What separates you from the other fitness studios in your area? You can probably rattle off three to five distinct advantages you have over other trainers or facilities…
“We have state-of-the-art equipment and amenities.”
“We have the best prices in the county.”
“We’re conveniently located right next to two school practices fields, a dance studio and the grocery store…which means working out and grabbing dinner while your kids are at practice is a breeze.”
The power of differentiators cannot be overstated. So when I hear gym owners say, “Our customer service sets us apart,” I can’t help but pause.
Don’t get me wrong – your client experience strategy is HUGELY impactful on your business’s ongoing success. But make no mistake, basic customer service is no longer a competitive advantage. It’s table stakes.
The reality is that your clients (and your prospects who are shopping for a new gym home!) expect to be treated with respect and to have a great experience with you and your staff. And what’s more, common customer service tactics have become so un-special that they’re no longer wowing clients anymore. Instead, your clients expect them.
So what does that mean for you? What can you do to truly set your business apart from competitors when all your “old tricks” are coming up short?
It takes a bit of creativity, but there are still a few things you can do to set yourself apart from your competitors that are over and beyond what even the pickiest clients expect of your customer service.
The truth is that incredible customer experience is no longer incredible.
I’ll break down three ways to blow your clients expectations and go over and beyond what every other gym is doing…
- Example 1:
EXPECTED = Sending “Happy Birthday” text messages to clients
OVER & BEYOND = Announcing a client’s birthday on the workout white board. Or, having a “birthday playlist” tradition in which the client with the birthday gets to pick the workout playlist.
Everyone sends birthday texts. Realtors send “happy birthday” texts; Famous Dave’s Barbeque sends birthday emails; most trainers send birthday well wishes to their clients, too…but very few gyms make birthdays an all-gym celebration. Find ways to creatively and appropriately celebrate your clients’ birthdays.
- Example 2:
EXPECTED = Sending a “Thinking of you” card in the mail when a client is grieving or experiencing a hard time.
OVER & BEYOND = Sending a signed card from all your staff along with flowers. Or, preparing a meal and dropping it off at the client’s house with a note from your team.
It’s a nice courtesy to acknowledge deaths and diagnoses of your clients. But few would expect you to go to greater lengths to show your team cares. This is a great opportunity to show up for a client when he or she needs it most.
- Example 3:
EXPECTED = Offering Christmas specials on training packages and being flexible with scheduling
OVER & BEYOND = Providing Christmas gifts for every client (ie. branded shirts, $5 Starbucks gift cards)
Many trainers will receive small gifts from their clients around the holidays…but not many gyms give their clients gifts! Choose something that’s both valuable to your client and budget-appropriate, and you’ll be sure to surprise and delight your clients when they least expect it.
You may have noticed that every one of the examples I used require some kind of investment…whether it be money, time, resources, or a combination of the three. I’ll admit that I’m biased on this point, but I believe customer experience is one of the best investments you can make in your business.
I’ve seen gym owner after gym owner invest in client gifts, swag, onboarding packets, ways to say “thank you,” and systems and platforms that make relationship-building easier…and they always get a positive ROI. The power of going over and beyond never ceases to amaze me.
The truth is that incredible customer experience is no longer incredible. But with a little creativity and implementing some of the tactics I outlined above, you’ll not only build stronger relationships with your client base (which means higher customer lifetime value), you’ll also develop a truly unique client experience that no other gym can compete with!
If you know you need to level-up your customer experience strategy but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Sign up for a FREE demo of Naamly to see how our easy-to-use software can simplify and streamline your client touchpoints, so you can show up for clients when it matters most with less effort and less stress.