The Number One Way to Know What Your Members Want

As a gym owner, member satisfaction and retention are two key pillars to success and longevity in the fitness space. It used to be that you would join your local fitness club and there was no competition, but now depending on where you live, box gyms are like Starbucks - there’s one on every corner.



In such a saturated market, you will need more than good coaching to keep members coming back for more. Because the truth is, the gym is more than just a place people go to workout. It is a place where they are looking to have accountability, build relationships, find a community, and most importantly feel a sense of inclusivity. 

So what’s the number one way to know what your members want in order to keep them coming back?… ASK THEM!

It couldn’t be any simpler than that. The easiest way to help members feel involved and a part of the community is by giving them an opportunity to offer insight into what they want or how they feel about the gym and the staff. 

Anonymous surveys are a great way for members to feel like they are being heard and that their opinion matters. Using something like surveymonkey.com allows you to build a customized survey for free. So you can collect sincere and honest feedback from your members. This is a useful way to check in once or twice a year and see how they are feeling about anything from big picture to more specific incidences.

For example, if you’ve hired a new coach and want to evaluate their progress from a member perspective or are looking for feedback from a new class or program you’re offering, anonymous surveys allow members to express their opinions without fear of being judged or treated differently based on their responses. As a gym owner, it also gives you a new perspective to improve the member experience from an outside lens. 

Polls are another way to get members involved for things such as new class offerings, new equipment, or even apparel designs. Most gyms look to purchase new equipment once or twice a year. A lot of times, as coaches, we know what the gym needs based on how we audit our programming, peak times, and general equipment wear and tear. But building a poll for some nuanced pieces of equipment that members can choose from is an easy way for them to feel like they are contributing to the growth within the gym. Polls can also be used to select apparel designs for new swag. This helps you not only gauge interest in the new apparel line but also gives members a sense of pride because they got to be a part of the design process. 

In the end, it all boils down to inclusion. Members want to feel valued for their opinions and allowing them to contribute in the little details that make the gym a fun environment will keep them coming back for more.

With such low-hanging fruit to connect with your members, it’s silly not to utilize simple forms of feedback and engagement. Not to mention, that sense of fulfillment goes a long way and will continue to strengthen the relationships and community that they are searching for.