There is no point in arguing with a customer because it is a lose/lose situation.
Remember the policy position never works. The best way to deal with an argument is to downplay its confrontational aspect and direct all energy and attention towards a solution. The best question to ask is: What can be done to make the member feel happy and cared for?
A member can totally be wrong; however, most of the time they need to better understand the situation at hand … or they might simply need to vent.
It is also very important to separate an objective argument from a personal attack. If a person is frustrated because the gym has not lived up to its promises, it is essential for your employees who are dealing with the customer to realize that the customer is upset at the situation and not at them personally. Arguments often turn personal even when the people involved in the argument had nothing to do with the creation of the problem.
Accept your mistakes, learn from them, and do not repeat them.
I’m not a big race fan but one of the NASCAR drivers who I saw in an interview recently said something pretty smart: The one who makes the least mistakes wins.
We all make mistakes. Some of us accept that we made a mistake, evaluate the situation, learn the lesson and move on, while others get stuck in a never-ending state of denial — “What did I do wrong? I am not responsible for it?” is a common theme in their life.
Acknowledgment always precedes resolution. When a club representative is dealing with a situation where a mistake has been made by the gym, the best thing to do is to take ownership of the issue at hand. The anger and emotion around any issue can be minimized by admitting fault and diverting all energy towards a resolution. Customers are normal people just like the rest of us and when they hear that a mistake was made, and that you apologize for it and the focus is on the solution, the energy balance shifts from being upset to feeling content that the issue at hand will be professionally addressed.
You may have heard before “when you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” There is always something to be learned from any situation in life. Your general attitude will determine your outlook on life, and will undoubtedly flow into your business. With each mistake, it is essential to realize what went wrong, how it went wrong, and most importantly what can be done in the future to prevent the same situation from occurring.
Consistency is the name of the game for lasting success.
As long as what you are repeating is done the right way, you are 10 steps ahead of the majority of business owners.
Repetition is a common theme for most of what we do in life. When solid customer service principles are practiced consistently, members realize over time that the integrity of how you choose to run your health club business is unable to be compromised. When marketing strategies are implemented over and over, you will see a positive return on your marketing investment.
If your customers truly believe that you can be counted upon, not in times when everything is fine but in times where there are problems and challenges, they will choose to do business with you because they know that no matter what, you will get the job done.
Follow these three lessons and you will create a loyal member base.
Curtis Mock is the host of www.FitnessBusinessTelevision.com the TV show for fitness entrepreneurs. He is also the executive director of gymsuccess.com. Curtis can be reached at curtis@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
