1. Online consumer insight into the UK health club experience Ray Algar (MBA) Oxygen Consulting, London IHRSA March 2009

2. Before the web

3. Companies controlled the communications channel

4. Companies used to just shout and interrupt consumers News flowed one way

5. Consumers found it difficult to be heard

6. The web changed the rules

7. Broadband rates rising

9. Printing press for everyone

11. Consumers now sharing wisdom

12. What is the online conversation regarding the UK gym experience ?

13. What aspects of the gym experience do consumers like ?

14. … and dislike

16. Identified websites where consumers post opinion

17. Gym experience boiled down into four categories

18. Brand

19. Facilities

20. Membership factors

21. Service experience

22. Then into 41 tangible and intangible attributes

23. Opinion then analysed

24. “ Great range of facilities, staff really friendly and helpful. I would thoroughly recommend it”

25. “ Management team extremely poor. They only have their own interests at heart and do not support the members”

27. The ‘tangible’ proposition delivers ‘ wow ’

32. The intangible proposition often disappoints

36. Positive opinion Negative opinion Current/ Past Members 40% 60%

37. Positive opinion Negative opinion Current members 50% 50%

38. Positive opinion Negative opinion Past members 17% 83%

39. Do clubs care ?

40. Yes, during the tour

41. “ the best salesman ever”

42. “ Cup of coffee bought for me and all the trimmings”

43. “ I remember how friendly the sales lady was”

44. … but after the honeymoon period

45. “ Once I had joined, she (sales staff) would blank me when I said hi”

46. Read this before you sign

47. “ I was not aware of the 12-month commitment period until I tried to cancel”

48. “ Visited once before being diagnosed with breast cancer. Informed manager. No response apart from the debt collection agency”

49. “ Customer care is non-existent . They only care about money”

50. “ After the initial session, they have never checked my circumstances in my two years of membership”

51. “ I had to chase for an induction session which took over a month to arrange”

52. Would they recommend to a friend?

56. 317 reviews (6 chains) 10% promoter rate

57. 22% highest chain

58. 7% lowest chain

59. So what are the key insights ?

60. Very little positive word of mouth

61. Staff and member interactions unpredictable

62. Self-service proposition

63. Frustration with inflexible membership contracts

64. Exercise ‘ aimless ’

65. Poor measurement of outcomes

66. Not a sticky experience!

67. Questions