The first thing Kay Hart noticed when she walked into the Retro Fitness in East Norriton, Pa., was its cleanliness. “It was really clean, bright and new, and that was really attractive to me,” she said.
According to Hart, other gyms she had been to were untidy, which was an extreme turnoff. “Cleanliness for me is next to godliness,” said Hart with a laugh. “The place has to be clean and shiny. There is nothing worse than going into a gym and seeing dirty carpets and broken down equipment.”
The lack of these unpleasantries was what impressed Hart, and helped her make the decision to join Retro Fitness. “I really love the facility,” she said. “It feels well cared for. It’s bright and cheery, which gives you motivation when you’re going every day.”
Megan Sweitzer, the owner of Retro Fitness East Norriton, said that a clean facility was at the top of her list for exactly that reason. “I feel our club stands apart from the others because of the cleanliness,” said Sweitzer. “If you ask a bunch of regular gym goers what the biggest complaint about their gym would be, I guarantee most of them would say it’s not clean enough. Not at our gym, though.”
To guarantee her club meets her standards for cleanliness, Sweitzer has cleaning crews come in each morning and night, and her staff inspects the club from top to bottom throughout the day. “If anything does not look clean, it gets reported to me,” she said. “I am in constant communication with my cleaning company.”
Additionally, Sweitzer has her staff execute hourly floor and bathroom checks, and the equipment is cleaned daily. “I’m proud to say that when we give prospects tours of our gym, the first thing they usually comment on is how clean our facility is,” she said. “I often get the same feedback from my members. I want to keep our members happy so they stay at our gym, and talk about our gym in a positive way. I’m glad to hear that Kay feels that way about our club, and she would know — she is there every day!”
Retro Fitness’ cleanliness got Hart in the door, but she said it was the staff that ultimately, is what made her stay. “The training staff is superb,” said Hart. “Sometimes you go into gyms and you don’t know what you’re doing. At Retro Fitness, if you have questions, they’re always there to answer them.”
Hart said she had struggled at other gyms, over how to use equipment properly and what exercises to do. “At my last gym, I just floundered around and didn’t know what to do with the equipment,” she said. “At Retro, my trainer customized a program for me to gain strength, muscle and lose fat. He designed a nutrition plan for me as well. That really helped me lose weight more efficiently.”
Retro’s attentiveness to Hart’s needs helped her lose 70 pounds, which she lost over the course of seven months. She even won Retro Fitness’ Biggest Loser contest, and recently completed a 5K hosted by the club. “Retro is a special place for sure,” said Hart. “It’s a place where you really want to go because you feel like your friends are there.”
Working out at Retro Fitness has become a family activity for Hart. “We all really work out together,” she said. “It’s really a family thing now. My children saw what I had accomplished, and saw that you can transform yourself, with consistency and effort. It catches on.”
Is cleanliness a top priority at your club? Often, the cleanliness — or lack thereof — is the first thing prospects notice when they enter your gym. Make sure your equipment, floors and locker rooms are presentable and appealing to members. A dirty facility can be unpleasant for prospects, members and staff alike.
By Rachel Zabonick
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
