Industry Buzz: Sometimes, The Small Things Make the Biggest Impression

The other day, a friend told me about one of the biggest issues she has with her gym — it smells. In particular, one area over the running track is the worst offender. According to my friend, it’s here that the smell from the basketball court below gathers. The smell is so bad, she gags almost every time she runs through this particular section.

To make matters worse, on one day when the smell was particularly bad, all of the treadmills were out of order. As a result, my friend was forced to dredge through a cloud of vaporized sweat, just to get in a good workout. This may sound a bit dramatic, but wouldn’t you be put out if this were you?

I asked my friend if she told the gym about the smell, but she said she wasn’t the type of person to complain, and that she figured the club didn’t care anyways. She said that not once has she been asked how her workout was or how things were going. This sparked the question: “If you’re not asking for feedback from your members, how are you getting it?”

My friend’s issue could be easily resolved if her club sent out an anonymous survey to members and asked for two to three things members would like to see changed, or areas in which they could improve. Or better yet, if they made a point to ask members after their workouts how things were going, my friend would have been prompted to share how she really felt.

Gathering feedback from your customers is essential to having happy and lasting members. Imagine a gym popped up across the street from my friend’s gym that offered similar amenities at a similar price, but lacked nasty odors, and instead was clean and well-ventilated. I asked my friend if she would go there. She “yes.”

A bad smell may sound like a small thing in the scheme of things, but the issue wasn’t a small one to my friend. She made a point to bring it up to me, and now when I think of that gym, I think of the bad smell that lingers over the basketball courts.

Don’t be the gym with the bad smell that lingers over the basketball court.

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.