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In the United States alone there are over 41,370 gym facilities in use every day.
With numbers like this, it can be a real challenge to stand out in the crowd and attract dedicated members to your fitness center. Of course, there are a few unsuspecting ways you can boost customer satisfaction that you never may have considered.
Believe it or not, having a laundry facility on premises is the perfect way to enhance your customer experience and elevate the appeal of your gym.
Don’t believe us? Follow along to discover the key benefits of on-premise laundry and how improving your gym laundry facilities can be the secret to fitness center success.
Before we jump into the benefits of laundry services at your gym, let’s talk about what on-premise laundry really is.
As you probably guessed from the name, an on-premise laundry facility is a space within your gym suited up with commercial washing machines and dryers to perform laundry services without leaving the building. These on-premise facilities are suitable for staff members to run and offer a number of perks for both employees and club members.
Of course, the washer and dryer you have at home aren’t suitable for the amount of laundry that comes through your health club each day. However, just because you have large volumes of linen doesn’t mean you need to outsource the task completely.
Here at WASH, we offer the perfect setup specifically for your on-premise gym laundry facility at affordable prices. From single load to heavy capacity models, we offer washers extractors, large capacity dryers, disinfecting ozone systems and more. Our expert team will help determine the best machines for your fitness center’s needs and budget.
Now that you know what on-premise laundry is, you may be wondering how having a commercial laundry room at your gym could benefit your bottom line.
Here are the advantages you can look forward to with your new, gym-approved laundry facilities:
If you currently operate without on-site laundry at your health club, you likely follow one of two structures.
A) You outsource your linen washing to a commercial cleaning company that picks up the laundry once or twice a week and returns it clean and folded to your gym. If you happen to run out of towels before the pick-up date, you likely have to either ‘make do’ or call in a rush order for washing.
or
B) You avoid the need for linen washing altogether by employing a strict BYOT (bring your own towel) rule and using paper instead of cloth to clean machines.
If you are employing structure B, you’ve likely noticed feedback in your customer surveys regarding the lack of towels. In fact, your members may even value your health club less because of this absent service.
Beyond this, the amount of paper towels your gym works through in a week is incredibly unfriendly to the environment and your budget.
While option A is a vast improvement from option B, there are still a number of problems that you face on a weekly basis.
Whether your linen drop off is late or you’ve used more than your projected amount over the past few days, the turnaround for washing companies can throw a real hitch into your services. Members that normally rely on your towel service in the fitness center, locker room, showers and saunas are suddenly stuck without a solution and probably not very happy about it.
With on-premise laundry, you can stay on top of your regular washing to avoid ever being stuck in this ‘we’re out of towels’ conversation.
Working with these same two scenarios again, we can see a massive margin for savings!
If you are outsourcing your washing, you already know that this can be a costly endeavor. Add on rush order costs and delays and you’ve got a pricey solution for your laundry that you can’t seem to rely on.
Alternatively, the absence of linens at all reduces the amount you can realistically charge for your membership. With so many competitors in the area, little factors like this will go a long way with your members. If they hear that their friend is paying less per week and receiving more perks, the chances of them jumping ship are pretty high.
While the initial cost of your own on-premise laundry machines is an investment, these facilities pay themselves off over and over again by cutting out the middle man with your washing. Beyond this, they play a massive role in member retention and can ultimately make you more money (more on this later).
Linen-washing services tout their professional skills as a prime reason to hire their business, but the truth is, we can all do it.
At the end of the day, adding linens and washing powder or liquid to a machine doesn’t take a genius. In fact, it’s an easy task that any member of your staff can do.
This means you don’t even need to bring on more staff to manage your laundry needs. To save on staffing costs and get even more out of your on-premise washing, work laundry into your regular staff procedures. As your floor staff makes their rounds, include popping into the laundry room to switch over a load on their task list.
Let’s face it, sitting at the front desk waiting for a walk-in isn’t the most effective use of time. So why not utilize your staff for this simple task and get the most bang for your buck!
Stains happen, but leaving those stains to set for days on end isn’t helping the situation!
By the time your laundry services get around to your linens, those make-up marks and sweat stains on your linens are thoroughly soaked in. This can make even the simplest stains more difficult to remove.
With on-premise laundry, on the other hand, you’ll be able to tackle those stains before they set to increase your chances of getting them out with just a regular wash. By having the freedom to pop a load of washing in whenever necessary, you can actually ensure your linens stay looking fresh and white for much longer!
You may even be able to save on pricey stain removers.
Taking your laundry needs into your own hands means you’ve got control over all aspects of your gym.
While you’ve been trusting laundry services to keep your linens in tip-top shape, they may not have the same standards as you for quality. This means you may be returned towels with unsightly stains or even tears that are simply not suitable for your members.
To avoid these embarrassing situations with your valued members, you’ll be able to set standards for your staff to regulate. If a towel isn’t looking its best anymore, you can pull it right out of the pile before a member has to point it out to you.
As we mentioned above, the competition in the fitness industry is tough. One mistake in your customer service experience could lead your members to drop their membership altogether in favor of your rivals.
Of course, the opposite is true as well!
If your members are happy with their service and even let others know about the amazing quality, cleanliness, and professionalism of your gym, there’s a good chance you could sway members from other clubs to your location.
Remember how we mentioned you could earn more with those laundry services? Believe it or not, towel service or a nice plush robe are perks that gym-goers are willing and ready to pay extra for!
Plus, today’s commercial washers and dryers are more efficient which can significantly reduce your water and energy bills. Some even come with smart dosing, that automatically adds the right amount of detergent so there’s no waste.
By earning more and spending less, you could pay off your laundry room investment in no time!
When it comes down to running a successful gym, the secret lies in happy members, right? So, while all of these laundry room benefits are great, how do they impact your customer satisfaction?
Perhaps the most impressive customer service benefit of on-premise laundry is your gym’s ability to offer more services.
Whether it be a sauna room, extended class schedule, or even a pool, all of these services stack up your laundry needs. Fortunately, with your new on-premise laundry facility, you’ll be able to keep up with all of these new cleaning tasks with no added cost!
This makes taking the step to complete those upgrades far more attainable! And of course, with all of these new services, you’ll be able to stand out against competitors, charge more per membership, and improve your quality of service.
Even if these upgrades aren’t on the cards for you just yet, you’ll have the option to add on smaller services like complimentary towels for workouts. These little changes add just a little sweetness to the deal for new and existing members!
A clean gym is a happy gym. Your customers not only appreciate but expect your workout facilities to be clean on every single visit.
This is especially true with the recent Covid pandemic restrictions.
When thinking about setting up your on-premise laundry, you may want to get washers with ozone systems to clean and disinfect your gym’s laundry better and disable bacteria. And your members get white, fluffy and clean-smelling laundry.
By handling all of your cleaning services, including laundry, in-house, you can ensure that your gym is always meeting those sky-high standards you promise. This will make members feel more comfortable calling your gym their club and decrease the likelihood of them exploring other options.
How luxurious does it feel to pull on those plush robes at a 5-star hotel? Pretty darn good right?
With your own laundry services, you can offer this level of luxury after every workout, swim, sauna, or even tanning experience. Imagine going beyond offering towels and having robes on hand for your members.
By always having a fresh, warm towel and robe, ready to go for members, you’ll offer a level of luxury they just can’t get at a discount gym. This alone is reason enough for them to keep coming back!
Besides, who would turn away that fluffy, luxury feeling that puts us on top of the world!
Beyond this, you’ll have unlimited opportunities to up the comfort level in your gym. Have face cloths stocked in the change rooms for removing makeup and wiping away sweat or even start stimulating the senses by adopting a signature fabric softener scent. After all, the advantages of scent marketing are undeniable!
If customer satisfaction is your goal, you’ll love the little extras having a gym laundry facilities offers.
Let’s say, for example, that you notice a member is crushing it on the stair climber. They’re building up their little puddle of hard-earned sweat like no tomorrow, but the salty sweat is visibly irritating their eyes. Just like that, you’ve got an opportunity to impress!
You grab a freshly washed towel and a cup of water and saunter over to the hard-working member and offer them this luxury service without even having to leave their machine.
Imagine how thrilled this member will be with their service. In fact, we’re willing to bet they’ll even tell their friends or family about the above and beyond gesture!
It’s little things like this that impress your members and keep them dedicated for the long run.
Now that you know how on-premise laundry for gyms can enhance your customer satisfaction, it’s time to take the plunge. From happier club members to the time and money-saving benefits of gym laundry facilities, we’re confident you won’t regret this business-wise investment.
With high-quality gym laundry facilities, you’ll be blowing the competition away and retaining members like never before.
Want to get your hands on the best commercial on-premise laundry set-up for your gym? Get in touch with us today to discover the perfect options for your needs and experience the difference of a high-quality gym laundry facility.
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