The thought of actually asking a member or client to leave your business spits right in the face of retention. However, a happy, productive membership base is more valuable than the problem members you face everyday.
Every business has one, the dreaded problem member. They spend more time complaining about the facility then they do working out and are constantly taking you and your staff’s time away from providing service to your core clients. This type of member represents somewhere around 2 percent of your membership base, and assuming you have done everything reasonably possible to satisfy these members needs inherently — there are always a few that just cannot be satisfied. Word of mouth marketing is the leading driver of small business growth and in the case of your membership base; one bad apple can really spoil the bunch.
Did you know that a patron who feels they are under serviced will tell eight times more people than someone who feels they are well serviced? Now, just think of all the times these “bad apples” in your club have felt under serviced and how many different people they would have told. When you identify a member whose demands cannot be reasonably satisfied by your service, then your service is not for that member. In most cases, you will be able to transfer that member to another facility close by to make sure their fitness goals are still met, but taking a stand and protecting your business and staff from these “bad apples” will benefit you in the long run.
Chris Batchelor
Health Club Marketing Contributor
