Importance Of Customer Service And Training In The Fitness Industry

Essential areas of customer service

In today’s time, competition has increased to a greater phase that requires the attention of the Company. It has been stated that, Fit and Fab is facing many complaints on the part of customer that requires the attention from team leader. In the first section of the report, essential areas of customer service have been described in the report. Besides this, it is also necessary to know the satisfaction of customer’s time-to-time in order to bring successful changes. At the end of the report, discussion is carried on the points that are essential to include in the training session.  

Customer service is an essential part of every business in order to succeed. In case of gym business, the revenue source is directly linked with the membership base. For remaining competitive in the growing fitness market, it is essential to provide the high quality services to the customers. Members who are satisfied with the services of Gym, will definitely come back to take the services. Retaining customers for long time into the gym is not an easy task in recent time. For attracting the customers, it is necessary by the gym owner to offer good impression at the first time. The focus of the fitness instructors, trainers, administrative staff, and nutritionists should be on the satisfaction of members in order to achieve the fitness goals (Loud Rumor, 2018). It is true that new and loyal customers always get happy whenever the business does something special in order to make customers happy. Gym can send the call, welcome letters, birthday cards as well as congratulation notes whenever any members celebrates its birthday or get promoted. Whenever the member feels special, they always try to provide the best customer service to its customers ( McCall, 2011).

This is a personalised survey form in order to measure the satisfaction of customers. It also helps in improving the services where it is not getting positive reviews from customer’s side.

Would you like to use the gym services in future?

• Yes
• No
• May be

How can we improve our services of gym?

Customers are the top most priority in our business. Therefore, the attitude towards the customer services is also equally essential. Staffs as well as management also need to be aware of the customers needed and wants (Polyakova & Mirza, 2016). Besides this, it is also essential to deal professionally and sympathetically towards the needs and demands of customers.

Customer satisfaction in the fitness industry

The customer service procedure given below is produces for ensuring the staff members are providing the best level of customer service every time.

Customer contact element	Products as well as skill sets required
Telephone	All staff members must be conversant and familiar with the common phone operations such as: 1.  Hold as well as transfer 2. Retrieving messages 3. intercom operation 4. speed dial 5. auto dial · Any of the staff members who are answering the call must use the standard greeting like welcome to our gym. This is (his or her name), or “how may I help you.” · A pleasant as well as courteous disposition should be portrayed on the phone every time with each customer, by speaking evenly as well as clearly. · When dealing with the complaints or various customers, staff will display the proper behaviour, provide the solution, actively listening to the customer and asking the solution is satisfactory or not. · Before ending the call of customer, it should be assured to ask for further assistance.   · Ending the call by thanking customer for their customer. Besides this, also advise them to look forward for the gym (Lovelock & Patterson, 2015).
Face to face	· All the staff that are doing conversation with customers face to face must be in appropriate attire specially, support shoes that is essential for the gym (Lee, Pan, Hsu & Lee, 2019). · A pleasant and courteous smile must be depicted all the time in order to keep the customers delight. · Clearly communicate the gym membership fees and benefits that it will offer to the customer when it will join the gym. It is also essential by the staff members to clearly state the facilities that are provided in the gym.

Training plays an essential role in each sector. It helps in assuring the staff how to deal with the customers effectively. Recently, it is receiving number of complaints on the side of customer that requires the proper training session (Frost, 2016). It will cover the following points in the training session:

• Assisting the customers properly regarding the Gym conditions or proper timings.
• Informing the customers about proper diet chart as per their requirement or problem.
• Proper acknowledgement of the staff members with the rule and regulations that are essential for contacting with the customers.
• Whenever the staff member is not available, it might happen that problem arises. Therefore, to whom they are accountable will be included in the training session (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
• It will ensure the staff with the diet chart or Gym charges that is essential to know in order to assist the new joiner.
• In what time, the feedback form will be filled from the customer will be acknowledged to the receptionist or customer service team.
• It will also discuss how to deal with customers when things will go wrong. It is essential to apologize when anything goes with the customers. Therefore, the essential things will be taught in the training session that is necessary for the gym customer service staff when it will deal with the customer.
• After the completion of certain time limit, it is also necessary to thank customer for believing in its services. This will be taught in the training session regarding how to send the thank you letter for using its services for long time. A proper thank you letter catches the attention of customer.

Conclusion

In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that a positive customer service plays an essential role in the service sector. Especially in fitness industry, it is essential to provide the quality service to the customer for long-term relationship with them. In order to delight the customer in Gym, it can send the time-to-time email or call to customers whenever they are doing well or not coming. Certain etiquettes are necessary for the customer service staff or receptionist while taking with customer regarding their query or problem. On Telephone, it is necessary to start conversation by saying hello or how are you?. This shows that members are professionals enough to work in the Gym. Besides this, while talking with customer face-to-face, a pleasant smile is essential to delight the customer. However, it is recommended to the Company that it can hire only professional staff that can interact with the customers in a better way. Besides this, it can also hire the person for providing proper training to its staff. It is also essential to assist the staff members how to deal with customer complaints. Therefore, inviting suggestions time-to-time can prove to be effective for the company.

The fitness industry in today’s time is self-regulated. There are specific regulations across all over the Australia but these regulations are related to the consumer protection rules and laws. It covers the various issues such as client care, membership contracts, standards if business practice and qualification, equipment and facilities. It will ensure all these requirements are met as per the laws and legislative requirements. In each jurisdiction, Fitness Australia is being recognized through the “department of fair trading.” It will also comply with the standards within the fitness industry such as group exercise, Gym instructor, and personal trainer. It will also use the professional registration that will provide the customer a clear understanding regarding the credentialed of professional who is providing the services. It is true that without the professional registration, customers will not assure the accuracy of competency and skills (Janis, 2012). It will also hire those professionals who will be having the minimum level of education in order to ensure the competency and skills levels. Besides this, it will also ensure the use of proper machinery in the Gym. As per the legal requirement, it will not use damage machinery or any such machinery that can harm the customers or its trainers.

References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. London: John Wiley & Sons.

Frost, S. (2016). The importance of training & development in the workplace. Small Business, https://smallbusiness. chron. com/importance-trainingdevelopment-workplace-10321. html.

Janis. (2012). Fitness industry regulation. Retrieved from: https://fitness.org.au/articles/latest-industry-news/fitness-industry-regulation/45/464/184

Lee, Y. L., Pan, L. Y., Hsu, C. H., & Lee, D. C. (2019). Exploring the Sustainability Correlation of Value Co-Creation and Customer Loyalty-A Case Study of Fitness Clubs. Sustainability, 11(1), 97.

Loud Rumor. (2018). 7 Customer services to stand out in the fitness industry. Retrieved from: https://www.loudrumor.com/customer-service-strategies/

Lovelock, C., & Patterson, P. (2015). Services marketing. Australia: Pearson.

Mccall, P. (2011). Defining excellent customer service from fitness professionals and its value to clients. Retrieved from: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/2105/defining-excellent-customer-service-from-fitness-professionals-and-its-value-to-clients

Polyakova, O., & Mirza, M. T. (2016). Service quality models in the context of the fitness industry. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 6(3), 360-382.