As the owner of Summit Fitness, Mike Strange has a variety of skills. But those skills do not include being a debt collector.
With that in mind, he decided to outsource his billing and collections duties to Affiliated Acceptance Corporation (AAC). Here, he shares how the partnership has freed him to do other important tasks that move his six-location business forward.
CS: How you were introduced to AAC and why did you decide to work with them?
MS: I bought my first gym in 1993. About a month later I went to a fitness seminar where it was discussed that EFT was the future — and that if you weren’t doing EFT, you were going to fail as a business. It was pushed that professionals needed to hire out EFT and collections processes. “Run your gym, not the bookkeeping,” I was told. So I decided to partner with AAC to outsource those tasks. I’m on my sixth gym in two states, and I’ve stayed with them since January of 1994.
CS: What impact has AAC had on your day-to-day life as a gym owner?
MS: I no longer have to personally follow-up with members on past-due bills. I can be the good guy in the gym — I don’t have to be the bad guy at the gym. I don’t have to spend my time being a debt collector. AAC also helped me a lot in setting up contracts that were valid, and they’ve had input into how I present a commitment to customers.
CS: How would you describe AAC’s customer service?
MS: I’ve had very good experience with their customer service. We have developed a good relationship with AAC over the years, meeting with them at IHRSA. And some years ago, we even visited AAC at their headquarters. We spend so much time working with them, it’s nice to know who they are and they know who we are.
CS: What else do you think gym operators should know about AAC and their services?
MS: The delinquent reports are extremely beneficial, including the billing, collections and EFT services. If you’ve purchased or are managing a gym and would rather be a bookkeeper and a lawyer, then do it yourself. But if you have other skills — and I do — then you need to hire the people who are good at that and let them do what they’re good at, like AAC.
For more information on AAC and how it can improve your business, visit http://affiliatedacceptance.com/.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
