Unbeatable customer service for a gymnastics school

As gym owners, we spend thousands of dollars to attract new clients. It’s just as important to keep the ones we have, closing the back door, so to speak. By creating a relationship with our customers, we create loyalty from them. Building loyalty generates positive word of mouth. That is the equation you will have to live with in order to create lasting relationships and gain new students.

Here are five reasons customers choose it with price last:

1. Need: they need to feel that what you offer is what they need. Does your marketing convey the BENEFITS of gymnastics such as fitness, confidence building, and athletic development for all sports, or just mention that you have a super awesome 44 x 44′ spring floor and a Tumbl- 35′ long? clue?? Do you think those two things matter to the average mom of a five-year-old?
2. Trust- Do you have a high reputation for fairness and cleanliness? Do your marketing ideas convey the pride you have in your gym?
3. Quality – Is your gym known for the highest quality in all three main areas: staff, facilities, and curriculum?
4. Selection: Do you offer preschool classes in the evenings or on 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 will never prosper. You will not have the funds to deliver the quality necessary for success. People will pay a premium price if they get a premium product or service. This is why stores like Neimen Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue remain in business.

Here’s an example of how to build loyalty; One of the problems that all gyms face is how their clients can make up for missed classes. In the summer, we allow students to make up as many classes missed as they wish. We service around 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 you of the policy when you call to schedule that first makeup. We even have it on signs all over the lobby. But I go downstairs and behold… here comes Mrs. Smith who says that Rachel was sick. She had a school band concert and had soccer practice not to be missed. And now Mrs. Smith wants to know if she can make up all those classes. Now you have to choose. You can stick to your guns or pad your wallet. You can make her angry or you have the opportunity to create an honest human relationship with this woman. I authorize my office staff to make decisions like this every day without asking me. Any one of my twelve secretaries and managers would tell her, “Mrs. Smith, I understand. As you know, our policy is only one makeup per 8-week session. But you’re a good customer; let’s see what we can do.” .. Three makeups seems like a lot, but let’s get Rachel ready for two makeups. (Lowering your voice you say) But don’t tell anyone I’m doing this for you, okay?” In this way, she has stuck to her guns in a way that increases her results by building a relationship with her clients.

To build relationships with your customers, let’s look at the four needs of a customer:

1. Feeling welcome from the initial phone call to your first lesson. We have a new student list that we keep at the front desk. Every day the office staff checks that to make sure they welcome new students and their parents by name. Is very powerful!
2. Feel important by welcoming them on the first day and telling the child’s teacher to do the same. Everybody has a sign under their shirt that says, “Make me feel important.” Everyone listens to the same radio station, WIIFM = What’s in IT for me?
3. Get comfortable. Providing them with a safe and child-friendly facility can do this. One way my gym does this is by offering a TV in the lobby for parents and kids to watch their favorite movies. One key way we make you feel comfortable is that we give each new student an “introductory class.” That’s a free 20 minute class with a teacher to go over the names of the main skills you’ll hear and gymnastics terms like straddle, pike, tuck, etc.
4. Feeling understood. If an issue arises, we as gym owners and customer service representatives need to empathize. When a customer has a problem, bring them 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 its customer service in the country and their customer service slogan has two rules; #1 The customer is always right. #2 If you’re not sure what to do, check out rule #1.

We have customer service lockers in our gym. This is the first question asked at every office staff celebration. Two of my favorites are: “Please the customer.” And “Give the client what he expects and more”. What does a client expect in a gymnastics school?

• Correct information on the phone or website. A clean and colorful facility, to be greeted warmly and treated with respect, a functional schedule, small class size, kindness to your children, excellent curriculum, partnering with parents before and after class, and remembering their names.
• Preschool students expect to have fun and be treated kindly.
• School-age students expect to learn skills and to be cared for by staff.
• Team members and their families hope to win!

*Success is directly related to how often we meet and exceed these expectations.

Customer service should become second nature at your gym. It has to be a feeling that pervades all the staff. The customer is our boss and we have been hired to please them. Remember that students don’t give up for just one reason. They quit when their expectations are not met time and time again. When you reduce customer satisfaction over and over again, customers will leave you. Your success is entirely related to how often you meet our customers’ expectations. Remember that the customer is your boss.