Choosing the right gym is a key aspect of any sports planning. If your clients don't feel comfortable with you, it's going to demotivate them from the exercise itself, but above all they will stop going to your gym. What does irritate the visitors of the gym the most? We went to ask them.
The price is often the decisive factor by which a client chooses his fitness center. However, a higher price may not always be what discourages the client.
"I don't mind if the price is a little bit higher, but the gym equipment must be adequate to the price," says police officer Robert (48 years old).
If you decide to offer one-time entries and season tickets at higher price than your competitors, the equipment of the gym must match the price. Make sure you have basic exercise machines in the gym as well as modern machines that you won't find in other gyms. Have enough dumbbells available. Don't forget specific machines and aids for women. The equipment must match the different needs and goals of your clients.
Although mostly the clients themselves are responsible for the mess, they complain about it.“A dirty shower floor is absolutely unacceptable for me. Likewise, stinking toilets or missing toilet paper bothers me ", says sales assistant Lenka (26 years old).
On the other hand, plumber Petr (32 years old) doesn't like a mess in the gym area itself: “I often see that weights are not in their place. When I want to work out with the axis, I have to look for the dumbells of the same weight all over the gym. ”
Everyone should give the tools back by himself/herself, but the fitness center cannot rely on it and should keep the gym tidy throughout the opening hours.
The staff has considerable influence on the clients in the gym and can make the exercise more pleasant or discourage them from further visiting the gym. "I've changed the gym twice just because the lady at the front desk always grinned at me. In addition, they were unable to advise me on how to use the machines correctly or what protein was right for me after the exercise, ”complains student Petra (19 years). Clients also perceive too pushy fitness coaches, who force them their services, although they are not interested in them, negatively.
Be carefull when recruiting staff to your fitness center. The staff is one of the most important factors, whether they work at the reception desk, at the bar or a personal trainers. Beware of external trainers in your gym!
In our survey, we found out that some of the clients are not satisfied with the music they play in the gym. Some said they did not like the volume of the music. Others would even appreciate complete silence, but the majority of fitness center clients complained about unsatisfactory style of music. “Music is a great motivation for me during the workout. If the music is really motivating, it often pushes me forward. In the gym where the country music is played, I just don't work out well, ”says graphic designer Honza (31). As far as music is concerned, you can hardly please all your clients. However, if you choose to play music suitable of workout, for example on GYM Radio, ie motivational and ideal for concentration, clients will surely not be discouraged.
Some fitness centers in larger cities can afford to be open 24 hours a day. If you do not belong among them, try to observe what opening hours are most suitable for your clients. Don't be afraid to adjust the opening hours seasonally.
“I had to change my favourite gym just because all year round they are open only until eight o´clock in the evening. In winter, I do not mind, but in the summer I would have to constantly choose between swimming pool and training. I just wouldn't be able to enjoy nice summer weather.” explains Michaela (34).
In addition to setting the right opening hours, make sure your staff does not kick your clients out an hour before the closing time. “It happened to me several times that they started to kick me out of the gym at half past nine although the official closing time was at 10 pm. This really upset me.” says student Jirka (22 years old).
It is clear that a better workout experience leads to higher retention. Hospitality is a great example. The hospitality industry is all about experiences that keep retention high. They think about all the aspects of the customers’ journey, including the smell of the shampoo and the music in the lobby. Have you thought about your music as well? It's quite important.
Marketing is most of the time focused outside the gym, and most of the budget is spent on member acquisition. And I totally understand why, you need to hit the new members' KPIs. But acquisition is just the beginning of the funnel, not the end, and some of the budget should be spent on engagement and retention.
It’s almost January and your gym will be flooded with new members again. You’ll probably experience a flow of different groups with different characters, your music should change to fit the group(s) currently in your gym.
