It’s one thing to work towards healthy retention, but how are you tracking the results? Most members aren’t going to say “I was going to leave, but then you sent a thank you card so I’m sticking around.” We may never really know the true effect of our efforts. But that shouldn’t stop us from doing everything we can to judge how well our retention strategies are working.
Starting this month, you should document every member that leaves. Once you get a handle on the amount of people actually canceling, then you can begin to understand the effectiveness of your retention program. These numbers should be your benchmark and compared monthly and year-to-year.
As you see improvement it can be easier to identify when things are working. If there is a big increase in cancellations, without a related cause, you can look at what you’ve changed that might have been a driver for the increase and make the necessary adjustments.
Frank Emanuel
Health Club Marketing Contributor
