Setting up a business is a lot of work. Besides finding a venue, hiring staff and buying the right equipment, an important job is to make sure you build and maintain a solid reputation among your audience. In order to build a reputation, you probably use a variety of marketing tools. But have you thought about what you do when the clients come pouring in? How do you make sure that you keep your clients happy?
It can be easy to forget that your clients still need attention after they’ve signed their contract. Because that contract will end, and you don’t want them walking away when it does. To make sure your clients will never want to leave you again, there are a few things to keep in mind when communicating with them. First of all, remember:
Always Give Your Best to Help Clients, They Are the Reason You Exist
The phrase “Customer is King” is a cliché for a reason. word-of-mouth advertising is a huge thing in the fitness world, so keep your clients satisfied. Of course this doesn’t mean you should always give the client exactly what they want, which brings me to rule number two:
Never Make a Promise You Cannot Keep
When a client comes up to you with a request that you’re not sure about, it’s very easy to respond with what they want to hear. But be careful with this, if you promise to get back to them within a week when you know that might not be possible, this can damage the relationship with your client more than when you tell them you don’t know when you can get back to them. In the long run, honesty is always the best policy. Just be open with them and try to find a solution together. And whatever you do,
Always Respond, There Is No Worse Response than Silence
Complaints are never fun to get and the urge to ignore them might be strong. But you’ve got to realise that the client has taken their time to send in a complaint, and that must have been for a reason. When you promise to look into a complaint, actually look into it. Get back to the client, keep them updated. Even if a client wants to cancel their subscription, kill them with kindness. There’s always the chance of the client returning to you later, so make sure they still think highly of you after leaving. Speaking of cancellations, remember that
There Can Be Exceptions to a Rule
Of course, a client has signed a contract that clearly states they will stay with you for the next 12 months. For your own administration, it’s good to be strict. But you’ve got to realise there are exceptions. If a client injures themselves and can no longer work out, you don’t want to hold them to their contract. Try to work out a deal. Maybe you can pause their contract for a few months, with the months spent on hold added to the end of their contract. Try to find a solution that works for the both of you, without losing the integrity of your business. There’s no shame in having rules, but being reasonable will take you a long way. You might think the last tip I have for you is obvious, but I will tell you anyway:
Don’t Speak Badly about Your Clients, Ever
Imagine this: you were on the phone with a client for 10 minutes trying to explain something that you feel is obvious. When you hang up, you want to tell your colleague about it. Not only is there a big chance another client will overhear you complaining, but it also creates a negative energy. Your colleagues will believe it is okay to speak badly about clients and might even adjust their attitude to it. Keep negative thoughts to yourself and remember that any issue is just an opportunity to improve your customer service.
The bottom line is: always treat your clients as you would want to be treated, walk that extra mile for them and your business will never run out of clients.
