You run a busy gym with a front desk staff that is constantly changing. Every year, an estimated 58 million people go to a gym or health club, according to StatisticsBrain. The high turnover rate of your front desk workers makes it hard to provide quality customer service and efficiently run gym operations. Implementing strategies to increase job satisfaction and retention of your gym front desk staff can lead to better consistency for your members.
Connect With Your Front Desk Team
Building personal connections with your front desk workers can make them feel more valued. Take time each week to have brief, casual conversations to learn what motivates them and any frustrations they may have. Be sure to remember the details they share with you and check in on them. Ask for their input when evaluating processes or software like your gym management system. Making them feel heard leads to higher engagement.
Cross Train Your Staff
Consider cross-training your front desk staff by having them spend a few hours each month job shadowing roles like sales, personal training, or group fitness instructors. Giving them a glimpse into other gym roles piques their interest, shows them career growth opportunities, and helps make work less repetitive. It also allows them to better address member questions. Just a small investment of your time for job shadowing can boost retention.
Offer More Flexible Schedules
The busy nature of a gym front desk means early morning, late evening, overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts need coverage. While you likely require full-time staffers, too, hiring some part-time workers seeking schedule flexibility can fill gaps in shifts that are harder to staff. Allowing for more flexibility with your gym management system shift templates leaves both full-time employees and part-time hourly workers more satisfied.
Invest in Front Desk Training
Hire for culture over qualifications alone when selecting new front desk employees. Look for customer service experience first since that matters most when interacting with gym members. After hiring promising candidates, invest wholeheartedly in training them on your gym management system, facility safety procedures, membership details, and customer service protocols before letting them work independently. Set clear expectations paired with thorough training for success.
Invest in New Check-In Software
If your gym management system is a little rusty, it can make it difficult for your front-desk workers to experience job satisfaction. The last thing your employees want to deal with is angry customers whose check-ins or workout classes weren’t booked because of outdated or slow software. A new gym management system can help speed things up, boost customer satisfaction, and increase the efficiency and overall job satisfaction of your front desk employees.
Implementing even small retention strategies can lead to decreased turnover, better operations, and happier members. If you’re ready to find a gym management system that helps decrease employee turnover, reach out to us at Club Systems today.