Ann Reeder On Creating Great Customer Experiences

In the June 2023 issue, we spoke to Ann Reeder, the general manager of Westlake Athletic Club, about creating great customer experiences for members.

What important factors help create ideal customer experiences?

First, you must be careful who you hire in customer-facing positions. Customer service is a skill set certain individuals have innately. You can teach your club’s best practices, but that doesn’t help them when they are under stress from an angry member. I ask a lot of questions in our first interview about how they would handle common scenarios and listen carefully to their answers. 

A member may be angry about a legitimate error we made and it’s important to acknowledge that and attempt to rectify it. Other times, their anger may have more to do with a personal situation. In these instances, employees should have compassion for a member’s emotions and not take it personally. Having said this, we don’t allow inappropriate behavior from anyone toward our members, guests or employees. The employees need to know we will protect them. 

How should clubs properly train workers to deal with members?

Role playing is great and having worked here for over eight years beginning at the front desk, I have encountered just about every scenario. Providing responses to common issues is also helpful so employees are not at a loss for words during encounters. Modeling is helpful, too. When staff see how I respond and interact with our members, they begin to see how the members react and tensions are lessened immediately. 

Why is it important to create the best customer experience possible?

Members joined during COVID-19 because their clubs were closed. We are lucky over 80% of our activities at the club are outdoors. We know our members by name within the first week and greet them as soon as they come in. I was concerned many of them would leave once their original clubs reopened. This didn’t happen though. Most shared they had been at their previous club for over 15 years and no one ever greeted them by name. They were so appreciated they were acknowledged every time they came in.

What strategies at Westlake Athletic Club have helped create a positive environment for guests?

Members will come to me personally, email me or communicate through the front desk staff or the Medallia MXM survey. I may not be able to do what they ask, but I will take the time to either implement a suggestion or explain why we can’t. I also want every member to be happy to see whoever is behind the front desk. If the front desk thinks the member is not going to like an answer to a question, I tell them to let me be the person to deliver the answer.