Lessons From Hospitality for Fitness Clubs

Lessons From… A Gas Station?

Any aspect of any industry can benefit from good hospitality. Quick-service dining like Chick-fil-A and gas stations that are more about experience than refueling (looking at you, Buc-cee's) prove that the customer experience defines the success of its purveyor, regardless of industry or product. 

As a college grad, I was surprised when my hospitality training from Chick-fil-A corporate earned me the attention of headhunters (from widely varied industries) on LinkedIn. To this day, I continue to receive their inquiries. But why? Because they know something too many business owners don't seem to grasp: Successful hospitality equals success, period. 

Evidence of the emphasis hospitality receives among every industry is sometimes as simple as a quiet line of script on a hotel television when you walk into your room: 'Welcome, Kelsie' glowing softly onscreen has a far more impactful effect than 'Hello, guest.' 

When you treat your customers with a personalized level of respect and priority, a curious transformation happens: they go from casual consumer to raving fan of your brand, and they're enthusiastic about telling absolutely everyone why they should choose you, too.  

Josie's car is on empty, and there's a QuikTrip across the street from a BP. Even though QT costs a few cents more per gallon, that's where Josie chooses to fill up her car. Why? Because Josie perceives QT as cleaner, safer, and more pleasant, aspects she's willing to pay extra for. 

Despite BP's massive presence of 21,200 locations globally, it's estimated that QuikTrip outperforms them by over double the revenue per location. While that success can be attributed to many things (a leaner, more focused business model, more consistency across locations, etc.) it's undeniable that the hospitable atmosphere QuikTrip so intentionally pursues plays a revenue-enhancing role. 

Beyond the relevant and apparent impact on revenue, hospitality also creates brand loyalty – those raving fans – who prefer their brand over others, regardless of additional incurred cost, whether financial or otherwise. Loyalists may jump at the chance to stay at their favorite brand of upscale hotel or dine at their favorite restaurant, even if the locations are less convenient than other options. 

Applying Gas Station Hospitality to Fitness & Leisure

Your customers have been trained by the world around them, from gas station to hotel to doctor's office to coffee shop, to expect hyper-personalized experiences. Those could look like: 

• AI-driven fitness plans 

• Personalization & connection with your club 

• Anticipatory service offerings (think post-HIIT recovery options) 

The ability to customize interactions (remember the hotel tv example?) is key for that second bullet especially – with regular communications upholding that tenet of engagement. Did your member hit a landmark with 100 classes attended? Is their birthday coming up? Are they hitting their fitness goals? Sending automated celebratory messages with tech-fueled customization is incredibly powerful to the member experience.  

"Way to go, James! You just attended your 50th kickboxing class. Enjoy your next class on us – you earned it!" 

Feeling seen has lasting implications on a member's loyalty. So utilizing a software that has options to track, review, and celebrate the very thing your members are showing up for – their fitness wins – is a surefire way to retain and engage your members. 

ClubReady's Performance IQ fits the bill exactly, with goalsetting, progress tracking, performance history, and more – all on the same platform your members use to book their classes and machines. 

"PIQ is our statistics for all our rowers. That's a huge part of what we do. It's how we maintain and encourage our community because we keep track of milestones to celebrate members and we get that data from PIQ."  

Adam Gruen, Area Developer/Franchise Owner | Row House

However you choose to accomplish it, a high level of hospitality is what will keep members engaged, excited, and coming back to your club.