Many club management softwares (CMS) can give clubs the ability to manage and monitor everything from point of sale, to retention and sales numbers. However, not all provide members with the ability to manage certain aspects of the club experience themselves.
Paul Maduri, the owner of Fitness Unlimited in East Milton, Mass., explained that his members are able to do a multitude of activities online thanks to the facility’s CMS. Those activities include purchasing personal training sessions, changing addresses, updating billing information and more.
These activities were made possible through Twin Oaks’ Member Portal. Maduri began using Twin Oaks’ software two years ago, partly due to its Member Portal’s capabilities. “When we chose Twin Oaks, it had been our goal to have a member portal,” explained Maduri.
According to Maduri, convenience is extremely important to members, and online member portals are a great way to provide it. “Member convenience is very important,” said Maduri. “When you make things quick and easy, so many people enjoy that. The younger generations especially prefer to do things online, on their smart phones or tablets.”
Before using Twin Oaks’ Member Portal, Maduri said convenience was an almost impossibility. “In the past members had to come to us for everything,” said Maduri. “Now, self-service is much easier, and members love it.”
Through Twin Oaks’ Member Portal, members can now purchase memberships online or add family members to their account, pay balances due, buy gift certificates or refer a friend. This has allowed Maduri an additional way to turn a profit. “One surprise we discovered, is that during holidays when the club was physically closed, we actually saw cash flow coming in on those days,” recalled Maduri. “The member portal gave tablets and smart phones the ability to act as cash registers, which was great.”
Maduri explained that currently about 15-20 percent of the club’s members use Twin Oaks’ Member Portal, but that percentage is rapidly growing. “Members can correct overdue payments or upgrade their membership,” said Maduri. “They love it.”
According to Dawn Gregerson, the manager of Absolute Fitness in Rainbow City, Ala., member portals are great tools for members and clubs, and can ultimately lead to better retention. “Member retention we believe is enhanced with this amenity by allowing members to have an active role in their account information,” she said.
Members of Absolute Fitness can log on to www.myasfaccount.com and enact a multitude of online activities, including updating their personal information, viewing their attendance history, signing up for group fitness classes and updating their banking information. Members were given these abilities when Absolute Fitness made the switch to ASF International’s services in 2010.
“Our members enjoy the ASF service [as] in the event they need to make changes to their account, or should they have any issues with their account, they can get it handled quickly,” explained Gregerson. “I think this is a great tool for the members and they do appreciate this option through the ASF services.”
Consider taking convenience to another level by allowing members to manage aspects of the club experience themselves.
Look for club management software that can give members the option of taking convenience into their own hands. By doing so, you make things not only easier for your members, but take some of the workload off yourself and your staff as well.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
