Certain aspects of running a health club shouldn’t be demanding. Many of the day-to-day hassles that keep you from spending time with your members and staff could easily be overcome through club management software.
“Our experience with club management software has been nothing but beneficial for our club’s services,” said Adrian Antigua, the front desk manager at Gainesville Health and Fitness Centers (GHFC).
According to Mark Plewa, the sales and marketing VP for Affiliated Acceptance, the main purpose of software is to assist you in running your club. “Club management software should replace the everyday efforts of at least three employees,” he said. “It will free them up to do other things.”
Discover how club management software could help your day-to-day operations, and how easily it could be implemented, now!
It starts with your needs
It’s important when choosing the right company for your club to understand your priorities. With several options, avoid complications by arming yourself with clear expectations for the company you choose.
How could your software be of assistance — check-in, billing, scheduling or payroll?
Keith Trawick, the senior VP at ABC Financial Services, Inc., suggested documenting, in writing, your desired needs and any new ideas you may want implemented — then interview vendors based on your specific needs. “Some clubs are allured by bells and whistles on demos, but if it doesn’t apply directly to the club, it’s a wasted investment,” he said.
Also, make a checklist of tasks for each employee and use it to evaluate needs. “Clubs can use that list to ask vendors how software would enable them to better execute those tasks,” said Jim Parks, the vice president and general manager of Club Solutions at Fiserv.
Keep a budget in mind as well. Break down your priorities between product and price, said Carole Oat, the sales manager for Twin Oaks Software. “Monthly billing revenue should cover all fixed costs,” she said.
Don’t forget to rank your priorities. Michael Meehan, the general manager at Maryland Athletic Club’s Timonium location, has a list of non-negotiable tasks he requires of their particular software companies. “Price is always a factor,” he said. “What does it cost you to gain what you want, and what would you have to give up?”
How the right company can help
Excellent customer service is always a challenge, said John Pagliarini, the national controller for Wellbridge. “The software we use makes billing easier and more accurate,” he said. “Our software allows us to quickly get revenue flash reports to the general managers so they can adjust, promote or cancel programs that are not profitable.”
National Fitness has focused on bringing clients as much money as possible, said Eric Gerdes, the product manager for National Fitness. “A big benefit [to club management software] is the collection side,” he said. “A lot of times clubs think people are collecting for them and they’re not. They have other things that are more of a priority.”
The use of club management software at GHFC has really improved communication with members and guests. “Our software allows us to instantly update specific membership information and communicate with front-line staff using the programs directly and vice versa,” Antigua said.
Wellbridge looked for software that complimented or worked well with their existing policies and processes. Plewa concurred in Wellbridge’s direction. “If you’re changing your business model for the software, it’s probably not the right fit for you,” Plewa said.
A problem with some software companies, is that they do one thing really well but aren’t great at everything, Meehan said. “We value the integration,” he continued. “I’m looking for the complete CMS package.”
Software has begun to shift toward offering a web-based application for members to be able to access, Trawick said. Supplying member with online access depletes unnecessary calls — like members reserving a bike for a spinning class. Plewa has noticed the ability to link members with nutrition tracking has become more available. “It used to be geared toward club owners using software, but now we’re adding ways to interact with members,” Plewa said.
Communication and Support
Placing your trust and essentially your business in a company is huge. No one is ever completely certain about the software in their club until they use it, said Kyle Zagrodzky, the president of Go Figure, Inc.
“It takes about 30-60 days for most people to really understand how the system will be used in their club and by their staff,” Zagrodzky said. “If they’re not satisfied, they need to know they can get a refund.”
Before entering into a bad situation, clubs should test their potential software companies. “Check references, see a full demo of the software, talk to other users, visit them at a trade show,” Oat suggested. “Try to call into tech support and see what the response is, and if they’re customer friendly. Clubs should expect a live person every time they call. Tech support should return their call within 15 minutes.”
The company needs to be there for you, simply put. Zagrodzky said to expect 24-hour support. “When you have customers around the globe, they need you when THEY’RE working,” he said.
Customers need the ability to reach someone who understands their account quickly, said Gerdes. His company’s support can get about 95-98 percent of problems solved by either a phone call, or tech support by looking at a club’s software on the backend.
Obviously, upgrades are a factor when dealing with technology. Meehan doesn’t think clubs should get charged for every upgrade. “We don’t want to be nickeled and dimed for every feature,” he explained. Parks further suggested that proactive communication about upgrade releases is a good way to maintain relationships with clubs.
Parks final advice for those purchasing software: “The right solution should continue to evolve and improve over time. That can only happen with a company that continually invests in product growth and development.” -CS
