Providing excellence in customer service is a golden retention strategy, one that simply cannot afford to be overlooked. But what, exactly, do we mean by excellence and how can we attain it?

At the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, we believe that each interaction is an opportunity to build a meaningful connection with our customers and make them feel at home. We’ve identified several contributing factors including genuine care and personalisation, but the very foundation of this bond of belonging is listening.

Unfortunately, listening is too often taken for granted: we train new hires on policies, procedures, and software, but how many of us train staff in the art of listening? How many of our job postings even include listening as a responsibility? We need to take listening out of the it’s-so-obvious-we-don’t-need-to-discuss-it column and put it on the front burner. And turn up the heat.

Mixed metaphors aside, the principles of active listening address people’s innate need to be heard. And at a fitness centre, when someone feels understood, they stay.

While entire courses and books have been devoted to active listening, we will touch here on its core elements as seen through the lens of customer service. As you read, the concept will seem obvious, instinctive, and easy. I assure you, it is not. As someone whose very core runs on efficiency, it took me quite some time (and a lot of practice!) to learn how to quiet my mind, give up assumptions, abandon control and the need to fix, remove myself from the equation, and allow people the space they need. It does get easier with time but it is never automatic. Once you start using these tools, the benefits will be immediate. Trust and connection will grow.

When you greet a member by name as they enter, you are establishing rapport. The moment, however, that a client wants to impart information, it is time to employ active listening, before you move to “solve” the issue.

Show the person they have your full attention.

Lean in, make eye contact, nod or offer verbal cues (eg. “uh huh”; “go on”’). Face the person and maintain an open posture. Avoid folded arms, slouching, fidgeting, and wandering eyes. Using positive body language will actually improve your ability to listen!

Be present.

While the person is speaking, listen, and only listen. Don’t disagree, interrupt, or make assumptions. Avoid planning your response. Let them dominate the conversation. Resist the urge to jump to solutions. This step is trickier than it sounds, but once you’ve mastered the skill, it will serve you well.

Empathize.

Empathy is recognizing, naming and validating someone’s emotion. Do not compare their situation to others’. Don’t share similar stories from your own life or offer an opinion.

Demonstrate that you have heard, you understand, and you would like to find a solution.

• Acknowledge the person’s feelings and that they reached out: I understand this is a frustrating situation. I appreciate the time you’ve taken to speak with me.
• Repeat what the person has said using your own words, with a soft entry: If I understand correctly, you are unhappy that your personal trainer is on vacation.
• Ask open-ended questions: I understand you aren’t happy with our group fitness schedule. What changes would you like to see? This is especially helpful when a person has trouble conveying their issue in words. You can read their current emotional state easily enough, but you also need to understand the actual arc of what they are sharing with you. These guided questions can help you get there.

Solve!

Only once you have identified and acknowledged your client’s emotions, echoed back what they have told you, and ensured your understanding of the issue as they see it, you are ready to employ the rest of your customer service skills and move into solution mode.

Connection affects Identity

The tool of active listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give your frontline staff- and your fitness centre. When customers feel understood, their mindset begins to shift from the gym to my gym, a familiar and meaningful space. This psychological shift is a key factor in retention and in strengthening your fitness centre’s community.