Can I Get You Later?

Throw Out The Cheapskates

By Brian Cannone
http://www.fitnesssalestraining.com


Do your members take advantage of the fact that you're nice to them and want them to stay at your health club? Odds are, they are in fact doing that and if so you must stop it immediately because they'll keep trying to do it with bigger and bigger things.

Let me give you an example:

In many of the clubs I visit, people grab a water out of the cooler and ask to “pay for it later”. Although this may seem like not a big deal, it really is! Although most people aren't, some people try to get away with anything they can and they'll make excuses like “oh, can I get ya next time? I forgot my wallet”.

Do you honestly ever think you'll see that money? Of course not!

Just like all the other rules you have, you need to have rules that members aren't allowed to buy anything unless they have money with them right at the moment they buy it. And you absolutely cannot make any exceptions, even for outstanding members who you know are telling the truth. Making one just exception for a person is going to create huge problems in the trust and credibility in your company which will eventually hit the “butterfly effect” and make bad ripples throughout your entire organization.

Another reason this is a very bad thing that's happening in your business is because it makes your staff feel uncomfortable. If you have rules set it in place that they can't buy something, ever, if they don't have money, it makes it much easier on your staff because all they really have to say is “you know the rules” and the conversation is over.

You also need to be monitoring things like this as well. Like many other negative things this doesn't happen very often, but it does. People will simply walk over and take a water without even asking. If you don't have rules for this sort of thing, it will go unnoticed and that member will continue to take advantage of you.

You CAN'T let this happen!

Be the “soup nazi” and tell your staff to do the same as well. And this doesn't only apply to water, it applies to all aspects of your business where people are allowed to buy things.

As I mentioned before, the butterfly effect is a huge factor in the success of your business. Letting one or 2 waters go might seem like something small, but it eventually turns into much bigger and more expensive items and over time ruins the credibility of your “soup nazi-ness” and people will assume they can walk all over you and your staff with no further consequences.

Obviously you don't want this happening. Not only does it cost you money that should be going right in your pocket, it's also making you the laughing stock of the club AND your community!