FITNESS MATTERS: Keeping Up with The “Joneses”

Ask any hospitality professional and they’ll tell you, the word management within the context of “facility management” is largely about managing customer expectations. Meeting, satisfying, and as much as possible, exceeding those expectations to maintain a happy customer base is what keeps them coming back.  To help manage your fitness amenity, I’ve detailed a variety of ways that your team can effectively keep up with the “joneses” in pursuit of guest satisfaction-—in this case, specifically addressing the ever-evolving expectations of travelers.

One might assume that effective support for the fitness facility would require continually arming your property with the latest and greatest high-tech (and often times expensive) exercise equipment, but that is hardly the case. While it’s certainly important to maintain a commitment to refreshing your equipment, the daily solutions to maintaining customer satisfaction are far more practical and affordable.

Upkeep

In lieu of pre-maturely introducing new equipment, take good care of what you have. A commitment to consistent daily maintenance is essential. Equipment must be fully functional and working properly. Annoyingly squeaky components, poorly lubricated chains and gears, bent or broken weight pins or clamps…not only are these inconveniences to customers, but they can also be safety risks. The adage “safety first” can’t be overstated due to the liability issues and potential legal damages and costs associated with injuries that can occur within your facility. And then there’s the affect that “down” equipment has on customer expectations and satisfaction. The last thing you want is a guest entering your fitness center only to find that a piece of cardio or strength equipment is down and unavailable. With a hotel or resort, it can be a “one and done” situation where you get one shot to deliver a satisfying experience, or risk a black eye on the customer’s experience that you can never take back. At the local health club, members are locked into long-term relationships with the facility so if a machine’s down, the mindset is more “forgiving” because they’re not necessarily going anywhere else and there’s typically a wider variety of equipment options to meet their need.  Not the case with a hotel or resort fitness center where the mindset is short term and the impact far greater when a piece of equipment is unavailable and there are not as many alternative pieces available. The solution here is simple and practical: have a certified fitness service provider on speed dial, and more importantly, arm your facility with a preventative maintenance agreement that provides a consistent level of service from a local provider that will minimize equipment malfunctions and related “down” time. Preventative maintenance agreements are not only effective, they typically represent a long-term cost-savings over the alternative of having to schedule one-off service appointments whenever a machine goes down. The costs involved in “fixing” far exceed the more basic costs of “maintaining.” So do yourself a favor in arming yourselves with such an agreement.

Appearance

As obvious as the importance isof safe and efficiently working equipment, appearance is also critical and can’t be ignored. Trust me, if you ignore appearance, your guests will be unable to do the same. And it’s not just about the aesthetic value, but more about the perception of neglect it can create. No matter how efficiently a piece of equipment may be functioning, if it doesn’t look safe or appealing, it will have virtually the same effect on your customers as a piece of equipment that’s broken down. Things like dull or rusted surfaces, worn cables, torn upholstery or soiled exercise mats create an impression of poor quality and potential safety hazards, even when they don’t exist. Address this by a full staff commitment to a daily cleaning regimen, including a thorough wipe down of all surfaces and floors. And set aside a nominal budget to address the need for new upholstery covers when tears or fraying begin. In this case, a little budget will go a long way.

Baseline Equipment Offering

I previously stated that premature introductions of new high tech or fitness-trend-based equipment were not the key to maintaining customer satisfaction, and this is true. However, that statement is based on the assumption that you are offering and maintaining an adequate lineup of quality commercial exercise equipment that is well-maintained, fully functional and safe to use.  This is essential as a starting point if you want your guests to take you seriously and be satisfied. At a baseline level, you’ll need to ensure you’re covering the two critical pillars of fitness with an ample lineup of cardio-vascular and strength-training equipment. In addition, you’ll want to sprinkle in accessories such as exercise mats, stability balls, resistance bands and other low-cost items that will create an added level of versatility for your customers.

New-Product Introductions

You still have to keep your equipment offering current in order to keep up with expectations of your valued guests. For example, if you’ve yet to introduce elliptical trainers into your lineup of cardio-vascular equipment, then you’re definitely behind the times.  Or if you’ve yet to bring any level of fitness entertainment amenities into the mix, whether they be flat screen-equipped treadmills or I-pod docking stations, you should probably gain some consult.  Typical “turn” times for hospitality-based fitness facilities are 3-4 years for cardiovascular equipment and 4-5 years for strength equipment. Luxury brands often turn equipment over on a 3-year rotation, even if it’s in fair shape. New products are not an every calendar year pressure by any means. But surely, as new trends and exercise preferences accumulate over 2-3 years, your guests will be looking for the things they enjoy and have exposure to at their own health clubs. Another important consideration where equipment turnover is concerned is cost. There’s a re-sale value for equipment that factors into long-term costs where new equipment introductions are concerned. It’s important to be aware that when you get past the 3-4 year stage, the “book” value of most fitness equipment can fall to as low as 10 percent of the original price. Therefore, your greatest trade-in value is at or around the 3-year mark. 

A Little Something Different

While a hotel or resort fitness facility is not necessarily the place for heavy risk taking on new or unconventional fitness products, adding a unique or interesting piece can really make a big impression on your guests. For example, spucing up your basic lineup of cardio and strength machines with a unique product like an instructional-based exercise machine where the worlds of digital instruction and personal exercise collide, or a rock climbing wall panel or unique abdominal training product can really leave your customers feeling like they got something extra special from their exercise experience.

Hygiene

If you’ve read previous articles of mine, then you know how much of a proponent of hygiene I am. With the myriad of exotic flu strains, viruses and other bacteria-based ailments that pervade our lives and the media’s focus, consumers will not accept a facility that is not hygienic. Ensure that pre-saturated wipe dispensers are prominent or similar are readily available throughout your facility. If possible, also offer towel service to ensure consistently fresh clean workout towels as well.  And certainly insure you have the highest degree of cleaning protocol taking place in your fitness center!  I assure you it can rival the germiest places you will ever find elsewhere on property.

Develop a Relationship with an Expert

Collectively, I’ve outlined several day-to-day considerations that will assist you in maintaining a critical level of quality and service that will keep customer satisfaction levels high. But as simple as each may sound, together they can present a challenge when it comes to effectively addressing and maintaining each of them over time. Establishing an effective relationship with a local fitness partner for both product supply and service should help ensure that each of these areas are addressed on a consistent and professional basis.  It’s no different than with a business center. You wouldn’t send a staff member (at least I hope not) to the local office supply store every time you need fax paper, staples or dry ink cartridges for your copier.  Instead, you’d align with an office supply consultant or vendor that can handle the full array of needs on a consistent basis, and typically, you’d enjoy price breaks and other cost-effective benefits from such a relationship. Do the same with your fitness center by identifying and securing a local fitness consultancy that can provide expertise and service to address both your short-term and long-term needs and ensure that you don’t miss a beat or lose a customer.