Are you managing a gym? Then getting complaints from members would not be something new. However, it doesn’t mean that you should let them complain continuously. Instead, you need to improve the facilities of your gym to provide a better workout environment. It will contribute a lot towards the long-term success of your gym as well. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 8 common gym complaints. We will also share some tips on how you can refrain from getting such complaints in future.
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#1 Poor gym hygiene
The most common complaint you get as a gym owner would be about poor hygiene. Lacking proper hygiene in a gym is a big red flag for all members. Back in the day, people didn’t care about hygiene a lot. However, they focus more on hygiene after the global pandemic. Here are some of the most common hygiene-related complaints you will get:
- Sweaty machine concerns
- Poor gym cleanliness
- Unsanitary conditions in locker rooms and restrooms
You should be proactive when dealing with all hygiene-related complaints. Otherwise, you will start losing members faster than you can even think. Moreover, you need to maintain strict hygiene guidelines throughout the facility.
It will not be possible for you to focus on gym hygiene on your own. That’s where you should empower the gym members to do it. For example, you can place some wet wipe stations around the gym. Then you can ask the members to clean and disinfect all the machines in between uses. This will make your life easy when cleaning the gym as well.
#2 Problems with gym staff
Staff working for your gym are the face of it. Therefore, all your staff members should act with professionalism at all times. But if that is lacking, you will start losing your future gym members. This is why you should make it clear for all staff members to be professional. By doing that, you should not be getting any complaints about the gym staff’s unhelpfulness.
Your front desk staff should greet all the members politely as they enter the gym. Moreover, they need to provide prompt responses to the questions raised by members and newcomers. Similarly, all the trainers need to support members with enthusiasm. They should be encouraging the members as well. Make sure that no trainer follows overly intense approaches when supporting members. Moreover, they need to stay away from personal trainer grievances as well. This will help you to overcome most gym membership issues.
#3 Lack of fitness centre etiquette
All gym members should follow proper fitness centre etiquette. It will create an ideal environment for everyone to work out. Moreover, following proper etiquette can help your staff members to easily manage the gym as well.
While managing a gym, it is your responsibility to implement appropriate etiquette rules. Here are a few such rules that you can implement.
- Dress for success when coming to the gym.
- Clean up after yourself.
- Give people their personal space when working out.
- Respect the machines.
- Get to the classes on time.
- Avoid making calls in the gym.
- Make friends, and only give advice when asked.
#4 Gym getting overcrowded
Nobody likes to work out in an overcrowded gym. If the gym is overcrowded, all members will have to wait for equipment. In other words, it can make the members wait for so long. As a result, your members will spend more time in the gym than they plan to. On the other hand, it is quite difficult to work out properly when there are too many people around. Having an overcrowded gym can increase the risk of spreading illnesses as well. This is why you should take appropriate measures for crowd control in the gym.
Crowd control will become a challenge during the peak hours. This is where you should set capacity guidelines for the peak hours. Make sure to spread the message to all members, so that they can allocate their timing accordingly. This will help you to manage workout space crowding and locker room annoyances.
You may also encourage members to come to your gym at non-peak times. This is where you can provide them with special discounted memberships for non-peak hours.
#5 Having faulty or broken equipment
You are responsible for properly maintaining all equipment at your gym. Failing to do that will lead you to faulty or broken equipment. Having such equipment can frustrate all your members. That’s because all of them are paying for a service. Hence, they expect you to meet their expectations. When the members discover that most of your equipment is broken, they will question why they should continue with the membership.
It is true that gym equipment can break, even if you properly maintain them. This is where you need to have some backup equipment in place. When a machine stops working, you can put the backup in place. Then you will be able to go ahead and repair the broken machine in the meantime. Make sure that you don’t delay fixing any equipment. Having broken machines will not just make you end up with frustrated members. It can also result in injuries.
#6 Failing to resolve problems promptly
There is no perfect gym out there. Your fitness centre will have a bunch of problems as well. A few of them include the following:
- Music volume disputes
- Lack of amenities gripes
- Excessive grunting disturbances
No matter what issue you hear from the members, you should promptly resolve it. Imagine what would happen if you didn’t fix a broken shower for a few months. Your members are obviously not going to be happy about it. As a result, they will leave negative reviews about your gym online. They may even discourage their friends and family members from joining the gym. You shouldn’t allow such situations to negatively impact your gym in the long run.
To overcome such problems, you should have a proper log to keep track of member complaints. Then you will not forget to address a concern that a member brings to your attention. You should also make it easy for all the members to lodge their complaints.
#7 Membership cost dissatisfaction
When managing a gym, you will have to deal with numerous expenses. While managing all those expenses, you should also be making profits. That’s where you change your members for their membership. However, you will often get complaints from your members about the membership fees.
For example, you will run new customer offers at a cheaper rate to attract new members. The current members who see those promotional campaigns would ask for the same. You should never make the mistake of ignoring them. If you do that, they will go to other gyms and grab the new membership offers they offer. That’s where you should handle the situations strategically. In such situations, you can think about introducing a loyalty scheme for the gym members. When the members continue their membership for long, you can provide them with discounts.
You may also offer referral rewards to the members and get them to save more. It will create a win-win situation for both you and your members.
#8 Not being able to stick to your promises
When new members come to the gym, they will ask questions about their goals. In such situations, you should refrain from making promises that you can’t deliver. If the members don’t see results, they will come again and complain.
Make sure that you think twice before you promise something to deliver. For example, it may not be possible to get someone to drop 10kg in a month. Instead, you should be realistic with what you promise. Make sure that you pay attention to the big picture and say something. In case you make a mistake, apologise immediately and correct it.
Final Words
Now you have a clear idea about the complaints you will get as a gym owner. Handling all these challenges alone is not possible. This is why you should implement appropriate rules for gym regulation. On top of that, you should seek expert assistance if needed.
For example, if you need any help with keeping your gym clean, you may contact us at Eco Cleaning Brisbane. We provide professional cleaning services to all fitness centres across Brisbane. The best thing about our service is that we can customise the service we offer. Contact us now and let’s discuss more on it.
