Attention multi-club owners:

The Attendance Anywhere feature is here!!  Yay!

What this means to you:

When a member joins one of your clubs, you can set it up so she/he can scan in and work out at your other clubs.

As usual, this feature is available to you AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!

Release one is available to client-based customers, and an internet connection is required.

Happy Easter!

Matt Z

American Council on Exercise (ACE) surveyed over 2,700 fitness professionals and discovered a promising outlook for 2011, as the economy is on the rise.
The following are the top 10 trends for 2011, as determined by the survey respondents:

1. Economic Upswing will increase PT and interest in fitness
2. Added-Value Wellness Services by teaming up with other health care professionals
3. Stress Reduction Through Fitness.
4. Use Technology (like Facebook and Twitter) to provide extra motivation for PT programs.
5. Buddy System and support groups to help with member retention
6. Popular Workouts:  Boot camp-style workouts, dance classes, suspension and interval training.
7. Small Group Workouts.
8. Youth-focused classes thanks to national attention on childhood obesity
9. Corporate Wellness.
10. Hire more certified trainers

To read more click here. Let’s start 2011 right!

Cheers,
Matt

No matter how good your club and staff are, you are going to receive complaints. Once you receive a complaint you have two objectives:

1. Tactical response: contact the complaining member(s).
2. Strategic response: look internally for root causes before taking actions.

Here’s a very common example:

TACTICAL RESPONSE
Member: “Most of your staff is great, but your trainers will only talk to you if they’re paid. They seem arrogant.”

The wrong response: “Our trainers are excellent at their jobs and focus on their clients….Have you tried working with a trainer?”
Member heard: “You’re wrong and we are not about to change anything.”

The correct answer is too say: “Thank you, for your input. I am sorry for your negative experience. We will be discussing what we can do to remedy this. I will personally let you know what actions we are taking.”
Member heard: “Your input is appreciated.  Thank you!“

STRATEGIC RESPONSE
To the discover the root cause the trainers were brought into a meeting and were showed all 15 negative comments specific to trainers (with the members blacked out). The 45 positive once were kept separately. When asked  “why” and “how” the trainers were very defensive, but the root cause was revealed. The issue:  trainer compensation. Immediate changes were made and all negative comments vanished.

Another Tip: Surveying is a great way for getting hints to problems before they turn into major complaints. Doing these quarterly will help you design your business around the customer experience and ultimately satisfy your customers. The most important thing in handling complaints is to keep your cool, listen and respond appropriately.

Your members will appreciate!

Cheers,
Matt Z.

Source: http://digital-edition.clubindustry.com/?iid=6af19aa8

Over the last 10 years the health club industry has changed drastically and it will continue to change. Some club owners have not kept up with the pace of change, and have found themselves struggling with little to no profits to show. However, during this most recent recession, the downturn in membership revenue has very little to do with the down economy. For many club owners 2009 was the most successful year ever! Further their profit line is continuously moving upward in 2010. The secret is that these health club owners have been willing to change.

Blaming the economy is a lot easier than taking action. People do have money to spend – it’s just a matter of priority.
It is up to you to show them that you have what they need!

Everything is constantly changing — the economy, your competitors, consumers and more. If you don’t continue readjusting your unique selling proposition (USP) or continue operating the same as you did last year, you will slowly kill your business. Change is key!

Analyze and identify your unique USP:
1) Cost (be the low cost competitor) – Analyze your business by running helpful reports with your management software
2) Convenience (offer 24-hour access ) – Welcome your members anytime with a 24-hour door access system such as the iGo Door Access
3) Service (focus intensely on the results of your members) – It’s all about results. Your unique fitness training program combined with a software to track and encourage your members, is a slam dunk.

You must differentiate yourself in at least one of these areas to become a more unique, or superior to your competitors.
It is crucial to consistently reevaluate your marketing and business operations to run a successful business.

Change today!

Cheers,

Kyle Z.

Source: http://www.clubsolutionsmagazine.com/?p=5087

Go Figure travels the world to attend many trade shows and conferences. Come see us to learn on how you can maximize your facilities potential by adding the iGo Figure Software to your business. Would you like to come see us? Check our Facebook for our latest events by clicking here.

Fan us on Facebook to stay in touch no matter where you are!

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Seamless service means personal contact with your members. The key is to have some individual contact, which is not always easy – especially on a busy day. The iGo Figure Software helps provide personalized member contact with personalized greetings that display on the member welcome screen when a member scans in. The personalized greetings for some events are automated, and you can include any other greeting you can think of, such as “Happy Birthday, Mr. Member” or “Did you have a great vacation, Mr. Member?”  Employees are also alerted on member scan in to special health considerations a member may have, such as high blood pressure, or any other attributes a club owner wishes.

In today’s economy a personal approach is crucial. Keep your members longer by adding a personal touch!

Cheers

Matt Z.

Source: http://www.health-club.co.uk/digital/index1.cfm?codeid=14413&CFID=18635143&CFTOKEN=14400230 Page 49-51