Retro Fitness touts itself as “the gym with everything you need to get fit and stay fit.” To meet this expectation, Robbie Sprechman is tasked with equipping each of the company’s more than 140 locations with all of the tools members could possibly need during a workout.
A few years ago, Sprechman felt they needed to add an elliptical to that mix, and partnered with Octane Fitness. Here, he shares why Octane Fitness is now a preferred vendor for the fitness franchise, and what makes them best-in-class as an equipment manufacturer.
CS: What drew you to a partnership with Octane Fitness?
RS: We needed an elliptical option, and we think Octane Fitness has the best product on the market. We’ve put their products in every single club, and they are now our preferred elliptical vendor.
CS: How would you describe Octane Fitness’ customer service?
RS: Not only do they have a great product, but their team is really great at helping our franchisees. They come and visit clubs, they are there with the installation, they train employees and franchisees, they teach them how to use the product, they teach them how to get people engaged in the product — they teach them how to do more than what you’d think just an elliptical can do.
Their service team is impeccable. There’s never a delay, never an issue. We rarely have a problem with any of their products, and when we do, they stand by them so quickly. They’re just an impressive organization.
CS: Why did you think it was important to have ellipticals and crosstrainers within Retro Fitness clubs?
RS: Any type of crosstrainer gives you a great workout, so it’s part of our standard mix of equipment that’s a must-have for every gym. The treadmills can be very hard on the knees. Ellipticals don’t have that challenge. I think Octane Fitness’ [pieces] are best in class. And the way Octane Fitness keeps switching things up and changing their product mix — they’ve been able to make continual improvements.
For example, they came out with their LateralX, where now you’re not just doing this circular motion, you’re going side to side. They’ve done some really cool things with it. The LateralX is a wicked cool product. It’s better than anything we’ve seen out there.
CS: Why do you think Octane Fitness excels as a manufacturer?
RB: It’s because they stick to their core competency. They have an advantage over other manufacturers, because they don’t have 80 SKUs on their product line. So it allows them to really excel at what they have, because they have a very small product mix and they really do it well. It’s very smart.
CS: Do you have any other examples of Octane Fitness going above and beyond with customer service?
RS: Our rep is unbelievable. He’s in-tune with franchisees, he’s calling, he’s checking in. When he hears a problem, he gets it solved right away. He doesn’t wait around. Octane Fitness just jumps and they’re very proactive. They’re consistently bringing valuable training. An Octane Fitness rep will show up and say, “We’re here to help you. We’re here to show you things.” It’s very impressive what they do.
CS: Why should other club operators look into Octane Fitness?
RS: They’re a first-class sales organization that delivers a great product, great results and they stand behind their product every way you’d want them to. They stand behind with actions, not just words. We just don’t have problems with their equipment and our members love it.
For more information on Octane Fitness and how it can benefit your gym, visit http://www.octanefitness.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.
