SCHEDULE - IS IT AN EXPENSE OR A RETENTION TOOL?

A group exercise timetable is a schedule that lists the times and days that group exercise classes are offered at a fitness centre.

Having a mediocre schedule is one of the common mistakes most clubs make. They don’t see the value that an awesome group exercise schedule can bring to their fitness centre and only see the cost of running group exercise, instead of seeing how many people it attracts to their fitness centre.

They only see the cost of running group exercise, instead of seeing how many people it attracts to their fitness centre.

Poor timetabling often comes down to mismatched programs, instructors, time slots and a schedule that doesn’t look good, leading to an under-performing schedule that most managers only see as an expense and not the biggest retention tool they have.

There are 3 main things to take into consideration when looking at your group exercise schedule:

1. Key principles to DESIGN a potential successful schedule

2. Ongoing MANAGEMENT actions to improve your schedule over time

3. The LOOK of your schedule

DESIGN

Give your members and instructors more of what they want – increase the number of classes featuring your most popular programs and instructors, decrease the less popular ones and you should get to quite a good space through time.

Of course, there is no need to stick to that statement 100% as if you do, you would probably end with a lack of variety and some difficulty in targeting different kinds of people. However, it’s a bottom-line you should stick to in most cases.

What do members and instructors want?

Here’s a list of 6 things we believe they want:

1. Quality and consistency

2. Keep it simple

3. Offer the right mix

4. Give class ownership to instructors

5. Put their name on the timetable

6. Incentivize best instructors to teach in off-peak time slots

MANAGEMENT

Identify your underperforming classes – these are the ones that need your immediate attention.

Here are some options to help identify your underperforming classes:

1. Identify the classes that fall at the bottom of both the real and adjusted ranking list AND that are performing significantly below the average classes in the rest of the time-slot. (Note: It is important to use both real and adjusted ranking: or else your ‘bottom’ classes will always appear to be off-peak and shoulder time-slot classes due to typically lower performance. If you’d like to get some assistance on this please e-mail us consulting@groupex.com.au )

2. Identify the classes performing lower than 30% of capacity – it works in most cases, except if you have a really big studio as, in this case, 30% of capacity might not be such a bad number

3. Identify the classes performing below 30% of world-class targets - this method works if you use a challenging target. If your targets are low, nearly no classes will appear as underperforming.

4. Identify what we call high cost-per-head classes

LOOK

Marketing Recommendations. Make it easy to understand and make it memorable

1. Does the layout inspire and motivate

2. Does it look professional (design/layout)

3. Available in color for new members and prospects

4. Easy to determine what classes are available and when

5. Classes happening at same time aligned on same line

6. Appropriate use of branded programming

7. Logical layout top to bottom and left to right

8. Days appear horizontal across the top

9. Instructor names appear on schedule

10. Class descriptions are clear and appear on timetable

The schedule should also take into account the experience and qualifications of the instructors. It is important to ensure that the instructors are certified, experienced, and well-suited to teach the classes they are scheduled to teach. This will ensure that members receive a high-quality workout experience and are safe. Additionally, a well-trained instructor can help to create a positive and motivating atmosphere, which can help to keep members engaged.

ensure that the instructors are certified, experienced, and well-suited to teach the classes they are scheduled to teach

Finally, the schedule should be flexible and able to adapt to changes in demand. This means that it should be reviewed regularly, and adjustments should be made as needed. For example, if a class is consistently underperforming, it may be necessary to adjust the time or day it is offered. On the other hand, if a class is consistently over-attended, it may be necessary to add additional sections or instructors to accommodate the demand.