Being Homeless is not always a persons first choice. 
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​Having a safe place where you can feel confident and secure to take care of yourself  and your daily needs is something that we who are not homeless take for granted. 

Many cities are providing  great facilities to help with the growing homeless population.  Giving them a safety place that is secure and health takes thought and design elements that we typically take for granted.  

The idea of providing these communities comes with its challenges but the ultimate outcome success for all.   

​Now is the time to take a step back, take a look at your facility and make sure you are providing your membership the very experience you promised them.   

Its 5:00 am and there is a line of members waiting at the door to begin their morning work outs.  Is your facility ready for these conditions?  

Many operators already have in place “best practices” and “standard operating procedures”, but to no fault of their own, these practices and routine items get lost in the shuffle because of budget concerns, staff turnover or any of the many other items that come with operating a multi-million dollar business.   Maintaining your buildings systems becomes a low priority.

Your facility has many moving parts that make sure your members experience is the very best it can be. Members don’t see the mechanical units on the roof, the pumps that operate your pools or the laundry equipment that are responsible for assuring they can enjoy their visit. As soon as these items fail they become disenchanted and upset.  Your members will be the first to voice to you (and your social media accounts) how poor your property is and what a miserable experience they had.  

Planning ahead for issues that affect membership experience requires budgeting, minor planning and consistent follow through.  Doing so will prevent a social network overload, full of membership complaints, leading to attrition and revenue loss.  

Dust off your standard operating procedures manuals, walk your facility and make sure you have everything in operational order.  We are proceeding into quarter two, so now is the perfect time to focus on retention and not attrition.
Over the next couple of weeks NNL-Architecture will provide 5 simple areas that require minimal time to review and can help you avoid a poor experience for your membership.   While there are many areas in your facility that require your attention, we will focus on some of the more common areas with high exposure to your membership base.  The areas we will be focusing on are:

• Base Building Systems – Your building and the parts of it that make your indoor environment inviting and memorable
• Program Arears Equipment – Addressing risk with the equipment your membership are using on a daily basis
• Locker Rooms – One of your highest use areas, these rooms need special attention
• Ancillary Equipment – Just like the cardio and strength floor equipment, your business centers, social zones and cafes need to be reviewed.  Making sure these special offering areas are in full operation will keep every happy.
• Housekeeping – Your unsung heroes.  If this key staff member is not given clear direction and appreciated you may find that they and your membership will be unhappy.  

Base Building Systems :: 

This is your first line of defense between retention and attrition.  Your base building systems are the equipment that is used daily to maintain your interior environment.  Examples are your heating and cooling systems, plumbing, water heaters and storage tanks.  Making sure you have a routine maintenance program in place, whether managed in house or outsourced, for these systems will help you stay on top of all items in your facility. 
 
If you are leasing your facility, most likely by the terms of your lease, you are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the base building systems.  You may be obligated to follow a routine maintenance program on all equipment. If you own your facility,  best practices call for maintenance of these assets.
 
It is understood that budgets may be tight and maintenance is one of the first areas to be cut when looking at your bottom line.  Providing a check list to your general manager and their maintenance staff and requiring a mandatory “start of shift” full building walkthrough, will help avoid any surprises and help maintain budget. 
 
For better or worse, your members are your first line of defense.  They interact with the facility with a different set of eyes.  They notice things that inevitably are taken for granted by the daily staff.  While we should be seeing issues ahead of any member comments, having a process where members can convey a concern or issue with floor staff or front desk staff can help assure items are addressed before they become problems. 
 
Some of the key base systems that should be reviewed are: 

• Your heating and cooling systems (HVAC):
  • Make sure you change filters and belts every quarter, at minimum. 
    • If you live within 5 miles of the ocean or are near a major construction site you may want to change these items every 2 months at minimum.   
  • If you have a computer aided control system in place you should have it reviewed annually to assure software is up to date and that all your controls are programmed correctly.
• Plumbing:
  • Make sure all your permits are current.
  • Inspect for any leaking, daily.  Address any leaks immediately.
  • If you have filtration make sure your filter media is changed per the manufacture recommendations (based on use and type of filter)
  • Set up a scheduled deep cleaning of all drain pipes especially from your showers and laundry rooms.  Include any floor drains at restrooms, wet areas or at kitchens.  The cleaning routine depends on use.  A large facility with high usage may look to have this completed three to four times a year. 
• Roof: 
  • Inspect your roof monthly
  • Clean your roof monthly of all debris.  Make sure all drains are clear and unobstructed.
  • Inspect your parapet walls and their metal caps.  Reseal all joints or exposed fasteners that require maintenance.
  • If leaking in the facility is evident at your ceilings and walls make repairs to the roof immediately.
• Steam equipment:
  • Make sure you have an in-line water softener.  These can be contracted and managed by an outside source or can be operated in-house. Check filter media / salt daily.
  • Check equipment for leaks (water and gas).  If leaking is found, repair immediately.
• Sauna equipment:
  • Make sure all electrical connections are covered.
  • We all know membership likes to add water to the hot stones / coils.   While some units will allow for this most do not.  Inspect all heating coils and stones for rust and debris.  Make repairs as required.
• Pool equipment:
  • As you check your chemical balance twice daily (at minimum) make sure to walk your pool mechanical room and inspect all equipment for leaks. 
  • Change filtration media regularly.
  • Twice a month, inspect all chemical controls and insure their calibration.
• Laundry equipment:
  • Clear lint from dryers at every use.  Clear from under and behind the unit daily.
  • Make sure the solution dispenser for the washers are calibrated correctly with the laundry unit.   Not only will poor calibration cause detergent waste (added expense) but adding to much detergent can cause build up in the working portions of the washer and too little detergent will not provide clean white towels.  The calibration may also control temperature.  Make sure it is calibrated with the washer manufacturer’s requirements.  Water that is too hot can cause damage to towels and spa and wastes energy and money.
• Food and Beverage equipment:
  • Make sure to clean all fan and ventilation grilles for any refrigerated deli case.  Dust and lint build up will not only effect the health department inspection but it will also cause your equipment to work harder which in turn shortens the life of the equipment and may cause undo loud noise in the café or restaurant.
  • Inspect your cook line exhaust hood daily, looking for buildup and lack of airflow.  Have it cleaned and de-greased annually at minimum.
  • Inspect all equipment.  Repair or replace all damaged units. 

Injuries experienced on the cardio and fitness / strength floors can be tracked to three key items; members not being trained on the use of the equipment, lack of supervision or faulty equipment.  Training and supervision is always high on an operators list of priorities to provide a safe environment.  Equally, important is assuring the equipment is safe and operational. 
 
Your staff should be trained on the decommissioning of equipment.  Having highly trained staff or a third-party maintenance team on contract to perform routine maintenance checks on all fitness, cardio and strength equipment is a crucial risk item.  Equipment should be inspected daily.  If the equipment is found to have any type of damage or is inoperable that equipment unit should be placed out of order and removed from member use immediately. 
 
Assuring all equipment is operable and safe will insure your members will have a memorable experience.   Implementing a safety walkthrough will reduce high risk issues and will help save costs in the long run. 

​Being one of the highest used spaces in your facility, the locker room also comes with its own list of issues.  Poor air quality, water temperature issues at your showers, lack of towels… the list goes on.  Avoiding issues in the locker room starts with supervision. 
 
Having a locker room attendant will help avoid many issues from escalating.  Like housekeeping, this team member is one of your key staff.  They interact with members daily and are in many case the first sounding board for an upset member. 

Ensuring that staff have a clear understanding of the expectations for the locker room operation and an even clearer understanding of processes and procedures for addressing issues in the locker room will help provide an exceptional experience for membership. 
 

• Walk the locker room’s wet and dry areas multiple times, daily. 
• Insure all items are operational.
• Check that you have a full stock of clean towels and that the soiled linen drops are managed and clear of clutter
• Make sure all lockers are operational
• Ensure that all shower dispensers are full of solutions.  Replace any damaged units.
• Inspect all shower stalls.   Make sure they are functional and operational.  Clear all debris from the floor drain and insure all shower heads and ADA shower wands are clean of scale and operational.
• Inspect all ADA shower compartments and ensure that all grab bars and benches are sound, safe and operational. 

Adhering to standards of operations and by implementing a routine walk through with a detailed check list will increase members satisfaction and enhance their experience at your facility.  In the next weeks article, we will discuss reviewing your Ancillary Equipment and your Housekeeping teams.  Both these areas, like your base building, program area equipment and locker rooms, are equally important to your memberships experience and your success. 

As operators, your goal is to make a profit.  If membership experience is poor, attrition issues and loss in profit will occur.  Providing that next best treadmill, that next best cross fit program or the next best spa amenity is only as strong as supporting the facility that houses them.   Planning ahead will help you stay ahead of facility issues and will help elevate membership experiences, in turn helping retention.
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NNL-Architecture can help you prepare and implement these best practices within your organization.  Contact us with any questions you may have or for any help you may need.  We look forward to talking with you. 

Spring is just around the corner.  Soon the club will be a buzz with March Madness and Spring break resolutions.  This in one of your busiest quarters with high membership usage.  This high usage makes it hard to provide a clean and healthy facility for members.   Now is the time to take a step back and look at creating a plan for a spring clean, making sure to retain the new members, as well as keeping your dedicated high use membership.

A club’s cleanliness is a vital part of its operation…..its social and financial success.  For members, the perception of a clean and healthy facility is a matter of staying or leaving. 

Industry studies conducted by IHRSA show that operators spend between 1.5% and 4.0% of total revenues on housekeeping.  Further studies indicate a correlation between this spend and the increase of revenue and maintained member retention.   Insuring that every interaction the membership base has with the facility is a positive one should be your goal.  From the parking lot to the locker rooms, having a healthy and clean club will maintain retention and increase revenue.

Preparing now will allow you to continue to offer the highest level of brand service to your membership.  Here are a few thoughts and ideas to help you get ahead of the curve and continue your growth into the remainder of the year.

Housekeeping – The unsung heros of the health club :: 
Within this team lies your key to success.  Giving them the tools to perform their jobs, walking with them daily and holding them accountable provides a level of respect, dedication and success. 
 
Have the lead housekeeper walk and inspect the club daily, inside and out.  Walk with them.  Make sure they have a clear understanding of your expectations.  Provide them with a check list that clearly spells out the daily, weekly, quarterly and annual cleaning expectations. 
 
Time for a refresh ::
During the high usage of the new year’s resolution months (January, February, March and now more often into April) the facility is exposed to a lot of wear and tear.  Now is the time to refresh all surfaces making them new again.     
 
Performing a manufacturer recommended deep clean on ceramic tile, rubber and wood flooring, as well as carpets, will bring back their crisp/ fresh appearance.  Members interact with these surfaces daily.  Assuring they are clean and healthy will have member’s thanking you.
 
Take this one step further; time to declutter.  Remove expired marketing campaign flyers and posters.  Reorganize high interaction areas like reception / check in, concierge, retail, trainer’s desks or any point of contact or sale area.
 
For a minimal expense, with high return, repaint high use walls.  Address key areas in the common corridors, restrooms, locker rooms, studios, cafes and kids club.
 
Take a moment and go out side ::
A member’s first impression is your storefront and parking lot. 

1. Make sure the parking lot is clean.  Repaint any curbs and stall markers.  
2. Power wash all walk ways leading to the buildings entry.
3. Make sure lot signage is presentable and clear.  
4. Be sure to visit the lot during the day and at night, checking to make sure all building signage and lot lighting are operational.
5. Clean up any landscaping that needs attention.

  
Kids area ::
Don’t forget your child-aged members.  Make sure that you perform a safety walk of their area.  Remove all broken and unsafe toys and furniture.  Perform a deep clean on all toys and furniture. 
 
This is a high exposure area for parents and new members.  Make sure you keep this area clean, healthy and safe.
 
Other upgrades ::
Still feeling in the groove and want some ideas for inexpensive updates?  Here are a few items to consider. 

1. Art ::  Update the art in the facility.  Starting in your high use areas, such as,  public corridors, sales offices, locker rooms or cafes - replacing the art with a well thought out campaign is an inexpensive way to add an update.  This can also be combine this with a marketing campaign.  
2. Furniture ::  If you don’t have a budget to replace worn or damaged furniture consider reupholstering existing furniture. 
3. Lighting :: Spring clean is a great time to walk the club and make sure all your lighting is operational.  Assuring they are the same output and color temperature will give the impression of an update. 
4. Walk off mats :: Replace damaged and discolored walk off mats in the locker room wet areas, pool decks or steam rooms. 
5. Renovations :: If budgets allows, late quarter one and into quarter 2,  is a great time to start thinking about possible renovations to program areas.  Preparing now will allow you to attack with minimal disruption during the slower months.  Setting into motion marketing campaigns related to upcoming improvements and renovations keeps membership involved, engaged and excited about their club.  Renovating studios, spas, cafes or social areas can allow for a much-needed update to program and offering.  Reorganizing the fitness or cardio floor equipment is a quick way to bring life back in to the club.

Performing a spring clean now is a key to member retention, increased revenue and an increased member experience.   Members of a health club who see their club to be healthy and clean are more likely to visit the club more often.  An empowered member that communicates with you will open up lines of conversation that will prove to be positive for the membership and the brand’s offering.