Dramatic Increase in “Very Satisfied” Club Members Over Last Five Years

All types of businesses are always looking for ways to improve satisfaction among customers, whether it’s a hotel chain or the fast food joint down the street.

Time and time again, we have found that it all revolves around building the “very satisfied” in your customer base, or with clubs, your membership. Once clubs achieve having a majority of their members “very satisfied” with their club experience, then success begins to unfold with existing members using the club more often and, in turn, becoming a marketing force to attract their friends and family.

We have been surveying members for over 30 years and have witnessed a stunning improvement in clubs delivering satisfaction. Our surveys start with a question asking members about their overall satisfaction level at the club. Using a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 being very satisfied going down to 1 being very dissatisfied, we found that, for the most part, members are satisfied with their experience (this would be a rating of 4). We expect almost all members to be either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their club as they are paying to be a member of that group. However, we’ve learned that clubs that have a high number of “very satisfied” members experience great levels of success. They are not experiencing major problems and are very successful.

As shown in the chart above, there has been a tremendous amount of clubs attaining high “very satisfied” levels over the last five years.

From 2011, when 30% of the clubs we surveyed had “very satisfied” satisfaction levels of over 40%, to 2015 when half of the clubs we surveyed had those same levels. These are staggering numbers that show clubs are realizing the importance of providing a great experience for their members.

What are your satisfaction levels? The only way to find out is by reaching out to members and asking them. A strong comprehensive survey will provide you with a wealth of answers about your club, identify the things you are doing well and the things you are missing the mark on which affect overall satisfaction. With this valuable data you can make informed decisions about the future of your club and chart a course to success.