“Couldn’t Turn Me Into A Customer” — 11 Lessons to Turn Better Service, Into Better Sales

I have a love/hate relationship with the gym.

I, like so many North Americans have been on again/off again for the last three years with the gym. “The gym” is a magical place that sucks money out of peoples pockets easily AND produces results with reliability only for those who come back again and again with determination and perseverance.

Thankfully I started a pretty decent gym habit one year ago when I desperately needed to improve my mindset for my business. I found that physical toughness = mental toughness. And in business, mental toughness is everything. (But that’s a post for another time.)

Physically, I still have a little belly pouch that I can’t seem to get rid of, and even for a self declared, ‘self aware’ human being like me, vanity often strikes when looking in the mirror.

Last week, my partner told me about a spin class that she went to where she raved about the instructor and how amazing the class was.

I enjoyed the idea of spin class myself and was always curious to attend.

We went to the spin class Friday at her local GoodLife gym near her house just two days ago Friday. (GoodLife is by far the biggest gym in Canada with over 350 locations in the country.)

After walking in to attend the spin class, I received my complimentary guest pass (three days worth) and was happy to fill out the customer introduction card in two minutes. (A common data gathering item for sales processes, which I have no problem with.)

I waited for the attendant to come and talk to me before signing off on the pass. As she came to meet me, (let’s call her Jenny for privacy blah blah), Jenny quickly discovered that I was not a ‘prospect’ for the gym’s member base and only came to check out my first spin class. She showed me the prices and I distinctly remember chuckling at the idea of paying $20.98 every two weeks for the gym’s membership, largely because I already have access to a gym in my condo.

Jenny gave me the pass and into the class I went.

What I’m about to tell you is an understatement: The spin class was incredible.

“Getting screamed at for forty-five minutes in a dimly lit room while pushing my way up at what seemed like a never ending mountain, while listening to super-loud-bass-pumping EDM may actually have improved my life for the better.”

The instructor was super passionate. She was big and meaty (not what you’d expect when you think ‘fitness instructor’) which was refreshing. Her super encouraging, motivational combination of music, timing of the climb, rest periods, and ‘speed races’ (as she would call them) connected to the beats of the music, all combined perfectly, resulting in an utterly phenomenal experience.

To be honest, I was having the time of my life in that class. And even though I was out of shape and sweating up a storm and in a good amount of pain, I was having a blast!

I actually believe I broke through a few mental barriers! I pushed through two very specific moments where I said, “Okay, I can’t go on any longer” and “This is too much for me, I’m done now.”

But thanks to the incredibly committed instructor, I kept going.

I finished the class and felt completely on fire! Renewed and energized like never before! I felt on top of the world! I was breathing more clearly than I could remember, my mind was free and clear and I felt a sense of joy and inner peace that only comes from hundreds of hours of transcendental meditation.

It was the most intense workout I’d done in one full year.

(My weekly squash game with my neighbour and the usual combination of weights at my personal gym had nothing on what this woman just put me through.)

After realizing all this, I openly declared to my girlfriend my exhilaration that “This class alone is worth the price of the membership!”

I was genuinely happy to pay the fee’s, whatever they were.

After showering and cleaning up in the change room, I headed to the front desk to ask about the rates again. The same salesperson, Jenny, came to me and was happy to answer my questions.

Itold her I wanted to join and she told me that was great.

Jenny asked if I had time to sit down with her and fill out the paperwork right now to get the membership started. But unfortunately I didn’t because I had to leave now as I had a client session starting in 55 minutes and I had to get home to prepare for it.

“Are you sure you don’t have 10 minutes right now?

“Yes, why?”

“Because we have a promo where you get four weeks free if you sign up by the end of the month.”

“Oh, that’s no big deal.”

“But it’s a good idea now to do it because the promo will be over and the prices may go up afterwards. Could you come by later?” Jenny asked.

“No. The rest of my day is full.”

“Are you sure? You can’t even come by for like 10 minutes a little later on today?” she pressed on.

“Sorry, No.” I said with a normal tone. “The rest of my day is full and I didn’t even plan on doing this at all.”

“Can you come tomorrow?” Jenny asked.

I replied “Oh definitely I do. I have plenty of time in the afternoon and I’ll be around to take the kids trick or treating with my partner.”

“Okay great! I’ll be here then.”

“Perfect. Thanks,” I said. And off I went, putting the reminder in my calendar to come by tomorrow in the afternoon.

Next day, October 31st, Halloween.

It’s 2 PM and I’m on a call with a client and I get a text from my partner that says, “Can you come at 3:30 PM or 4 PM the latest? I’m going to take one of the kids to Oakville to bring her to her friends, then we’ll have dinner, and then take them out trick or treating.”

I think, “Okay, that’s no problem. I’ll just go to the gym later in the evening or I’ll call in and register over the phone.” I was simply thinking I can just give them my credit card and provide all my address and info over the phone. (Time will tell that was a process they didn’t have in place.)

3:45 PM and I’m at my partner’s house and she’s getting out of the shower. I take the opportunity to call in to the gym and speak with Jenny to get my membership going.

“I need your signature” she says.

I say, “Oh Bummer. I can’t do that. Are there any other options? Can’t you just take my credit card and process it over the phone?”

“Not really. I need your signature. Can you come in and just quickly sign it?”

“Not really. We’re heading out in a few minutes to Oakville to take the kids trick or treating.” (Oakville is 45 minutes west from Woodbridge where the gym location was.)

“Okay well, the only options are that you come in and sign it.”

“I can’t do that right now.”

“Either that or I forge your signature.”

…

I wait for Jenny to giggle because she’s kidding right?

…

No giggle.

I think to myself: She didn’t say that so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

I take this into my own hands and say, “Look, you’re open 24 hours, right? And you need it by midnight, right? I can come by before 12 midnight, for sure.”

(I know the kids will be passed out from all the excitement and have a sugar crash from the candy by 10 PM so I can definitely be there before midnight.)

“Are you sure you can’t come. I’m here and it’s my day off and it will just take two minutes?”

“Just have the forms filled out and ready and I will come there and sign it before midnight.”

“Can you be here before 10 PM? I won’t be here after then.”

I get annoyed now.

“If you can fill out the forms and put my name on them and have them ready to go and leave them with someone else, I will be there well before midnight and I’ll sign up that way.”

“Okay no problem, I’ll do that then, thank you.”

“Thank you.”

I hang up, get in the car. Go to dinner with the kids and my partner and we had a great time. I go trick or treating with them and finish at 9:30 PM.

10:15 PM and the kids are crashed in the car on the way home from Oakville to Woodbridge. Dropped off the kids with my partner and drove five minutes down the street to the GoodLife Fitness, happy to sign up for my new membership.

(My partner even reminded me to stop at the gym before heading home. She frequents the gym more than I do and she was excited about the idea of us working out there together.)

I drive to the gym and walk up to the front desk.

“Hi. Jenny left me a form here to sign to get my membership started?”

“What’s your name?” says the guy who looks like he just left a Slipknot concert.

“Michael.”

‘Slipknot fan’ gets on his cell phone and calls Jenny and ensues a conversation with her while the woman at the computer looks on.

Twelve seconds later and Slipknot fan says something to ‘computer woman’ and computer woman hands me a blank form and says, “Okay can I get you to fill this out and include all your banking info?”

Surprised, I say, “Banking info, I thought I could just pay via Credit Card?”

“No. We need your banking info, like your transit number, institution number and routing number,” computer woman informs me.

“I don’t have that information on me and Jenny didn’t say anything about banking information anyway. AND she was supposed have this form filled out and ready to go.”

Computer woman says, “Oh, well we need your banking info. This is just what we do.”

…

Crap.

I can’t stand this.

I’m tired. I came here. Its before midnight. Here I am, ready to go, like I said I would be and you aren’t ready for me?

Fine.

“You guys screwed up. You just lost a sale. Do you have your sales manager’s business card?”

“Oh.” Computer woman was genuinely surprised.

She points to the General Manager’s card.

“We have our manager’s card right there.”

There is no sales manager.

“Okay great. Thank you.”

I grab a card and head out the door, super frustrated at this poor customer service and terrible sales experience.

GoodLife Fitness, you lost my business.

Gym membership, you’ll have to wait.

Spin class…. Maybe I’ll find another way.

It’s 11:15 PM and I am driving away more upset than I’ve been in a long time, disappointed at Jenny, disappointed at terrible customer service, disappointed at how ineffectively people listen, disappointed at GoodLife, disappointed at terrible managers, disappointed at terrible sales practices, disappointed at lost opportunities for both me and for GoodLife.

I feel frustrated and let down, but energized at the thought of the right company that treats me right, that wants to earn my business. The right company that listens to their customers and takes a better approach to sales than GoodLife Fitness.

Do us all a favour: Share this post Gary Vee style so that people everywhere can raise the bar on sales, customer service and communication.

Thanks for reading. Lets learn from our customers.

Michael Santonato is a financial advisor based in Toronto, Canada, who also runs an investment management firm. He is married with three kids. You can contact him at michael.nlbg@gmail.com or visit his website at www.MichaelSantonato.com