7 Common Gym Complaints and How To Avoid Hearing Them
When you own or manage a gym, you’re not just in the fitness business — you’re also in the customer service business. There’s no getting around it. You’re going to be met with complaints from your members on occasion.
The good news, though, is that all it takes to avoid a lot of complaints is a little proactivity.
To help you out we’ve rounded up 7 of the most common complaints customers have about gyms, as well as what you need to do to avoid ever hearing them at your facility.
1. Lack of Cleanliness
As you start to increase gym members, you’ll likely notice that your facility gets messier faster. Because of this, you’ll need to be more on top of things when keeping your gym clean and sanitised.
To avoid complaints about a lack of cleanliness, make sure you’ve employed sufficient cleaning staff. You should also make it easier for your members to clean up after themselves. For example, make wipes or spray and paper towels readily available. And bins, you can never have too many bins.
2. Unprofessional Staff
A lack of professionalism reflects poorly on your gym and could affect your future membership numbers. Make it clear to everyone you employ that you expect professionalism at all times.
For your front desk staff, this includes greeting guests politely as soon as they enter the facility and promptly responding to their questions and concerns. As for trainers, they should be encouraging and enthusiastic but not overly harsh or intense when working with your members.
To avoid complaints about a lack of cleanliness, make sure you’ve employed sufficient cleaning staff and make it easier for your members to clean up after themselves.
3. Lack of Problem Resolution
If you say you’re going to solve a problem for a gym member, you need to follow through and do your best to actually take care of it.
If a member makes a complaint about a damaged shower in the locker room, for example, and 3 months later it’s still broken, they’re not going to be very happy.
They might go on to leave a negative review online, or they might discourage their friends or family members from joining. They may even decide to cancel their membership altogether.
To avoid running into this issue, keep a log of member complaints. That way, you won’t forget to address something after it’s brought to your attention.
4. Poor Communication
With tools like fitness software and email marketing software, it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with your members — as well as those who have shown an interest in joining your gym but haven’t yet pulled the trigger.
If you don’t use your tools properly or consistently, you’re not going to be able to communicate effectively with your members. You may even end up with serious issues like double-booked appointments or memberships that don’t get updated on time.
Be sure to choose your gym CRM (customer relationship management) software carefully. This will ensure you find a tool that works for your team and provides your members with a positive experience.
5. Poorly Maintained Equipment
Nobody wants to work out at a gym where half the equipment is broken or doesn’t function properly.
Accidents happen, and it’s okay if a machine breaks. You need to make it a priority to repair it as quickly as possible, though. Otherwise, your members are going to be frustrated with your facility, and they might eventually decide to take their business elsewhere.
6. Lack of Space
Another common complaint that might come up when your gym business starts to grow has to do with a lack of space.
Crowding can cause people to have unpleasant workout experiences — especially if they have to wait a long time to use a piece of equipment — and can also pose health and safety risks.
To combat crowding, be sure to share peak times with your members so they can make informed decisions about when to show up. You may want to change your gym capacity guidelines as well to minimise crowding.
A lack of professionalism reflects poorly on your gym and could affect your future membership numbers. Make it clear to everyone you employ that you expect professionalism at all times.
7. Inconsiderate Gym Members
From grunting and screaming (we’ve all dealt with those gym members) to pools of sweat and unracked weights, there are a lot of ways that gym members can be inconsiderate.
At first, this might seem like an issue that’s beyond your control. However, if it takes place at your gym, it’s your responsibility.
If you’re receiving complaints about other members being inconsiderate, you need to take action.
This might look like placing signs around the gym to remind people to wipe down or put away their equipment. You may also need to address certain members directly and give them a warning about their behaviour.
Hopefully by taking this list on board, you’ll never have to deal with a complaint (touch wood). But should something come up, it’s important you know the proper way to handle it.
What is the right way to address complaints about my gym?
Sometimes, the way you handle a complaint makes a bigger impression on your members than the issue that caused the complaint in the first place. Here are some tips that can help you respond appropriately and ensure your members are satisfied:
Take all complaints seriously — don’t be dismissive toward your members or shrug off their concerns
Make a record of every complaint, complete with the date it was made and the date when it was fixed
Own up to the issue — even if you don’t think it’s your fault — and start looking for solutions immediately
Follow up with the member and let them know what you’ve done to address the problem
Be sure to keep an eye on review sites that mention your gym, too. Pay attention to what people are saying online and use their feedback as a guide to what you need to improve in the future.
Make a record of every complaint, complete with the date it was made and the date when it was fixed
Final Thoughts
When you’re running a gym, you’re going to be met with complaints from members from time to time. If you follow the tips discussed in this guide, you’ll have a much easier time addressing issues, solving problems, and creating a more positive workout experience for all members.
Are you interested in learning more about effectively running and managing a gym? We’ve got lots of other fitness business tips available on our GymLeads blog. Check out this article on gym sales automation today to continue learning.
Want To Increase Your Gyms’ Sales?
If you want to bring in more members and convert more leads, we recommend using a fitness CRM such as GymLeads. Our state of the art gym lead management software allows you to dramatically increase your fitness centre sales and stop money slipping through the cracks with streamlined lead management, marketing automation, reporting, gym marketing, and more. Head here to book a free demo today.