We’re all breathing a sigh of relief as more and more fitness and leisure venues are allowed to open their doors to members again. But with many restrictions still in place, it’s important to use your venue to its full potential to be as successful as possible.
Here are our four top tips to create positive member experiences as lockdown eases.
Tip 1: Manage your members
Communication, empathy and information are key to help members return comfortably to your facility. Whether they want to book their favourite class or have questions about their personal safety while working out; these three core behaviours help manage their expectations.
Communication
Don’t worry about over-communicating. Clearly and regularly inform them when booking slots open and highlight quieter times to distribute demand more evenly. Encourage members to book early to avoid disappointment, setting expectations is the best way to mitigate frustrations.
We’ve also found that creating opportunities for members to feedback on their experiences and share ideas is really important, because you never know where the next great innovation could come from.
Empathy
The coronavirus pandemic has presented unprecedented disruption and is causing immense uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration. Encourage your teams to be active listeners and demonstrate empathy when dealing with members.
If your teams demonstrate empathy, they will build solid relationships with members, create community, and give those members a compelling reason to keep coming back to your facility.
Information
Use real-time data to understand the most in-demand activities and then consider whether you are utilising all available space to respond to member demand. More on maximising space below.
Use digital signage to grab your member’s attention. Use it to highlight all the measures you’ve put in place and give engaging reminders to follow procedures.
Don't be afraid to share the lengths you've gone to ensure member safety through social media, internal notices and staff members.
Tip 2: Allocate spaces fairly
Ensuring a fair and balanced booking system is essential, and is about good planning, communication and technology working in harmony.
Help your members to help you
These days, booking apps are commonplace, allowing you to schedule in advance and members to pre-book classes. If you’re not already using one, now is the time to get your gym set up.
Consider placing limits on the number of classes each member can book and help them understand the importance of cancelling classes they’re no longer able to attend.
Utilise all communication channels available to you and ensure messaging is clear and consistent.
Technology can help
Touch-free access control systems and people-counting cameras can help manage occupancy levels. They control the flow of people around the facility, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience.
Digital signs can also help improve member experience by giving information such as available spaces in classes, minimising the need for physical touchpoints.
Streamline the booking process using simple upgrades to telecoms systems to route enquires to a dedicated team member.
Tip 3: Increase capacity
By repurposing existing in-facility spaces, creating outdoor exercise zones, and increasing virtual and on-demand content, you can maximise options for your members to experience your workouts.
Repurposing existing in-facility spaces
Take a look at your available spaces and ask yourself if they are being utilised to their full potential.
Could an under-used squash court or sports hall be converted into a temporary studio? Can your current cycle studio carry more weight as a multi-purpose space?
By thinking outside the box, perhaps adding portable audio solutions with additional lighting, you can transform almost any space into a viable workout studio.
Create outdoor exercise zones
Get creative to use your outdoor spaces as an extension of your gym. Portable audio equipment, including WIFI audio solutions and high-quality head mics, can turn outdoor spaces into viable and impactful exercise zones.
And if instructor numbers are limited, consider using your indoor studios for automated virtual classes – using a solution like FitboxVirtual – while your instructor takes a live class outdoors.
Increase virtual and on-demand content
Live streaming products offer a blended fitness solution that can increase class capacity and reach. This also caters to members who are hesitant to return to facilities and still prefer to exercise at home.
Film lights and networked pan/tilt/zoom cameras that change position and focal points at the touch of a button can help remote users feel like they’re in the physical studio space.
Check out our article on Live Streaming Solutions to see if providing virtual content is something you could add to your offering.
Tip 4: Make the whole experience great, not just the class
Despite your best efforts, it’s inevitable that some of your members are going to experience frustrations and anxieties when getting back into your facility.
With that in mind, it is really important to ensure that your member experience is the best it can be to make them feel excited, inspired and, most importantly, safe to come back.
Make your members feel safe
It is vital that you step up your hygiene game and ensure you keep impeccable standards. Make sure you have plenty of sanitisers around, and have a strict cleaning policy for fitness equipment, touchpads, doorways, chairs and changing rooms.
Reduce physical interaction points, especially where these can be offered virtually. Use touch-free solutions where possible and create more space to move around.
Further encourage member confidence by using visuals, like floor markings, TV screens and digital signage, to help members navigate their way around the facility with confidence. And consider adding thermal screening cameras to simplify detecting elevated skin-surface temperatures as your members enter your facility.
Enhance class experience
Finally, if your members are going to have limited chances to make it to your physical classes, ensure the in-class experience is as incredible as possible.
Multi-sensory spaces and activities are proven to enhance the overall experience and help members achieve their health and fitness goals. If you need to reduce classes sizes or the duration of the experience, adding new audio, visual and lighting elements to the class environment are a great way to ensure there is no compromise on quality.
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And there you have it, our four top tips to help improve gym member experience while adhering to restrictions. Do these core things right and your members should feel excited to come back, even if reduced capacity means they may have to wait slightly longer for a booking in than pre-COVID times.
Get in touch today to see if we can help you improve the member experience of your venue.