Here, three health club leaders detail how to get the most out of a technology provider in the fitness industry.
In an ever-changing industry, it’s imperative for gyms of all shapes and sizes to have a reliable and beneficial technology provider. The right collaboration can help expand a club’s reach and streamline operations, while a negative relationship can further hinder the mission of an organization.
Amanda Benson-Tilch, the managing director of the Burbank Fitness Club, knows the value of technology. That’s why she said there are a few crucial characteristics to ensure a partnership is successful and productive.
“A reputable technology provider should have a proven track record of working with clubs such as ours,” said Benson-Tilch. “I also research their reputation in the industry, ask for references from other clubs they worked with and take the time to call those references. User adoption is crucial, and interfaces should be easy for both club administrators and members to use. Also, a reliable tech partner should offer excellent 24-hour customer support and comprehensive training for your club’s team.”
While cost is another factor, Benson-Tilch said it’s essential to consider the overall value the tech partner brings. The cheapest option might not always provide the features, reliability and support needed for long-term success. She added it’s just as important to find a tech partner who understands the unique dynamics of your club so they can tailor solutions to meet your specific needs.
“A tech solution should be able to scale with your club’s growth, or it might become obsolete quickly,” said Benson-Tilch. “Technology evolves rapidly, and your club’s needs will change over time. A tech company that doesn’t invest in innovation and regularly update their offerings might not be able to keep up with your evolving requirements.”
With these thorough strategies, Burbank Fitness Club has found success with its primary tech partners Birdeye, a reputation management and customer experience platform, and ABC Fitness.
“We were able to pair Birdeye with ABC Fitness, our gym management software, to text our members, asking them for a review or feedback,” said Benson-Tilch. “With their platform, I’m able to monitor and respond to members immediately. This has not only helped us maintain a positive online image but has also shown our members we value their opinions and are committed to continuous improvement.”
Eric Buckner, the CEO of 10 Fitness, said his club is also seeing positive results from working with ABC Fitness.
“They’ve always been so helpful when we have needed something,” said Buckner. “They are great communicators and are always willing to listen and offer suggestions of what they can do. And if it’s a good idea, they might just make it a future development priority.”
That ability to listen and provide clear answers on what a company can or can’t do is paramount for Buckner. He said if a tech partner answers “yes” to a list of asks, he becomes a little skeptical they aren’t being completely honest.
“If I hear them say no a couple of times, it gives me more confidence when they say yes,” said Buckner. “I don’t like it when there must be a lot of custom development, because it takes so much time before you have what you need. I like it better when the ‘off the shelf’ version is what I’m looking for, and it’s the tech company’s core competency.”
Buckner said creating such a trustworthy partnership can also help take busy work away from frontline staff. However, if the new technology adds work, leadership should slow down and ask if the software is the best use of their staff’s time.
Jeff Jeran, the director of Valley Health Wellness and Fitness Center, shares similar values as Buckner. Jeran said he tries to avoid partners who promise everything. Instead, he would rather a company say they can’t do something right now but will work on creating it.
“From my professional experience, I look for tech partners who have an open mind, are willing to get creative to provide solutions to needs and are tolerant to risk,” said Jeran. “Avoid companies who are too sales-pushy, try to tell you what you need and have all the answers. A tech company should be your partner and help develop solutions to your unique situations.”
It’s those values that led Valley Health Wellness and Fitness Center into a collaboration with Jonas Fitness’ club management software. Jeran said Jonas Fitness provides the club with a hub and platform where various tech products can be integrated into one core business system, allowing them to run multiple solutions efficiently.
Jeran said Jonas Fitness is always willing to work with the club’s leadership team to develop and create solutions for 30-plus locations to allow the facilities to provide a unified and consistent product to customers. As the fitness industry continues to evolve, he said having such a trusted tech partner to provide innovation will be more critical as consumers change how they want their fitness.
Keeping an eye to the future is also shared by Al Noshirvani, the owner of Fitness Club Management. He said it would be preferred if partners were aware of developments and trends in the industry.
“Obviously, mobile is one,” said Noshirvani. “Whether for member engagement or transactions, members live on their devices and allowing them to use those devices to communicate with us is key. I’d also love for our partners to explore how generative AI can be leveraged in our business, particularly as a sales tool.”
Noshirvani said his team uses ASF Payment Solutions for club management, Club OS as their CRM, MXM Medallia for member sentiment tracking and Alta Technology Group for tech consulting services.
With this assortment of partners, Noshirvani said it’s necessary for clubs to do their due diligence and not select software products after seeing just one demo.
“We looked at seven different companies and had each of them respond to a request for proposal that our consultants assisted us with,” said Noshirvani. “This process allowed us to use a very objective measure to select the best partner for our business. We also spent a significant amount of time making sure the contract we were signing was not excessively one-sided. If there is one piece of advice I can give, it’s to spend a few bucks and have someone who knows what they are doing review your legal contract.”
As evidenced by the club leaders above, there are a multitude of tech partners in the industry to choose from. Your organization can find similar levels of success by following their advice and creating a constant, reliable connection with those partners, even in a world of constant change.
