Do you agree with Gyms charging people that don't turn up

fez

fez

Caporegime
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People are too lazy to exercise, people are too lazy to even cancel the membership they are not using and they are conditioned to blame someone else for both these things.
 
Caporegime
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....
Speaking with a couple of friends of mine that manage gyms, they say that at least 70% of their income comes from members that don't turn up..

As far as i see this causes a few problems

1) No incentive for the Gym to advertise the benefits of why they joined
2) Technically having too many members on the books than the gym could handle if all turned up regularly
3) Taking money out of peoples pockets for a service they are not receiving


Now i understand that if you sign up to a service and decide not to use it, then it is your fault.. You will continue to be charged regardless..

But are we creating a system of gym's that don't care about public health, one that does what it can to attract new members but not retain the continued return of its current members? Should a system not be put in to place to automatically start a withdrawal process of a member if they are absent for say 2-3 months, in that process a customer retention agent with the gym contacts the member to ask if they wish to cancel?

Give them offers for returning if they do choose to cancel, and if not tell them the benefits of being a member, and try and convince them to come back?

I just believe the current system is seriously flawed.. Any thoughts?


No, you don't need a gym to stay fit.

People are the problem, they should either cancel or go use it.
 
Associate
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8 May 2009
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296
I demanded a refund or compensation from my gym.

I've been a member there now for 8 months and have not got any fitter. In fact I've gained about 7kg.

They refused my demands saying something ridiculous like I had to actually attend and do exercise. The whole things a con if you ask me
 
Soldato
OP
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An interesting point i made at my previouis Gym, why do all gyms insist on open changing rooms and showers?

It's 2017, not 1970.. It is weird to be showering with other naked men in today's day and age.. Not a PC thing, rather a cultural change.. Why can't they just make solid cubicles? Most people i know end up having to go home after the Gym to shower to then go to work, which subsequently forces them to go in peak hours as it creates too much of a morning..
 
Commissario
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In the radio shack
An interesting point i made at my previouis Gym, why do all gyms insist on open changing rooms and showers?
They don't. The two I go to have individual showers and changing areas.

You are very misinformed about gyms.

First you say that most of them are council run. They're not.
Now you say that they all insist on open changing rooms and showers. They don't.
 
Soldato
OP
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They don't. The two I go to have individual showers and changing areas.

You are very misinformed about gyms.

First you say that most of them are council run. They're not.
Now you say that they all insist on open changing rooms and showers. They don't.

How am i misinformed?

Man give me a break.. I've lived in 4 major cities, im pushing 30 and have been to plenty of gyms throughout my life.. you can't just assume that somebody has no idea what they are talking about because it doesn't conform to what you have experienced.. If you don't share the same experiences then whatever, it doesn't change mine..


Why is it weird to shower with other men? It's not like you're all helping each other wash is it :D.

I ended up in a changing room once, with my old headteacher walking past, with his manhood happily swinging as he tried to talk to me when getting changed.. That **** just isn't right man. Times change :p
 
Soldato
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5,381
I ended up in a changing room once, with my old headteacher walking past, with his manhood happily swinging as he tried to talk to me when getting changed.. That **** just isn't right man. Times change :p

:D maintain eye contact and you'll be fine.

Must admit I found it weird in Germany when male and females shared the sauna but got used to it pretty quickly.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
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90,805
I demanded a refund or compensation from my gym.

I've been a member there now for 8 months and have not got any fitter. In fact I've gained about 7kg.

They refused my demands saying something ridiculous like I had to actually attend and do exercise. The whole things a con if you ask me

Sadly I see stuff along those lines said on facebook completely seriously quite often :(
 
Soldato
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Ipswich / Bodham
1) No incentive for the Gym to advertise the benefits of why they joined

Correct. The incentivisation was the stimulus to make them join in the first place. I'm sure most have a mailing list that will tell you how amazing you can be if you continue to go to the gym. As do the inordinate number of fitness apps they'll subsequently download.

2) Technically having too many members on the books than the gym could handle if all turned up regularly

But if they don't turn up then it isn't a problem to solve.

3) Taking money out of peoples pockets for a service they are not receiving

No, a service they're choosing not to use.

i understand that if you sign up to a service and decide not to use it, then it is your fault.. You will continue to be charged regardless..

Correct.

But are we creating a system of gym's that don't care about public health, one that does what it can to attract new members but not retain the continued return of its current members? Should a system not be put in to place to automatically start a withdrawal process of a member if they are absent for say 2-3 months, in that process a customer retention agent with the gym contacts the member to ask if they wish to cancel?

Give them offers for returning if they do choose to cancel, and if not tell them the benefits of being a member, and try and convince them to come back?

I just believe the current system is seriously flawed.. Any thoughts?

Existing regular users of gyms would be frustrated at having to pay higher fees to employ all your new customer retention agents who would end up making calls, 90% of which would result in cancellations.
 
Soldato
OP
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3,034
Correct. The incentivisation was the stimulus to make them join in the first place. I'm sure most have a mailing list that will tell you how amazing you can be if you continue to go to the gym. As do the inordinate number of fitness apps they'll subsequently download.



But if they don't turn up then it isn't a problem to solve.



No, a service they're choosing not to use.



Correct.



Existing regular users of gyms would be frustrated at having to pay higher fees to employ all your new customer retention agents who would end up making calls, 90% of which would result in cancellations.

We are assuming that Gyms are only just viable in terms of profitability, and the prices are in any way justified. I would like to hear from somebody who runs or has knowledge on the rates & costs of running a gym and how profitable the business is before i can agree that implementing such strategies would force the burden of cost on loyal members.
 
Associate
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10 Apr 2015
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191
How am i misinformed?

Man give me a break.. I've lived in 4 major cities, im pushing 30 and have been to plenty of gyms throughout my life.. you can't just assume that somebody has no idea what they are talking about because it doesn't conform to what you have experienced.. If you don't share the same experiences then whatever, it doesn't change mine..

This isn't about people having different experiences and that's not why we think you don't know what you're talking about. We know you don't know what you're taking about because you said, "And most Gyms are owned by the local council" and "why do all gyms insist on open changing rooms and showers?". You were completely wrong on both of these, this is why you're misinformed.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Feb 2003
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London
I think it's all part of the business model and once they have you, I believe they profile you based on how much you attend, or don't attend. For example....

My brother and I both signed up to our local Fitness First which was a basic level club. When they went into administration a few years back it was closed down, they said our contracts would either terminate, or they could offer us equivalent membership at another gym. The nearest basic (blue) club was further away than I liked, so they said they could offer us membership at a much closer black club, but with a slight price increase.

My brother goes to the gym a lot, sometimes twice a day; Fitness First were sending him lots of e-mails to say how he was within the top percentage of members at the club for attendance and usage of the gym. I on the other hand had to go and work abroad for an extended period of time so didn't go at all and really should have cancelled my membership or put it on hold or something.

My brother eventually gets informed by Fitness First that they need to put the price of his membership in order to continue. I on the other hand don't get hit with a price increase or much in the way of e-mails and communication.

So effectively they are targeting those who go very often, because they know they will stump up if they put the price up. On the other hand, with people who don't go that often, they almost want to make them forget they are paying for it; not to mention, if you weren't going and they suddenly wanted to put the price up, most would probably cancel.
 
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