April 2023 Club of the Month, presented by ABC Fitness Solutions:
Burbank Fitness Club, est. 2017
Located in Burbank, California, Burbank Fitness Club shows its members that fitness feels good by providing a caring community of experts in an innovative facility with a full range of workout options. With an emphasis on personalized training, comfort and convenience, the Burbank Fitness Club team helps members transform a gym routine into a lasting, healthy lifestyle.
Below, Amanda Benson-Tilch, the managing director of Burbank Fitness Club, shares what’s trending in the industry and offers her advice for gym owners who want to make the most of their space by providing wide-ranging fitness options and great customer service.
How did Burbank Fitness Club begin?
With a commitment to continually evolve to meet the moment, Burbank Fitness Club completed a transformation to match the fitness journey of its growing membership. A historic fitness center with loyal community support for more than 25 years, the gym’s change in ownership brought the iconic facility to state-of-the-art standards. Through renovations including newly designed floors, sound, upgraded locker rooms and workout rooms, Burbank Fitness Club has gained traction throughout Los Angeles attracting new members as well as top-level fitness trainers.
What is the mission of Burbank Fitness Club?
At Burbank Fitness Club, we offer a friendly community of experts, high-performance equipment and a variety of workout options to make fitness feel good. We provide a clean and exclusive atmosphere, never overcrowded, so club members experience maximum comfort and convenience. With exceptional customer service, we aim to transform everyone’s gym routine into a lasting, healthy lifestyle.
How does Burbank Fitness Club define success?
Here at Burbank Fitness Club, we prioritize community and culture. With these two items as our focus, we can then define success in several ways including:
1. Membership retention: If we emphasize and prioritize our strong sense of community and culture, members are more likely to remain committed and loyal for a long time.
2. Member engagement: We host membership appreciation events once a month, keeping our members engaged and creating a sense of belonging.
3. Referrals: If our members are happy, they are more likely to recommend our gym to others. We have a fantastic Refer a Friend program, so keeping our members happy is crucial for this program to be successful.
4. Positive feedback: We utilize our reviews and feedback as one measure of our success, and partnering with Birdeye has helped us tremendously in this area.
By valuing community and culture, we measure success based on the strength of the relationships among our members and the positive impact we have on their lives.
What makes Burbank Fitness Club unique?
In today’s self-checkout world, our staff prioritizes greeting each member when they arrive and engage with them throughout their fitness experience. We go above and beyond when it comes to maintaining the highest standards in gym cleanliness and in keeping equipment at optimum operational capacity. Our team members are friendly and knowledgeable and always ready to offer guidance and support.
What is the culture like at Burbank Fitness Club?
At Burbank Fitness Club, our focus is on the community, and we place a strong emphasis on creating an atmosphere that makes members feel comfortable and welcome. Our community is respectful and caring toward one another, which fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Whether it’s through group fitness classes, membership appreciation events, or simply a friendly conversation with fellow members, we prioritize building connections and supporting every individual as they achieve their health and fitness goals.
What is your favorite thing about partnering with ABC Fitness Solutions?
Through our partnership with a reputable financial company such as ABC Fitness Solutions, we streamline payment processing while enhancing security for our members. By providing a proper customer relationship management system and professional customer support for our entire team, ABC has enabled our team to focus on our core operations and leave the financial management to the experts.
What’s a trend you’re seeing in the fitness industry that other operators should keep on their radar?
One of the most prevalent practices in the fitness industry today is the emphasis on recovery. A crucial element of any fitness routine, taking the time to properly recover can make a significant difference in effectively achieving your fitness goals. One widely supported recommendation is to incorporate up to 30 minutes of post-workout downtime in a sauna to increase blood flow, which in turn promotes the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles and other tissues throughout the body. Additionally, the heat from the sauna can help to relax muscles and ease tension, providing a soothing and therapeutic experience.
When combined with other recovery techniques such as foam rolling, stretching and walking, sitting in a sauna can help to optimize recovery and ensure you are able to perform at your personal best. Thanks to our recent upgrades at Burbank Fitness Club, we now have a quiet room for stretching and saunas in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, as well as additional foam rollers throughout the club.
If you could give one piece of advice to other gym operators, what would it be?
When managing a gym, it’s important to constantly evaluate your services and make changes to stay competitive in the industry. While it can be daunting to try something new, such as introducing a new class, a new instructor or revamping an existing space, it’s essential to take calculated risks to grow and improve.
Also, don’t be afraid to increase prices if it means providing a better experience for your members. They will adapt to the change if they see the value in it. Similarly, introducing new classes or workout options can attract new clientele while keeping your existing members engaged and excited about their fitness journeys.
Transforming an existing space can make a big impact on your members’ experience. Updating equipment, changing the layout, or improving the cleanliness and comfort of your facility can go a long way in creating a more positive atmosphere.
Ultimately, remember that members will adapt to these changes if they see you are making efforts to improve their experience. Keep communication open and transparent and invite honest feedback to ensure you are meeting their needs. With a willingness to try new things and a commitment to improving your gym, you can build a loyal membership base and stand out in a crowded industry.
Created in partnership with ABC Fitness Solutions. Visit abcfitness.com for more information on how they can help your fitness business.
