Consistent day-to-day operations and reliable member services are the bread and butter of a successful wellness offering.
Once the fitness center is built, the equipment is delivered, and the trainers are in place, it’s time to get down to brass tacks—establishing the day-to-day operations of your sparkling new fitness center.
Like most amenity decisions, developing the policies by which your fitness center operates is a club-specific process. The needs of members dictate nearly everything, from when you open the doors in the morning to locking them up at night.
Despite the promise held forth by “Field of Dreams,” just because you build it doesn’t necessarily mean they will come. Offering consistent, high-quality service plays a large role in the health and vitality of your fitness program.
Survey is King
Surveying members to gauge opinions is a tried-and-true method of establishing the “ground rules” for fitness centers that can then be used to help determine how policies and procedures might be changed down the line.
“We watch attendance numbers and times monthly, to ensure we’re getting the most bang for our buck in regard to facility hours and operations,” says Tara Robertson, Fitness and Wellness Director at Mountain Brook Club in Birmingham, Ala. Robertson uses SurveyMonkey, a free online survey platform, and sends brief (20 questions or fewer) questionnaires to members as needed.
Measuring Progress
For many clubs, wellness efforts can be difficult to quantify—not only from a return-on-investment standpoint, but also from an overall health perspective. Rick Ladendorf, Founder & President of Prevo Health Solutions, has created a standardized, quantitative system to measure a club’s wellness programming. “My goal has always been to raise awareness for proper nutrition and regular exercise,” Ladendorf says. “First we help clubs with overall wellness awareness, and then they offer those health services and amenities to bring in new members and keep current members healthy. If you keep members healthy, they pay dues longer.” Prevo also extends its expertise to staff health. “If staff are healthier, they stay at work longer, are more productive, and reduce the club’s overall health costs,” Ladendorf says. “Everything you do for employees has a direct impact for the bottom line.” Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., is consistently a standout on the annual list, Ladendorf notes. “They’ve done things that don’t require a lot of money, but change employee behavior and make a difference,” he says. The club’s human resources department, he notes, decided to create a women’s group, made up primarily of housekeepers, and helped to set up walking clubs in employees’ neighborhoods. The goal was to be active after work, and Ladendorf says that the group started with six women and has ballooned to 50. “Clubs aren’t as invested in employee wellness as they are with programming for members,” Ladendorf says. “The real opportunity lies in bridging the gap between members and staff, by leveraging expertise you already have in-house through the fitness director, and then making those benefits available to employees as well.” |
“We gather the results and discuss them with the fitness and wellness committee,” she reports. “The answers help management plan, discuss and execute [the fitness center’s] growth, [based on the] wants and needs of the membership.”
Mountain Brook’s fitness facility keeps its doors open Monday through Friday from 5 am to 8 pm, and shaves off a couple hours on the weekends. While Robertson notes that she has heard of some club fitness centers that stay open 24 hours, by giving members access via keycards when the center is not staffed, she has reservations about the idea.
“This can be a concern if an accident should occur when exercising unsupervised by staff,” Robertson says. “While our club is staffed all hours we are open, a club in close proximity allows 4 am to 6 am and 8 pm to 10 pm to be unstaffed, and that seems to work for them.”
Attaching a price tag to fitness can be a challenge as well, when taking into account the overall cost of membership, general fitness facility use, personal training sessions and group fitness classes.
At Boulder (Colo.) Country Club, the fitness center keeps personal training priced at 30% below market value, says Nicole Mains, Fitness Director.
“We don’t charge premiums for services—the rate is always lower than market value, and we make up for it in volume because it’s more affordable,” Mains says.
To develop its pricing structure, Mountain Brook researched the price points of its competitors in the region, as well as similar clubs in the industry.
“We also want to pay a top wage for our group fitness instructors and personal trainers,” Robertson says. “The club wants to hire the best and maintain the staff over the long haul. Our members are willing to pay a little extra to get that quality.”
Beyond the Center
Once the doors are open, the next step is getting members through them. Wellness-related events and amenities are ideal ways to spread the word about what the fitness program offers while staying club-inclusive and demonstrating the club’s commitment to wellness—a niche that big-box gyms don’t fulfill.
“Commercial gyms aren’t wellness centers—they’re an exercise place,” says Karen Sullivan, Fitness & Wellness Director at Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan. “We offer extras like medical presentations and skin cancer screenings, because there’s so much more that can fall under the fitness umbrella.”
Mountain Brook offers a smoothie bar with recipes created by (and named after) members and trainers, creating “a fun connection for the staff and members,” Robertson says. The club also offers educational seminars, such as CPR/AED training, juicing and healthy cooking classes, nutrition seminars by a registered dietician, self-defense classes for women, and more. Mountain Brook also makes the first group fitness class free for members, so they can try it out before committing.
By linking the fitness program with other club departments, staff members can perform double-duty marketing, exposing two groups to other club offerings. Golf-specific fitness programs offered in conjunction with the golf department at Mountain Brook connect the two, while a “quick and healthy” menu developed in conjunction with the food-and-beverage department offers smaller meals, at a lower price point, that members can order and take to-go.
At Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., the fitness staff showcases the department’s offerings around big events, like golf and tennis tournaments. “We often take our trainers and massage therapists to the opening of the big tournaments and do free massage, stretching, and foam rolling for the members before their games, and then also after,” says Fitness Director Angela Jackson. “This gives them a chance to see and experience the benefits of what our fitness center has.
“We will also go to the awards luncheons after [the tournaments] and give a quick talk to the members about what is happening in the fitness center and what we have to offer,” Jackson adds. “We will even put together little presentations of what the benefits of exercising and stretching are for their golf or tennis games.”
Keeping members in the fitness center, however, is a matter of service. “We encourage staff to know names and faces, and to give one-on-one personal service,” says Jackson. “We have the chance to get to know the members and their fitness needs, and it makes it easier for us to sell them personal training and other programs we offer. My office door is always open, so anyone can come talk to me.”
Mountain Brook has a similar, member-oriented approach to service. “The staff should always think ‘member first,’ and ‘what can I do to make this member’s visit to our facility better?’” says Robertson. “It’s a culture that needs to be created from the top down and then [made to be] extremely contagious.
“Further, managers need to be in the trenches with their staff,” she adds. “This shows them you are a part of the team—[and] if they see you as a role model, they will follow your lead.”
Healthy on the Cheap
In light of the affordable care act, many employers are starting to wake up on the issue of employee wellness. However, not every investment needs to be costly. Wellness Council of America-certified expert Dr. Carmella Sebastian offers the following inexpensive wellness tips for employers: Ask your insurance carrier for support. If you provide health insurance for your employees, tap into the resources available from your carrier. It is in insurers’ best interests to keep you happy and your employees healthy, because that translates into year-after-year renewals and lower claim costs. At the very least, your insurer should be able to provide a health risk assessment, Sebastian says. Check with other vendors. If you have an Employee Assistance Program vendor, this organization can and should assist with any behavioral health education or support. For example, your worker’s compensation provider can do a worksite ergonomics assessment and instruct employees about decreasing injury on the job. Partner up with local medical organizations. Get in touch with local medical organizations and ask for assistance. Keep in mind that a health fair is nothing more than offering a health risk appraisal or questionnaire for your employees, some biometric testing (like blood pressure and height and weight), and free educational materials. Approach specialized groups for specialized help. “Talk to organizations like the American Lung Association or your state’s smoking quitline for smoking-cessation programs, or to the American Diabetes Association,” Sebastian says. “Some will even come into your workplace and provide a lunch-and-learn program. Likewise, if you have 15 people to participate, Weight Watchers will come to your office and do a lunch program, too.” Rethink incentives. “I have seen people do remarkable things for a water bottle, t-shirt, or a special parking spot,” Sebastian says. “Provide incentives that are health-focused if at all possible, like three free visits to a local gym, or a healthy lunch on the company.” |
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.