If Black Friday told us one thing — it’s that customer service during the Holidays can be tough. Members might be stressed out over shopping for gifts, or visiting the “dreaded” in-laws. So we spoke with Amanda Purser, the front desk manager at Gainesville Health & Fitness, to discover how front desk customer service changes during the Holiday season.
Q: With New Year’s around the corner, how will Gainesville Health & Fitness change how its front desk is run, if at all?
A: The only real change that we make is staffing. January is the busiest time of the year for health clubs, and we want to make sure that we can still accommodate every person that walks in the door.
Q: Do you find that members become more understanding around the Holidays? Or are they more combative, possibly due to stress?
A: Our members are unbelievably gracious during the holidays. We all know how stressful this time of year can be, and most people use the gym as an outlet for relieving that stress and having some time to themselves. So they’re excited to be there and be able to sneak away for a workout.
Also, since we’re so relationship driven at GHF, it’s not unusual to have multiple gifts, treats and presents brought to our receptionists (and other departments) over Christmas and New Years. Gainesville is such a transient community that a lot of our members know that most of our front line staff are students and that many of them may not be able to go home for the holidays. They jump on that opportunity to serve them for a change.
Q: What would you say is a top annoyance to members concerning the front desk?
A: Probably just how busy it can get, especially around the Holidays. Not only is the club busy, but the desk is busy as well and members are used to a “normal” time of year when there are less people.
Q: How can a front desk staff member ideally handle an angry member?
A: Consistently and calmly. Most of the time when someone is angry, it’s not at you — most of the time there’s a much deeper issue than what they’re telling you they’re angry about. Teach your staff how to handle these interactions before they happen. Listen to the person, repeat what they said the issue is, apologize (sincerely), and resolve the issue. Most of the time it won’t be your front desk staff doing the “fixing,” so make sure that they’re given the tools they need to not only relay the problem, but to have the point person follow up with the upset member so that they’re not lost in the system. Always remember that the people who deserve kindness the least are often the ones who need it the most.
Q: During your years working at GHF, what is the best piece of advice you could give to clubs concerning their front desk?
A: Focus on relationships, not systems! Systems are important, but every one of your staff members will make a mistake at some point, even the best ones. The club will get busy. Someone will get frustrated. The computer will freeze. It will all happen. But if you put your initial focus on building relationships with your members, when someone does make a mistake or it gets hectic, your members will not only understand, they’ll probably laugh at the situation right along with you and appreciate you more for it.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
