Geared Up Issue 4 2017 | Page 61

platinum The Circle of Customer Satisfaction A to ensure that every experience you have with us is a good one. I call this the circle of customer satisfaction. I reached out to a couple of our loyal Planet Fitness® partners so they could comment on the transition from another lotion manufacturer, eyewear and cleaner provider, over to Devoted Creations, PODZ and Lucasol, as well as the differ- ence in service level. “The recent transition to Devoted Creations from our previous vendor has made for a seamless transition. They not only took time to meet with our entire management team and introduce their products, they also guided us with the knowledge to run a sophisticated tanning program, much like a tanning salon in our clubs. Devoted Creations supplied our team on the ground with informational packets, including types of lotions for different skin types and helped guide our team in the right direction to help our overall customer satisfaction. We couldn’t be happier with the transition and would recommend this to any franchisee. Great team, excellent customer service and an overall great product. Big thank you to the Devoted team!” – Michael Turner, Excel Fitness/Altamont Capital Partners, 35 clubs. “Our four-plus years with Devoted Creations has been one of the best business partnerships we have. The team has always been there to educate our staff on selling techniques, helping educate us on yearly product changes and to make sure we’re informed on every level. The people, the products and the service are top-notch!” – Brad Driver, Jacksonville Fitness, five clubs. “Switching from our previous vendor to Devoted Creations was seamless, and the customized Planet Fitness/Devoted Creations support makes it easy for clubs to view benefits of the tanning lotions and take advantage of promotions. Lewis, Kandra, Lisa and the rest of the team at Devoted are easy to work with and always make themselves available for questions, in-person training and suggesting ways to increase sales.” – Natalie Walynycky, ECP-PF Holdings Group, 61 clubs. We are committed to helping you grow, evolve and thrive. We understand that every market, every club and every team member you have is different, and we treat that as such. There is no black and white when it comes to partnering with us. Everything is customized to what will help you and your organization continue to climb. We have the highest lucrative cash back progr am, the best customizable training opportunities and Planet Fitness’s top-selling eyewear and tanning products, but it’s our customer satisfaction that we are proudest of. There is a quote I would like to end with that I found years ago. It was framed on the wall of a business I did a sales training for, and I think it is the perfect reminder of just how important of a role every customer plays in every business. “A customer is the most important person on our premises. They are not dependent on us; we are dependent on them. They are not an interruption of our work, they are the purpose of it. They are not an outsider to our business, they are a part of it. We are not doing them a favor by serving them, they are doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.” G Lisa Parsons is director of brand development for Devoted Creations, a Platinum PFIFA sponsor. For more information, call 1-800-488-5524 or visit devotedcreations.com. nyone who has been in this industry for any length of time knows the crucial role customers play in your busi- ness. Not only are they the driving force behind your income, they really make or break your club. It’s called the ripple effect: Every consumer who has a bad experience at a business will often tell between 9 and 15 people about it. Consider how many problems, complaints and issues went unresolved to your customer’s satisfaction in your club last month, now multiply that number by 15. That is the number of people who could have possibly heard negative information about your business. Ninety-one percent of unhappy customers will not be willing to do business with you again. But, on a brighter side, resolve a complaint in the customer’s favor and they will do business with you again 70 percent of the time. Factually, it is 6-7 times more expen- sive to acquire a new customer than to keep a current one. We are in the business of making people feel better about themselves, helping them prepare for special events or maybe just giving them an escape from the rat race of their day-to-day life. Keeping customers happy is an important part of this. My hope is that we can put more emphasis back into the important role of our consumer and be reminded of how grateful and fortunate we are to have them as part of our business. Without customers and their positive word of mouth, where would your club be today? In the same sense, you are our customer. Your club is the lifeline behind our business. It is utterly crucial that you are happy with the support, products and service you receive from us. Just like your customers coming into your clubs, we have 59