Customer Satisfaction over Cancellation Policy

As a gym owner, it’s no secret that the longer you keep your members, the more revenue you’ll generate for your club. But unfortunately, in the quest to drive more profit, many gym owners try to make it virtually impossible to cancel their membership. 

The thought might be that by making it difficult to cancel, your members will give up and simply remain a paying member. With “cancellation policies” such as the ones below, the likelihood of a member returning in the future, is extremely low;

• Cancel your membership by filling out a cancellation form 
• Send a letter via certified mail
• Do not call to cancel
• Do not email us normal way to cancel
• Can not cancel within the first 12months

Like Josh Ocampo said, “Cancelling membership is like competing in the hunger games”. No wonder why gym members are so frustrated with their experience!

Instead of playing defense like so many gyms today do, it’s important to go on the offense! Here’s how to rethink your cancellation policy, and improve the satisfaction of your members in the process. 

Focus On Improving The Experience

We talk a lot about improving your member's experience. Why? Because it’s that important! 

By going the extra mile and taking care of your customers, they are significantly more likely to remain a member. The easiest way to reduce cancellations is by providing a better product and service.

That can be accomplished if you’re taking the right approach. 

• Do you build your processes from a member's point of view?
• Are you giving each new member a welcome goodie bag?
• Do you communicate with them on a personal level when sending emails, text messages and push notifications?
• Do you follow up with each member based on their wants and needs?
• Are you providing free stuff to add more value to the membership they’re paying for? 
• Are you listening to their feedback and investing in the classes and machines your community wants?

Offering personalized attention is an investment.

An Opportunity To Improve 

In a survey among health club members, one of the biggest reasons members quit the gym is because of a lack of personal attention. 

When a customer is looking to cancel, it presents a unique opportunity to make things right. 

Instead of simply making it hard for them to cancel, use each cancelation as a way to improve your offering. Why did they quit? Is there anything that you could have done better? Could you have personalized the experience a little bit more?

You would be surprised at how many members will remain at your club as long as you show you care. 

The Ideal Cancelation Policy 

The most successful gyms around the world make it easy for their members to cancel if they decide to do so. 

Here are a few best practices to consider. 

Leverage technology to make it easy for your members to pause their membership. If a membership pause their account, create a customer journey and find out the reason for a sudden pause.

If a member does want to cancel, at the very least you should ask for a little information on how to make your gym better. 

Offer different perks to remain a member. For instance, the price is a factor in a member switching gyms, a discount can go a long way in building loyalty and trust. Even with providing a discount, you’re going to save money on the cost of acquiring a new customer. 

Always be upfront and center about your membership policy. Putting a hard to find cancelation fee in your contracts will do nothing but make your previous customers angry. The last thing you want is for them to share their unhappiness on social media.

Lastly, you want to make it easy for them to come back if they decide to return. Keep their profile and account on file and allow them to reinstate their membership with a few clicks. 

It’s really that simple. 

Putting It All Together 

If you’re serious about growing your fitness studio, you need to invest in your members. Use a digital solution to collect data and personalize their experience and make sure you are listening to their wants and needs.

Every one of your members has a different reason for joining your gym, and it’s up to you to know what that is and do your best to provide it. 

At Ikseed we help you understand your health club data so you can provide the best experience in town. 

Cheers!