Your members probably joined your gym for the human connection in coaching and community. But when it comes to booking appointments for services, let technology handle the scheduling.
Picture this: You just finished a personal training session at 8:59am. Your next client is waiting to get started. Client A still needs to schedule their next session but her phone reception is slow. She tries to pull up her calendar while Client B is staring you down. The clock turns to 9:01am and now you’re late.
You finally tell Client A to text you some options. Then you cross your fingers that those times line up with your availability for the next session. That’s when you hear that infomercial voice in your head. There’s gotta be a better way!
And now there is. To solve issues just like this, the PushPress team just released version two of the Appointments feature.
What’s New With Appointments?
First, the upgraded version of the Appointments feature is much cleaner.
Greg Buck is a nine-year affiliate owner at CrossFit Arioch in Elgin, IL and member of the PushPress Customer Success Team. Buck said Appointments is also more intuitive when it comes to calendars. He explained that coaches can now set their hours in a more easily-viewable way.
Here are three ways the upgrade is beneficial to everyone in your gym:
1. Coach Benefits.
The first benefit for coaches in Appointments is the ability to block off session availability. Your team can now indicate the specific days or timeframes that they’re able to meet with clients. This can be for personal training, nutrition or lifestyle coaching, or any other client services.
Coaches can set appointments for any time duration needed. For example, standard training sessions might be 60 minutes, while nutrition check-ins are only 20.
In addition, coaches can indicate whether they’re available for in-person or remote appointments. This could mean your team could do nutrition or lifestyle coaching remotely as well.
Depending on the compensation structure at your gym, this opens up a world of revenue possibilities for coaches. Appointments gives coaches the tools to easily manage their roster of clients and add more programs.
2. Client Benefits.
The most important benefit for your members is the ease of use. Once the coach has set the scheduling parameters, clients can choose times that work best. In addition, when something inevitably comes up, they can reschedule as needed.
The Appointments V2 feature can also be set up for clients to only be able to book an appointment if they have credits. For example, your coaches might offer a 10-pack of personal training sessions. Appointments will only let them book if they have sessions remaining and will notify them when they’re due to renew.
Similarly, some gyms include one monthly training session with a client’s membership. The Appointments feature then allows the client to book that session anytime during the entire month. Ultimately, this improves compliance, as clients complete their sessions before the end of the month.
Coaches also have the ability to apply credits to a client’s profile. So in the event that a client wants to schedule a consultation about their plan, it’s quick and easy. Coaches simply choose a one-time option to add this session to their schedule.
Another bonus to the client is that Appointments mean greater accountability. If a member pays for an hour of training in advance, they’re not as likely to bail. And committing to a day and time only increases this accountability.
3. Gym Benefits.
Arguably, the gym is the greatest beneficiary when it comes to the new Appointments upgrades.
Primarily, high-ticket gym services often lead to greater gym member retention numbers. Because no matter how great your group classes are, one-on-one coaching creates connection and loyalty. Members are able to make progress faster, which also leads to referrals and willingness to invest in more services.
As Buck noted, “The biggest benefit we see with one-on-one appointments is the connection with the coach is way better. It’s hard to have a one-on-one relationship in a group setting. But during this one-on-one time, you can be focused on the athlete. You get to know them better, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and the clients see better results.”
Second, offering more service options means more revenue opportunity. Consider things like accessory programming and individual design. Or nutrition coaching and lifestyle consultations. The more appointment-based services you offer, the more opportunity you create to help clients with specific goals. And when you increase client accountability and compliance, you increase revenue.
For example, Buck offers what he calls an accessory program. For $60 a month, clients get a one-on-one session with their coach. These appointments lives in the client’s profile and can be booked at any time.
Pro Tip: Want to find out how Appointments can help you drive revenue and retention at your gym? Book a demo with our team today!
In Summary: Appointment-Based Services Offer Multi-Level Wins
When it comes to appointment-based services, everyone wins. From coaches to clients to the fitness business itself, each one benefits in various ways.
Get creative with the services you offer and allow coaches to increase their own revenue by developing new programs. Then use the Appointments feature for clients to quickly and easily reserve their spot. This seamless new upgrade will drive revenue and retention numbers for your gym.
