Complete Online fitness programs, scheduling and accounting
• Access to support tools and organizations
• User groups, buddy programs, etc.
• Membership limits for “crowd controls”
• Documented and reviewed evaluation programs
Not sure if you noticed but price isn’t listed. That’s because in the end, a successful fitness business is not about price but customer service, a focus on staffing, a committed parent corporation and strong management. People will pay for that.
