I’m in Mexico this week, so I’m showing you the art of email scheduling. If you’re reading this, then I’ve got to tell you – the mission we have at Next Gen is so important that I didn’t want to go a whole week without sending you some important things.
I was talking to a gym owner a few days ago who is frustrated. She has parents who have made comments recently about how much money she’s charging for end of season events and next season. These people are also implying that she’s raking in the cash and hoping to do more of that with the price increases.
I’ve been there. It’s incredibly frustrating, and if you’ve owned a gym for awhile, you’ve been there too.
A parent once said she essentially paid for my business partner’s new car.
This parent thought she was making a joke. She was actually a sweet older lady, and what she thought was funny was hurtful and rude. My business partner handled it graciously and said nothing. I’m not sure I could have done the same.
When we first started our gym, I took a pay cut from my full-time job. It was several years before I was making what I had made when I left. On top of that, I was working more hours than ever before with zero chance of earning overtime or bonuses like I would have in my 9-to-5.
When parents say things like that, it’s hurtful. It might make you angry. Sometimes you just want to tell them what you’re making each month to show them the reality of their statements. (Don’t do that…) If you’re not taking a paycheck at all, it’s probably even more frustrating. In these moments, you can do one of two things: 1) You can tell them how far off their comments are from reality, or 2) You can prove to them that you’re a good steward of their money (and good stewardship means paying staff and owners what they rightfully deserve).
How can you show them the value?
- Ask what they would like to see in the gym? I once did this and found out dad’s had really been wanting a changing table in the men’s bathroom. They were really impressed that we listened and had one in there the following week. It cost me $20 off a yard-sale site, and they found an increased value in their experience.
- Be consistent. McDonald’s is not as popular as it is because it has the best burgers. They’re simply the most consistent. Offer a consistent service to your customers. That means your phones are regularly answered by the third ring, your front desk is always staffed when parents are in the gym and classes start (and end) on time every time.
- Always be looking to improve. You may not be able to think of three things you can do to improve your gym right this second, but I once tasked our staff to give me 50 things they think we could do to improve the customer and employee experience in our gym. About 40 of those things were small like, “Get a bigger wedge”. They were helpful, but they were short-term ideas. About 10 of them were amazing and changed the experience for our customers long-term.
So, when you really want to tell parents to stop making comments like that – remember: They will never see all aspects of your life or be able to fully understand it. One of our kids used to say he hated that we owned businesses because all the kids at school called him rich. They didn’t know that we lived in a 1,600 sq. ft. house with six people. It didn’t matter. People only see a small portion of your life and they think they know. Instead of getting mad, show them immense value and improvement over time in their experience, and you’ll justify the price you charge.
