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Articles by Andrew Barranco
Gratitude in the Workplace
Karen Raisch-Siegel, the executive director of LifeWorks of Southwest General, shares the importance of gratitude in the workplace. My CEO recently shared an excerpt from the article, “Why Gratitude is an Essential Leadership Skill” by Sarah Sain. The article is about the importance of gratitude in the workplace. As leaders, we can create and reinforce the employee culture with our words, actions and interactions each day. Below are the excerpts from Sain’s article.
Retail: Setting Up Shop
Industry leaders share why retail shops make great profit centers. When you think of thriving profit centers inside gyms, retail probably isn’t top of mind. However, many gyms and health clubs are having great success with their retail stores. One of those is Midtown Athletic Club. “Our retail shops are a variety of apparel, shoes, products and equipment that enhance our members’ experience in the club,” said Bethany Scheiner, the retail manager at Midtown’s flagship Chicago location.
The Staffing Shortage
Andrew Barranco December 1, 2021 Andrew Barranco, the regional operations and aquatics manager at Merritt Clubs, shares tips and encouragement for operators facing the staffing shortage. If you are finding staffing is one of your most challenging operational issues this year, you are not alone. 2021 has brought a few new challenges that we did not fully experience in 2020.
Proactive Wellness Brands Explode Despite Pandemic
Brandon Campbell of Mito Red Light, Inc, shares how proactive wellness brands exploded in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic. The health and wellness industry is evolving more rapidly than ever before and it is imperative that health club owners adapt their business models accordingly. The pandemic has drastically altered the way fitness services are delivered and experienced, and while that has garnered a lot of attention, it is not the most important trend that is becoming apparent.
Retain Revenue by Predicting Attrition Risk
Doug Young, the chief operating officer at Easalytics, shares how to retain revenue by predicting attrition risk. For many undesirable things, early detection and intervention can dramatically reduce the severity of the outcome. Think cancer, fires, termites and yes, member attrition. Even if you’re focusing heavily on retention cornerstones like onboarding, engagement and member experience, chances are you still shake your head at the number of lost members per month.
A Positive Outlook: COVID and Retention
Andrew Barranco December 4, 2020 Andrew Barranco, the regional operations manager at Merritt Clubs, shares how to have a positive outlook with COVID-19. The word COVID likely elicits a lot of anxiety and negative thoughts. We have come to know it as a society health and safety concern. Professionally, COVID may remind you of the challenges gyms are having operating and running our clubs, and it brings a negative association to 2020. What if we retrained our reaction to the word COVID?
Integrated Technologies: How to Fuel Member Engagement
Jeff VanDixhorn, the chief revenue officer of Club Automation, shares how your club can fuel member engagement with integrated technologies. COVID-19 has brought many changes to the fitness industry, but one of the biggest has been its acceleration of technology as the driving force behind improved member experience and more effective communication and engagement.
Member Listening: MXM Helps Make Every Member Visit Exceptional
MXM’s member listening capabilities allows them to help health clubs make every member visit exceptional. MXM, Medallia’s Partner to the Fitness Industry, is dedicated to understanding and improving member experience inside of health clubs. MXM turns members’ thoughts and feelings into real data points clubs can utilize to make every member visit exceptional. While it is easy to promise results, MXM truly delivers according to Mark Miller, the COO of Merritt Clubs.
The New Reality of Retention
Andrew Barranco August 3, 2020 Now more than ever we have an opportunity — a moment in history to redefine our industry, to better serve our members and communities, and to reshape their perception of what we offer. With all that has happened with the impact of COVID-19 on our industry and the social movements in our society, now is a time of reflection and change if you choose to act on the opportunity.
Leadership Post-Pandemic
What does club leadership look like during and post COVID-19? What a topic to consider. One of the obvious questions is: How will this affect our club operations and perhaps the leadership skills needed to lead our organizations? This pandemic made us vulnerable. As managers and executives, we had to use many of the leadership traits we have spent our lives developing, giving reassurance and a vision for our teams.
Club Solutions Magazine March 2020
Are you eager to help your staff engage members? Looking for a tool to help them take initiative and engage members? Teach them to “ASSIST” members. I was taught this simple acronym years ago. It empowers staff to take the lead in introducing themselves and engaging members in conversation. If we can make it a meaningful conversation, we can have a positive influence on their membership lifespan.
New Year, What’s New?
Andrew Barranco January 5, 2020 Wow, the start of another year. 2020 is here and with the January rush of new and more engaged members, it is easy to forget about retention the first couple months of the year. However, remember that retention plan you created in the past? Well, now is the time to put it to work. There’s no better time to test your new initiatives than now. What is new for you this year? What did you add to your 2020 plan that is a new focus or rifle shot for your club?
Finding Purpose in Your Workout
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock If you are like me, you sometimes wonder where your members went. You get to a point in the year where all of a sudden, regular faces seem to disappear in the club. Members reduce their workouts or go stretches without coming in, leaving us to question why. Why are they not consistent? Are they bored? Not interested? Or too busy? The fall season seems to bring inconsistency to some members’ routines.
Club Solutions June 2019
IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK Perception is reality. We have all heard that before, right? The concept of “perception” is fascinating to me. It does not matter if it’s true or false, fake or real. It’s the member’s perception of the situation that matters, as it’s their reality, or moment of truth. Sometimes it is easy to rationalize with the member to get to the root cause of their perception. Take the complaint, “You guys are always out of towels” as an example.
2019 Outlook: Retention Opportunities
Merritt Clubs. As you reflect back to all of the hard work you and your team put into 2018, think about what a small increase in retention would mean for you. Here are a few opportunities to look at to improve your member experience. Create Engagement: It is important to provide a consistent experience for members. If you have changes in schedules, hours or services, make sure you communicate to members in advance. Miscommunication causes confusion and headaches for members.
Member Retention is Your Club's Air Tank
I recently had the opportunity to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It was a pretty amazing experience, and it occurred to me how member retention is a lot like your air when you are scuba diving. In diving, your main job is to keep the regulator in your mouth and just breathe. If you do that well, you get to enjoy the sight of fish, corral and your surroundings 60 feet under water. In your clubs, the membership line is really the lifeline for your club’s success and health.
Remind Members Why They Need to Keep Coming Back
For many clubs, July is often one of the hardest months in our industry. If you don’t have an outdoor component it can be challenging to keep members in their normal workout schedule. Vacations, summer events, kids out of school all add to the challenge of finding time to use the gym. What do you say to give members a reason why they should make the time and put in the effort? Often the effects of low summer usage hit hard in the fall with declining net members.
Boosting Membership by Building Club Retention Inside Out
IMAGE BY SHUTTERSTOCK A common retention strategy is to encourage members to be involved in specific areas of the club. The idea is to get them participating in their area of interest, whether it’s small group or personal training, aquatics or group fitness. If they use the club more often, make friends and see results, then retention will improve, right? Maybe. But what happens if that thinking is flawed? What happens if they don’t have a good experience in that program or service?
The Correlation Between Staying Clean and Retaining Members
Are you looking to positively impact your members’ lifespans? Try impressing them with a clean facility. What industries do you think of when you think of clean? I ask this question in our Manager on Duty training program. Why is the health club industry not thought of as a top provider of cleanliness? When looking at how to improve the lifespans of members, a clean facility is a key factor. This month, take a fresh look at your facility and see what you can do to make it impeccable and spotless.
Do You Understand Who You Are?
As a club and gym, simply attracting the right members to your club will help with retention. Are we clear on what we do, what members can expect, and deliver on who we are? If we are clear in these areas, we should see improved member retention. With that in mind, review the environment you have created, the services you provide and your member engagement. When looking at the environment of your club, review your club’s cleanliness, staff friendliness and member feel.
Employee Retention is Member Retention
With retention being a key driver in the profitability and success of a club, operators are always looking for ways to improve the lifecycle of their members. But, sometimes we forget that member retention starts with employee retention. If you have been in this industry for a while, I am sure you have had great staff that unfortunately leave at some point. When we lose the rock star instructor, the great trainer, or the favorite person on the welcome desk, we often have an upset member base.
It’s Time for Your January Operations Review
A new year is here and I am sure your clubs are busy with brand-new members, as well as reinvigorated current members. It is easy to get wrapped up in the January rush and forget about the systems and processes that keep your club on track. Take a few minutes and review these five operations items to make sure you are starting 2017 off on the right path. Inventory check: Look over some of the items that you only order two or three times a year.
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