As you battle the attrition monster, make sure to start the process early. Many clubs wait too long to call and ask expired members to come back. Once they are gone, it is often too late.
If a membership expires and the member is inactive, that gives the member the opportunity to go and join another club. While it occasionally happens, I think most people wait to shop for another facility after their current membership expires. I occasionally get early shoppers, but it’s an exception rather than the rule, unless you are running an aggressive price-point based promotion
Now, we could start the conversation about why they’d shop around in the first place, but I digress. The fact is, if a new $10 gym opens up across the street people will check it out regardless of how well you treat them. So, you should still do everything you can to keep them happy, and then start offering early renewal specials no later than 90 days before the membership is set to expire.
Frank Emanuel
Health Club Marketing Contributor
