The 3 E’s of Exceptional Member Experience: Insights from Chris Stevenson and Marisa Hoff
We recently hosted a live event with Chris Stevenson and Marisa Hoff from The Empower Group. If you missed it, you missed a masterclass on how to truly differentiate your fitness facility in a crowded market.
Here’s a quick rundown of the gold they shared.
Why Experience is Your Only True Differentiator
Chris kicked things off with a brilliant story about his son Adam’s birthday flight on Southwest Airlines. Despite being a budget airline, the crew went above and beyond, for example dimming the cabin lights, having the whole plane sing “Happy Birthday,” and even presenting a toilet paper birthday cake! That memorable experience is what keeps Chris coming back to Southwest.
The lesson for us? People can copy your pricing, your layout, your schedule, and even buy the exact same equipment. But what they cannot duplicate is an exceptional culture and a team that consistently goes above and beyond.
The 3 E’s Framework
Chris and Marissa broke down their framework for creating a superior member experience into three essential pillars:
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Effective: Does Your Product Deliver?
First and foremost, your facility must be effective. This means delivering the results your members are looking for—whether that’s weight loss, mental health improvements, or simply a sense of community.
- The Basics: Is your facility clean, welcoming, and easy to navigate?
- Functionality: Does your equipment actually work? (Nothing goes pear-shaped faster than constantly broken treadmills!)
- Service Recovery: When things inevitably go wrong, is your team empowered to fix the issue immediately?
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Easy: Reduce the Friction
We aren’t just competing with other gyms; we’re competing with the seamless experiences provided by companies like Amazon, Apple, and Starbucks.
- The Formula: Easy = Less Confusion + Less Effort + Less Stress.
- Remove Barriers: Can prospects easily find your pricing and class schedules online? Can they join or book a class without having to call and leave a message?
- Quick Wins: Implement simple solutions like a QR code on broken equipment that links to a quick reporting form, rather than making members walk to the front desk.
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Enjoyable: Make Them Feel Seen
This is where you move from basic service to an exceptional experience.
- The Formula: Enjoyable = Feel Seen + Feel Good + Feel Connected.
- The “World Stops” Rule: When a member walks in, whatever your staff is doing (checking their phone, chatting with a coworker, or balancing the till) must stop. The member is the most important person in the room.
- Surprise and Delight: Go beyond the expected. Send a handwritten note, celebrate milestones (like a member’s 100th visit), or remember personal details about their lives.
The ROI of Exceptional Experience
When you nail the 3 E’s, you hit the three R’s of a successful fitness business: Revenue, Retention, and Referrals. But more importantly, you empower people to live healthier lives, which is why we all got into this industry in the first place.
Want the Full Masterclass?
This summary barely scratches the surface! In the full replay, Chris and Marisa dive deep into the “Levels of Customer Experience” (from Criminal to Exceptional), share their “12 Essentials” for staff training, and answer some cracking questions during the Q&A.
Don’t miss out on the full insights that could transform your business.
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.