Justin Tamsett published an article in November's Club Business International Magazine entitled, ‘Where Do You Spend Your Money in 2022?’.
Wisely, Tamsett points to the importance of investing in your staff. With over 20 million people quitting their jobs in the second half of 2021, many fitness studios find themselves in the same predicament as a number of other businesses, providing the same level of service their customers have come to expect but with fewer resources. To further complicate matters, studio employees are picking up additional work for an undetermined amount of time.
In conversations with our fitness studio customers, they identified the following things they’re asking of their employees on top of previously designated work.
- Greeting members. Coming to a studio can be intimidating. Everyone wants to feel welcome or this will be their last visit. Employees should personally show them around, and communicate available amenities.
- Keep it clean and safe. Appearances matter, but beyond that, in this era they have to be sanitized as well. Employees should also be available to adjust a member’s equipment. Trying to figure out equipment can be frustrating, but worse, can lead to an ineffective workout or worse, injury.
- Manage leads and lead follow-up. After class, staff should evaluate their leads who are visiting for the first time and work to build connections that keep people coming back.
- Always be selling. Discuss future classes and intro offers with leads and members. You don't miss a chance to grow your business or find out what you could do better.
The adding on of these additional, time-consuming, responsibilities is leading to more unhappy and disengaged employees, and even more resignations. Fitness studios must connect, engage, and support their employees. To solve for this, many fitness studios are implementing technology as more than just a stop-gap. Technology is now aiding in improving studio efficiencies and enabling employees. Below are five technology investments that will reinvest in your employees tenfold.
1. Class, Services, and Booking Management
Studios can adjust booking times to allow for more time in between classes for sanitization and resetting a room, control the number of members that can register to pivot around available resources, allocate staffing resources where they’re needed most, and develop spot booking to manage the spacing in between members during a class.
2. Check-in and Reporting Systems
Studios are now embracing a more modern check-in system. Utilizing an advanced check-in module allows studios to construct a check-in process that works for their specific club and with the resources available. With options for barcode scan, as well as self or staff check-in by app or web, studio owners and members can opt for a self-service and contactless experience.
3. POS and Inventory Management, Staff Management, and Managed Billing Systems
Because many studios have had to scale back staffing, internal automation is essential to the day-to-day operations. With a strong system in place, studios can streamline operations while also developing strong member relationships and loyalty with tools like controlled freezing and unfreezing of member accounts. With the self check-in tool available via web browser or mobile app, studios can flex their staff where they are needed most, while also providing members safe contactless class check-in. Utilizing the contract and agreement tool, studios can easily adjust, send, and accept waiver policies with updated health and safety protocols and requirements around local and state requirements as well as their studio’s updated policies.
4. Automated Communication Tools
Automated communication tools allow studios to send email marketing campaigns to introduce members to new class procedures, and updated waivers. Through a powerful automation engine, studios can now automate things they never expected in order to target member and prospect communications. These systems should also connect to a studio’s SMS and mobile app tools. These solutions allow studios to send push notifications with class offerings and availability, as well as build member engagement, encourage members after workouts and reconnect with at-risk members that aren’t entering the studio regularly.
5. CRM
In order to help engage your key staff into this equation, make it easy for them. Your CRM should automatically display the daily tasks for contacting prospects and members right on a staff-persons home CRM dashboard. Your system will track these actions automatically for measuring key sales KPI’s.
Studio owners and employees are both feeling overwhelmed and overextended. With the right technology to help you scale resources and staff, you can build your fitness business for the future.
Ready to Grow Your Fitness Business? Schedule a Consultation with ClubReady.