Unbeatable Customer Service for a Gymnastics School

As gym owners, we spend thousands of dollars to attract new customers. It is just as important to keep the ones we have–shutting the back door if you will. By creating a relationship with our customers, we create loyalty from them. Creating loyalty creates positive word of mouth. That is the equation that you will have to live by in order to create lasting relationships and gain new students.Here are five reasons customers pick you with price being last:1. Need- They need to feel that what you offer is what they need. Do you convey in your marketing the BENEFITS of gymnastics such as fitness, self-confidence building, and athletic development for all sports, or do you just mention you have a 44 x 44′ super-duper spring floor and a 35′ long Tumbl-trak?? Do you think those two things matter to the average Mom of a five year old?
2. Confidence- Do you have a great reputation for fairness and cleanliness? Do your marketing ideas relay the pride you have in your gym?
3. Quality- Is your gym known for the highest quality in the three main areas – staff, facility, and curriculum?
4. Selection- Are you offering preschool classes in the evenings or on the weekends? Do you offer a unique combination of preschool gymnastics and dance class that is not offered anywhere else?
5. Price- If you have the lowest tuition in town, you’ll never thrive. You won’t have the funds to give the quality needed for success. People will pay a premium price if they’re getting a premium product or service. This is the very reason that stores like Neimen Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stay in business.Here is one example of creating loyalty; one of the problems all gyms face is how your customers can make-up missed classes. In the summer we allow students to make up as many missed classes as they wish. We service about 400 make-ups in July alone. In the school year, we only allow one make-up per 8-week session. We have it on the registration form. We have it in the parent handbook. We remind them of the policy when they call to schedule that first make-up. We even have it on signs all over the lobby. But low and behold… here comes Mrs. Smith who says that Rachel was sick. She had a school band concert and she had soccer practice that she could not have missed. And now Mrs. Smith wants to know if she can make up all of those classes. Now you have a choice to make. You can stick to your guns or pad your wallet. You can either make her mad or you have a chance to create an honest, human relationship with this woman. I empower my office staff to make decisions like this every day without asking me. Any of my twelve secretaries and managers would say to her, “Mrs. Smith I understand. As you know our policy is only one make-up per 8-week session. But you are such a good customer; let’s see what we can do. Three make-ups seem to be a lot, but let’s set Rachel up for two make-ups. (Lowering your voice you say) But don’t tell anyone I’m doing this for you, ok?” This way you have stuck to your guns in a way that increases your bottom line by creating a relationship with your customers.In order to create relationships with your customers let’s look at a customer’s four needs:1. To feel welcomed from the initial telephone call to their first lesson. We have a new student list that we keep at the front desk. Every day, the office personnel looks that over to ensure they welcome the new students and their parents by name. It’s very powerful!
2. To feel important by welcoming them their first day and notifying the child’s teacher to do the same. Everyone has a sign under his or her shirt that says, “Make me feel important”. Everyone listens to the same radio station, WIIFM= What’s In IT For Me?
3. Feel comfortable. Supplying them with a safe and child- friendly facility can do this. One way that my gym does this is by offering a television in the lobby for parents and children to watch their favorite movies. A key way we make him or her feel comfortable is that we give every new student an, “Intro Class.” That is a 20-minute free class with a teacher to go through the names of the main skills they will hear and the gymnastics terms such as straddle, pike, tuck, etc.
4. To feel understood. If a problem comes up, we as gym owners and customer service representatives need to feel empathy. When a customer has a problem, bring them back into your office and let them explain it to you. Repeat it back to them. Ask them what you can do to fix it, and then try to do it. Stu Leonard’s Dairy Store is famous for their customer service in the country and his customer service slogan has two rules; #1 The customer is always right. #2 If you’re not sure what to do, refer to rule #1.We have customer service slogans at our gym. This is the first thing asked at every office staff celebration. Two of my favorites are: “Please the customer.” And “Give the customer what they expect and more”. What does a customer expect in a gymnastics school?• Correct information on the phone or website. A clean colorful facility, to be greeted warmly and treated with respect, a workable schedule, small class size, kindness towards their children, excellent curriculum, pre and post-class association with the parents, and remembering their names.
• Preschool students expect to have fun and to be treated kindly.
• School-age students expect to learn skills and for the staff to take an interest in them.
• Team members and their families expect to win!*Success is directly related to how often we meet and exceed these expectations.Customer service has to become second nature at your gym. It has to be a feeling that permeates throughout the staff. The customer is our boss and we have been hired to please them. Remember students do not quit for one reason. They quit when their expectations are not met time and again. When you chip away at customer satisfaction time after time, the customers will leave you. Your success is entirely related to how often you meet the expectations of our customers. Remember the customer is your boss.