Working in the customer service industry, we are always trying to improve the customer’s experience. We want their visit to be a smooth and pleasant one.
Myself and my staff make it our personal mission to take that up a notch. We try and make a lasting impression on our members and have them leave saying, “Thank you for making my day!” Some might say that it’s impossible to do this for everyone, but I beg to differ. I think each person comes into an establishment looking for a reason to be special, and it’s our job to make that happen.
How do we do that? My first tip is to smile. It’s a no brainer, right? Well, you’d be surprised by how many people don’t smile anymore. We are all caught up in our own lives and things going on, that we forget to make eye contact and smile. A smile is an invite to a hello, it’s the best icebreaker. A bonus is that smiling can help your mood as well.
My second tip is to just be yourself. People can tell when you are being “fake” or “trying too hard.” My advice is to be real and treat that person with respect and have fun with your interaction with them. Not every customer experience has to be so transactional or robotic. Being a real person and having honest conversations with people can make a difference in their day. For example, if a member tells you they absolutely love running on a treadmill, but you cannot stand the idea of running inside, tell them. Make a joke about it — it will make you seem more reliable and trustworthy, because that member now sees you as having real thoughts and emotions — not just a corporate tool to push all things in the gym.
Asking members about their personal lives or goals is my third tip. Get to know that person for who they really are, not just their name and their account number. Finding out what their likes and dislikes are is crucial to finding out what your conversation topics can be. People love to share things about their life deep down — it’s all about finding someone you want to share it with. I have members tell me about their day and their careers that they feel comfortable telling me, because they see me everyday and I make them feel important when they are telling me their stories. It makes me happy to see people light up when they tell me a joke they heard or a funny thing that happened to them on their way to the club.
These three tips can help you really engage with people and members at your club. Improve your day by making another person’s day.
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Kendall Nettles is the front desk department head at Gainesville Health and Fitness.
