Anton Conlon, the CEO of Gold’s Gym El Paso, explains that while the dust may have settled, don’t let up on cleaning and sanitizing.
We all scrambled, panicked, stressed and went into damage control mode when we had to close our clubs. We equally all needed to blindly learn how to reopen or learn from others on how to do it — some are still waiting for the green light.
It’s been a huge learning curve for our industry. Many of us bought cleaning, sanitizing supplies and materials where we could, based on limited availability. Now that the dust has settled slightly, we need to build supply chain relationships and plan for the long-term reality. Hope for the best but plan for the worst, as they say.
Don’t let up on cleaning and sanitizing. We all realize from now on we will need to prioritize cleaning and sanitization without running short on supplies. Now more than ever, there is a huge amount of value in building relationships with your janitorial supply companies. A good one will act almost as a partner by thinking ahead for you.
Empower them to do this by teaching them your business model and share with them what your priorities are. This will prevent you panic buying or settling for second-best in terms of supplies. A good janitorial supplies company will also be willing to teach your staff the best and most efficient way to use cleaning supplies. You just need to ask.
We all take pride in what we do and are willing to demonstrate our value for money by sharing that knowledge and going the extra mile. By doing this you will be investing in the long-term safety of your members and staff.
It will also build long-term credibility among your members, especially those who are yet to feel fully confident that gyms are safe. Prove to them you are, and prove to them our industry is clean and has their safety as your No. 1 priority.
Sharing these priorities on social media can only help build good sentiment as the focus switches from reading reviews and social media engagement — what used to be important to them prior to COVID-19 — to what is important to them now: cleanliness, sanitization and safety.
Leading the way in doing this doesn’t only help you, it helps the industry we love.
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Anton K Conlon is the CEO of Gold’s Gym El Paso.
