When any one receives that "7 day free pass" it is automatically assumed that people can just go in the club, flash the pass and automatically be set. It is not that easy. Usually the membership counselors have to put one through a process of identification, sign a waiver and take a tour. It is a tedious task, however it is a business.
The first priority is liability, second is building value to their product to increase their chances of producing a new member sign up. Very very few gyms let new comers tour themselves in a gym. This is how the business is. It gets both sides (Membership counselor and Customer)
no where if the customer is automatically on the defensive.
Too many people always feel victimized by the "jerk salesman" who wouldn't let them just use the pass. Yes there are SOME who are "jerk salesman" however the majority of arguments I always see between a customer and membership counselor is due to miscommunication, usually from the customer being overly defensive or the salesmen being overly aggressive.
Both sides must keep an open mind, especially the customer. If one automatically thinks "These guys are just going to try to sale me! Well I'm not going to let that happen!" that is not keeping an open mind. These people are just doing their job, and yes, some are assholes, most are not. But of course they're going to at least try to get a new sign up, if they didn't then their company wouldn't be in business. This goes the same for any company, from a mom and pop store to a corporation, in order to stay in business, one must try to get business.
And if one does come across an aggressive membership counselor, just walk away, simple as that.
Read the fine print
People get pissed off if at the end they don't get the 7 day trial. This is usually due to two reasons; they either live too far, or have been a guest in the past and are no longer qualified to get a pass. The fine print on most health clubs' 7 day pass usually states that in order to use the "7 day pass" one must be of local residence and not have been a member or guest of that specific health club in the past.
Yes this even means 15 years ago when you were 10 years old and had not idea why your parents were looking at a gym. This is very important. Personally I think its not the best business decision to make regarding new membership sales, but that is usually the practice. The argument is that people in the past have abused the "7 day pass" and it only takes a small amount of douche bags to affect a massive amount of people. So again, read the fine print so one doesn't have to waste time going down in person only to be denied a pass.
Be patient & shop around
When shopping around for a gym membership, its always about comparing prices. First off, it will not be easy to get the membership prices off the bat, that is salesmanship 101. Never give the prices off the bat, cause then you gave the customer what they want and they won't hear about the awesomeness of your product. All they will think about is the price.
They will build value as much as they can before even mentioning the topic. Be patient. Once you have heard their pitch, compare it to the price. It's usually right on. Like they say you get what you pay for. If the price is right, awesome, if not, move on, simple as that. Time and time again I see people come up and demand "I just want the prices I don't want to sign anything." well that will go no where fast.
Keep an open mind, read the fine print, be patient and shop around. Don't let a few douche bags make you think everyone in the health club industry are the same way. Many of them really want to help people accomplish whatever goal they desire. Hope this helps! =)
