Imagine if we had a crystal ball that let us see what each of our members were thinking. We could know when a member has a great workout or when they are considering canceling their membership. We would use that crystal ball to take immediate action. In the case of a great workout, we may find that is a perfect time to promote an offer to try personal training. In the case of a member canceling, we may reach out to offer a free fitness assessment to get the member back in the club.
Unfortunately, such a crystal ball has never existed in the fitness industry, and traditional ways of gathering this type of insight from members are outdated and ineffective. For example, email surveys remain a popular tool, but require too much effort from members and have low participation rates. Furthermore, if a member gets an email survey once a quarter, it’s unlikely that they will remember to mention the negative or positive experience they had just a few weeks prior. Suggestion boxes have the same problem and are often anonymous. These old-fashioned tools cannot give clubs the detailed feedback needed to really understand their members’ needs and take meaningful action.
Luckily, mobile technology now exists to give operators access to timely member feedback that is both accurate and insightful. Members can provide feedback effortlessly through the club’s mobile app on their smartphone, which prompts members to rate their visit on a five-point scale and provide additional comments. Club staff receive feedback in real-time, enabling them to take immediate action. The whole experience is seamless and takes the member only a few seconds to complete.
This kind of real-time feedback reveals which members can be potentially sold additional services and which members are in danger of cancellation. Ongoing feedback also motivates staff to continually provide great service. When performance is being measured every time, your entire staff will go above and beyond to deliver the highest quality service always. Providing feedback also empowers members because it gives them a voice and opportunity to connect with the club on a regular basis. Members who habitually voice their opinions actively participate in making their clubs a better place to workout, increasing their loyalty to your brand.
Mobile feedback is the easiest and most effective way to capture your members’ thoughts. It’s a seamless experience that empowers members and provides your club with actionable insights on how to improve and generates business value. Clubs will understand which members to upsell and which to save from quitting. They can see real data on their true strengths and weaknesses. Unlock the power of mobile feedback and start generating positive returns for your club today.
Greg Skloot is vice president of growth at Netpulse, the No. 1 provider of club mobile apps. He can be reached at gskloot@netpulse.com or visit netpulse.com.
