procedures . Our employees know that we care about them .”
Members needed to know and feel that care too , especially those anxious about the safety of returning to their workout routines . Gregory credited the in-club communication created by the marketing team at PFHQ with making those conversations much easier .
“ We believe that communicating our company ’ s continual commitment to safety and sanitization is key . We have clear and well-placed signage throughout the clubs ,” Holt said . “ We also ‘ show ’ our members that we value their safety by having team members steadily on the floor , cleaning / sanitizing equipment , wearing PPE , enforcing ‘ social-fitnessing ’ guidelines , and being available for member interaction and feedback . We even provide each member with their own sanitizer bottle to eliminate a shared member touchpoint while enhancing the chances of success with members cleaning the machines after each use . It ’ s been a huge hit . A secondary benefit of the personal sanitizer bottle is we now know real-time how many members are in our clubs , as we start the day with a specific number of bottles .”
There has been frustration from some members over the new policies and when mandates and guidelines have been changed . Pushback can be overcome with time , attention and a willingness to explain the “ why ” behind new guidelines face to face .
“ We have found that conversations with the members are much more beneficial than signs so that we have time to explain the why behind it all ,” Ratliff said . “ We welcome all questions regarding new procedures as this continued dialogue allows us the time to properly educate them .”
As part of its ongoing training sessions , ECP-PF Holdings
Group has been teaching team members how to deal with uncooperative club members . “ We ’ ve conducted companywide Zoom calls to provide training to our teams around conflict resolution and de-escalation methods ,” Pepe said . “ Like many , we have had our fair share of upset members with the new guidelines . We want our team members to know we empathize with what they ’ re dealing with and appreciate their efforts in keeping our environment safe for everyone .”
“ It is easy to focus on the negative and forget about the positives . We need to remember that there are many positives right now and not spiral into the negativity ,” said National Fitness Partners ’ Sholly . “ Regional Director Andrew Watkins said it best : ‘ Pivot the conversation to the positives .’ The negative scenarios are caused by a small segment of our base – there are many , many others who are happy to comply with our ‘ social-fitnessing ’ standards and will do their part to ensure we remain safe and continue to operate .”
The reopening playbook checks in at more than 100 pages . While there are no short cuts or flexibility around the comprehensive guidelines it contains regarding safety , the importance of communication , adaptability and patience are lessons these franchisee groups have learned as they ’ ve implemented its policies and procedures .
“ Safety is our utmost priority , so while the gym – and our policies – might look different now , it will allow us to remain open and be part of the solution to the health crisis ,” Pepe said . G
Sean Ireland is the Elevanta associate director of communications .
GearedUp | 2020 Issue 3
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