Starting a health club, fitness center, or gym is only half the battle. Even with the best equipment, trainers and client-retention techniques, you are going got have to make sure your computer infrastructure is both sound and helpful to your bottom line. With the wealth of health club management systems out in the market, there is no shortage of options. In fact, it can get confusing if you don’t know exactly what your needs are. We will take a look at some of the features that may help you get the most out of your health club management system
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The Scheduling Features
Out of all regular exercisers, 36% of them join some sort of fitness class. This can be a big draw for any fitness club. The computer side of health club management systems therefore needs to have scheduling capabilities. Fortunately, these are a staple of gym management software. The decision you will have to make will be whether the interface is sufficient for your needs. Does it allow for clients to directly enter information, or does everything have to be entered by employees or management? Which would you prefer? Does it provide alerts for upcoming sessions? What are the editing features like? In other words, if something has to be rescheduled is that easy enough to do? Or if more information has to be added, such as health info concerning individual clients, is that functionality available?
The important thing to do is get a thorough understanding of what you will need scheduling-wise even before you start shopping health club management systems. Then you can examine the various health club software features that deal with scheduling and make a solid decision.
Lead Management Features
When people show an interest in joining your gym or fitness center, that interest has to be capitalized on in order to turn thoughts into cash. Managing the leads is all about ensuring contact is made in the right way and at the right time with prospective clients. A lead management system can go a long way in sorting out what could be a complex web of lead conversion efforts. For example, some health club management systems can set up call prompts. With this feature, you can have employees arrange calling schedules to reach out to prospective leads. They can then be prompted as to when to make the calls, send emails or texts, and so-on.
In addition to getting new customers, a lead management system can also help you manage your current customers. Checking in with them periodically makes them feel appreciated and gives them the respect they deserve as patrons of your business. You can also initiate interactions regarding ways you can improve your services to best fit their needs. This can be through phone, electronic communications, or even in person at our facility. The lead management system can be configured to make this easy for you and your staff.
Automating the Billing
Another helpful feature of a fully functional health club management system is automated billing. When billing is automated, there is less paperwork—and less time—needed to make sure you are getting paid when and how you need to be. But simply sending out billing notices is just the beginning of what health club management software can do. It can also be configured to handle late fees and billing reminders. Many facilities offer a variety of options that can each have their own fee attached. An automated billing system can be used to incorporate these as well. You can then use the information the system provides to figure out which features of your health club are the most profitable, as well as which ones may be more work than they’re worth. Some billing systems can produce reports that can be used during staff meetings about the profitability of the business. Ascertain your needs first and then take a look at the options.
Keep in mind that if you’re not exactly sure what you need, you can ask around and see what works for other people. It can be equally useful to call up the maker of the software and inquire about which features they would recommend.