Just because you have happy fitness club members, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be completely free of issues. Even the most smooth-running gym business is going to have occasional payment disputes. When it comes to questions about customer credit cards and payments, you have to get it right.
In this case, satisfactory resolutions can mean the difference between customer retention and cancellations. Payments and the records that report them are some of the most problematic parts of consumer businesses, particularly in fitness. Misunderstandings in these areas can quickly turn happy customers into annoyed ones.
Situational Responses And Maximum Retention
The way that customers respond to anomalies depends on the context. If members experience an unexpected event, the way they react depends on how strongly they feel about it. Anything to do with personal information will make them squirm. If it relates to payment information, it plays on any insecurities and suspicions they already have.
Fortunately, this is not a new thing, and you can prepare for it. With the right policies and procedures in place, you can limit the damage and maximize membership retention. When customers scrutinize their bank and credit card statements and find charges that they don’t understand, it can quickly lead to suspicions, complaints, and unnecessary chargebacks.
The Lack of Complaints Might Be A Bad Thing
Club Solutions Magazine recently explained the problems relating to disputes and suggested solutions that help to minimize payment misunderstandings.
If a few members complain, you can be sure that there are more who just drop out. It’s human nature and all too common that uncertainty leads to cancelations, and that is why you need clear policies and the discipline to act on them promptly.
Among other things, Club Solutions suggests you do the following:
- Post your returns and cancellations policies prominently
- Watch out for cancellations and have procedures in place to respond immediately
- Process all credits immediately and prevent subsequent charges going through
Encourage Questions for Better Retention
It is human nature that clients hide their thoughts and feelings from you. Most people would climb mountains to avoid conflict and confrontation. The problem is avoiding issues causes the worry and confusion turn to unnecessary hostility and resentment. If that negativity stays under wraps, it comes out as complaining to other members and unexpected cancellations.
These are all dangers that arise from unasked questions. It’s not enough that you make people feel welcome and safe, you have to go a step further. Luckily, the solution is straightforward: Invite questions. Post notices and tell your members that the only bad questions are the ones that don’t get asked.
Modernize Your Gym Management Information Systems
A smart gym management system will help you make policy choices based on the facts. When you manage your business with software from Gym Insight, you can keep your members happy and respond to them sincerely when they have questions.
We have the full set of tools to sell memberships, products, and services. If you are an independent fitness trainer, Insight helps you take care of the business aspects of your practice and keeps you organized. When you are a self-employed independent trainer, you have to do all of the administration and office work yourself, which takes time away from your customers and your life.
Whether you are just starting out as a new gym or trainer, or you have an established club membership, Insight gives you the power to support yourself in the fitness business more efficiently. We can help you keep track of all of your information and customer data, and you get more time to concentrate on delivering service to your customers.
Answers And Solutions On The Spot With Insight
We developed the Insight Suite of gym management software tools to sell memberships and manage operations. It is also designed to help you answer questions and solve problems for your club members.
When you have answers, you reassure and reinforce your message that tacitly demonstrates your service and maximizes your retention. With Insight the answers and all the gym management information on which you depend are always just a click away.
Bibliography
Fagan, Lawrence. Promote Your Gym Business By Eating Your Own Dog Food. April 25, 2017. https://blog.gyminsight.com/4384-promote-your-gym-business-by-eating-your-own-dog-food/ (accessed September 13, 2018).
Fagan, Lawrence. Cancellation: Inoculation or Escalation? January 20, 2014. https://blog.gyminsight.com/2402-cancellation-inoculation-or-escalation/ (accessed September 13, 2018).
Oat, Carole. Minimizing Member Credit Card Disputes. August 31, 2018. https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2018/08/minimizing-credit-card-disputes/ (accessed September 13, 2018).