When a member joins your club, they feel they have already done you a favor by selecting your club.  They expect you to repay the favor.  If members don’t feel you adequately “evened the score,” they begin to feel dissatisfied, especially when they start making subsequent payments.  Relationships cannot be sustained when one of the parties feels “owed.” 

The Equity Theory states that humans have a strong sense of equity and will work to keep a balance between what is owed and what is due.  For example, if you invite me to dinner, I will feel obligated to repay you by inviting you for dinner.  If I don’t fulfill the obligation, our relationship is no longer in balance. 

So when a members expectations have been exceeded (i.e., they perceive they are getting more value from their membership than what they are paying), they will then feel obligated. They will want to balance the relationship by buying more products, bringing in friends and most importantly renewing their memberships. 

The ultimate goal of member service is to create “positive imbalances” by exceeding member expectations. Below are 10 points of customer service your entire staff should follow.

The Ten Points of Member Service

1. Greet members by name every time.  If you don’t know a member’s name, introduce yourself and ask for his name.
2. Thank members for coming in to they gym.
3. Offer service when members want or need it.  Do it at their convenience, not yours.
4. Interact with the members.  Go out and talk with them.
5. Answer the phone by the third ring.
6. Do the best you can at everything you do.
7. When a member needs to talk, drop everything and listen.
8. Put yourself in the member’s shoes – think like a member.
9. Just before it’s time to go home, talk to one more member.
10. Ask members what you can do to help them and listen carefully to the answers.

Frank O'Rourke