When you have an upcoming renovation or remodel scheduled for your fitness studio, you don’t have to close the doors until the project is complete. It is common, and very reasonable, to remain open while your gym or studio is under minor construction. To be successful, simply come up with some ways you can keep your club members content during the process.
Continue reading to learn some tips on how to cater to your club members in order to keep them happy during a remodel.
Plan Ahead
Every gym or fitness studio will need a remodel or renovation, eventually. When the time comes for you to remodel your space, take the good advice of professional commercial construction managers and plan ahead. This will guarantee an easier process for you, your contractors, and most importantly, your clientele. Inform your staff ahead of time, and then inform your members a week or two before the project commences.
Trust Your Design Build Team
Your commercial general contractors will know the best strategies and practices for establishing an efficient and workable timeline. Talk to them about their recommendations for streamlining the project and remaining cost-effective, while also minimizing disruption to members. For instance, if your studio is not open late, you might elect to have much of the work done in the evening, after hours. In some cases, nighttime labor is more costly, but in many cases, it is worth it since it cuts costs elsewhere.
Understand the Process
Get with your commercial contracting team and discuss each step of the process. Ask how long each stage will take and what it will consist of. By knowing what will happen at each stage of construction, you can better plan on how to cater to members and work around it all.
Consider Lead-Time Planning
Lead-time planning is the practice of ordering all necessary items and supplies for a remodeling job, prior to the construction start date. This strategy ensures everything needed will already be at your fitness center when the time comes for them to be applied. It is a common commercial construction strategy used to cut timelines and increase efficiency. It avoids having to wait on materials, which ultimately prevents unexpected and costly delays.
Beef Up Your Customer Service
During your fitness center renovation, it is likely that certain areas of the studio will be shut down, taped off, or inaccessible. Other areas might be accessible, but pose certain inconveniences. Either way, be prepared to hear some members complain. Talk to your staff ahead of time about this, and remind them to be good listeners and accommodate their complaints as best they can. You might want to instruct them on how to answer some predictable questions, such as “when will the remodel be done?”, “what is changing?”, and “will this increase membership costs?”
Communicate With Your Members
Prior to, during, and after your fitness center remodel, have an open line of communication with your members. Post signs, make class announcements, send emails, mail postcards, or use social media, to keep your clients informed of all construction start dates, progress, and completion times. It also helps to show members what the finished design will look like, so consider displaying a 3D model or poster to show what the finished results will be, and to build anticipation.
Fitness and Gym Construction Contractors in Indianapolis, Indiana
Contact BAF Corporation today at 317-253-0531 for commercial fitness and gym construction services you can trust. Whether you are looking to start a new fitness center, remodel an existing one, or simply move locations, our commercial general contractors have the economical workable solutions to get the job done right, the first time, on time, and within budget. We serve all corporate, commercial, and industrial industries in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding districts.
