The Four Pillars of a Five-Star Gym Review

Oftentimes, what constitutes a great gym depends on who’s walking through the doors. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. And when it comes to Google reviews, the beholder is handing out the stars.

If you’re a Zumba fanatic walking into a powerlifting gym, you’re probably not going to be too thrilled about what you see. And when it comes to the goal of collecting five-star reviews, it’s all about creating each person’s “best” experience.

Of course, there are general requirements that will allow for a good reviews. These are things like clear online presence, friendly customer service, cleanliness, proper equipment and logical hours of operation. Even a Negative Nancy’s opinion can be changed because of a friendly gym owner who takes the time to welcome them.

But what about a great review?

While it generally requires more effort, the effort is worth the reward. And here’s the secret: The lower the disstress, the better the reviews.

People’s experience at your gym should be smooth and stress-free, for both members and your team. With that in mind, here are the four areas to focus on:

1. The Team.

As your first point of interaction with clients, your team sets the stage. And let’s be honest: Distress will show. Frustration with a fragrant side of suppressed anger is hard to miss.

The team needs to be able to do their job - and only their job - joyfully and without distraction. That relaxed state of mind is what allows them to excel at what they were hired to do. Ultimately, we’re talking about your the mental health of your staff.

A passionate, happy coach is highly productive and more importantly contageous. A person might visit a gym on a whim, but the athmosphere is what will keep them coming back.

2. The Facility.

Your members and guests will be able to tell immediately upon walking in the door how much you care about the cleanliness of your gym. Does it smell like a gym? Is your equipment organized or strewn about? Have you set a standard that your members clean up after themselves?

Cleaning is often one of the first tasks that gym owners outsource. And it’s not just about saving your valuable time. A clean gym signifies that you care and can translate into some great Google reviews!

3. The Vision.

The vision of the gym starts at the top. As the owner, you should understand and exemplify your vision. Then the goal is to get that vision to trickle down through your staff and into your community.

With that in mind, it will help if you have a like-minded community that’s on board with the vision. Naturally, each member will have different requirements and will be looking at different aspects. Even if your gym caters to a variety of clients, your vision needs to be clearly represented in every corner of your business.

Make sure people know that your gym specialises in XYZ. Ask yourself: Do your online presence, classes, instructors, design and equipment support that specialization?

As a potential bonus, a more streamlined vision can sometimes mean reduced costs. Since clients are focused in one direction, this helps to optimize funds by cutting down on operations-related expenses.

4. The Experience.

The ultimate gym member experience begins with having a clear system. That means proper software for gym member check-ins, great programming options, a clean facility and honest, caring communication.

If your clients can easily check in to fantastic-smelling facility for their highly-motivating class led by an elite coach, we’re off and running.

Consider some extra amenities that show clients you’re aiming to give them an unparalleled experience. Maybe it’s a free coffee bar or handing out some healthy snacks. Maybe it’s a recovery and mobility area or towel service.

In the end though, it’ll be about the level of integrity and care. If we think about all the facets of a truly invigorating gym experience, and have the integrity to follow through, the reviews will reflect that. It’s about developing a fundamental understanding of the complexity of a great gym, paired with the correct focus and priority on improving health, without compromise.

In Summary: Put Yourself in the Clients’ Shoes.

Five-star reviews start at the top. As the “cruise ship director” at your gym, you get to steer the ship in the right direction. If you lead by example, the hope is that the way you care about your members and their results will trickle down to your staff and community.

Start by getting the four pillars in order: Team, facility, vision and experience. Make adjustments along the way as necessary and be open to helpful feedback. Then sit back and enjoy the five-star reviews from long-term, happy members for years to come.