Industry Buzz: Respecting Your Members’ Time

Lately, on Monday and Wednesday, I’ve been enjoying participating in indoor cycling at my local gym. It’s an extremely efficient way for me to get my cardio in during the busy holiday season, and I love the high energy of the class.

However, that high energy and efficiency has been a bit lacking on Wednesdays. That’s because the instructor who teaches the class on Wednesday has been late every, single time I’ve taken her class.

The lateness has ranged from two minutes to 15 minutes. Regardless, at the beginning of class, the instructor gets started by yelling instructions at us while she’s putting her shoes on and her hair up, and adjusting her bike. And, she never has a set playlist prepared. I find that on Wednesdays, I have a hard time getting into the flow of the class due to the instructor shuffling around from song to song until she finds a song she likes.

The unpreparedness and lateness have left a sour note on a class I otherwise would thoroughly enjoy. Personally, I like the Wednesday instructor’s personality even better than Monday’s. However, it’s the little things that can oftentimes make a serious impression — not always in a good way.

My point of this recap is to ensure that you’re aware of the impression your instructors (and even personal trainers) are leaving. Take note of whether or not they’re taking their role seriously. In any job, regardless if it’s your second job or not, being on time is important, and being late or unprepared sends a bad message to your members, that their time is not respected.

The typical member may not place blame on the individual instructor, but more on a club as a whole. Spend time meeting with part-time instructors to continually understand their schedules and how they could be affecting their class. By understanding your instructors, you can prevent negative situations from occurring in class — thus increasing your member approval rating.

Rachel Zabonick is the assistant editor for Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.