Nail feedback surveys for gym members (with form examples)

What do your members really think of your gym? Are your classes helping them hit their fitness goals or holding them back? Are your facilities up to scratch?

If you want to keep building on your business, then it’s important to know what your members think and what they want. And one of the easiest ways to get inside their minds is through feedback surveys. From one-question SMS surveys to more comprehensive online forms, let’s dive into the what, why, and how of capturing customer feedback.

What are feedback surveys and why does your gym need them?

Across industries, businesses use feedback surveys to gauge how customers feel. In the fitness industry, it’s about finding out what's working well with your classes and facilities, what needs improvement, and what new offerings might appeal to your members.

Surveys can take many shapes and forms. They could be online or sent via text message. They could be multiple choice questions. “Yes” or “no” answers. Ratings out of 10. Open-ended questions for more qualitative feedback. It really depends on what you want to learn from your members.

Whatever shape they take, feedback surveys will help you:

• Boost member satisfaction and retention. Use the feedback to address pain points and enhance positive experiences, which in turn keeps your members happier, boosts word-of-mouth referrals, and reduces churn.
• Improve the quality of your classes. Feedback on instructors, classes, and staff can pinpoint areas for training and development.
• Optimise facilities and equipment. By capturing feedback on things like cleanliness, equipment maintenance, and availability, you can ensure your physical space is up to the standard expected of your members.
• Inform marketing and business strategy. The insights you capture in surveys can be a good reminder of what attracted members to your gym in the first place, and what they get out of their membership. This can all help to guide future marketing efforts.‍
• Stop potential issues in their tracks. Regular feedback can help to highlight potential problems before they become widespread.

What makes a great feedback survey?

Your members are busy people. Most of them probably fit their gym sessions around family and work commitments — they won’t want to waste precious moments of their day filling out long, tedious forms. With this in mind, keep your surveys short and sweet. Aim for a few easy-to-answer questions (think multiple choice or ratings), and throw in an optional open-ended question if you want to know more about what they’re thinking. 

Anonymity is important, too. Some members may be more comfortable providing honest feedback if their responses are anonymous. 

Finally, show members how you’re using their feedback to improve your offerings. Perhaps it’s a quick update in your newsletter (e.g. “You told us that you wanted more HIIT classes, so we’re pumped to announce these new sessions each week”), or notices in and around the gym that highlight the things you’ve changed. 

Keeping them in the loop shows them their opinions are valued.

How can you send surveys to your members?

Given how busy your members are, you need to make sure it’s easy for them to open and fill out the survey form. Think digital, a couple of clicks, job done.

Hapana makes this easy. In the branded app, you can configure a feedback form so that members can share their thoughts and ratings, right in the app. It’s an easy way to find out what your members think.

Alternatively, you could create simple online forms and then email or text your members the link. Put automation to work so that the email is sent, say, one month after a member joins. You’ll have the feedback rolling in when it’s set-and-forget like this.

So, what questions should your gym member survey include?

Naturally, this is going to depend on what type of fitness studio you run. And, what areas you want to improve on. But here are some common questions to get you started. Remember, just pick out a couple of questions for each survey - you don’t want to scare people away!

To gauge overall satisfaction, you could ask:

• How satisfied are you with your overall experience at our gym/studio?
• How likely are you to recommend our gym/studio to a friend or colleague?
• How would you rate the value for money of your gym membership?
• What initially attracted you to our gym/studio?
• Do you feel our gym helps you achieve your fitness goals?

To see if your facilities and equipment are up to scratch, you could ask:

• How would you rate the cleanliness and hygiene of our workout areas / change rooms / restrooms?
• How would you rate the quality and variety of our gym equipment?
• Was the temperature and ventilation in the facility comfortable?
• Is there enough space for the type of exercise you like to do?
• Are the changing rooms and showers clean and well-maintained?
• Are the water and hydration stations clean and accessible?

To find out if you’re offering the right classes, you could ask: 

• How satisfied are you with the variety of classes offered?
• How would you rate the effectiveness and quality of our fitness classes?
• Were the class instructions easy to follow?
• Was the difficulty level of the class appropriate for your fitness level?
• What additional classes or programs would you like to see offered?
• How often do you participate in group fitness classes?
• Are the class times convenient for your schedule?

To understand how members feel about your staff, you could ask: 

• How would you rate the professionalism and friendliness of our staff?
• How knowledgeable and helpful are our fitness instructors/personal trainers?
• Did the instructor provide clear explanations and demonstrations?
• Did you feel motivated and supported by the instructor?
• Are staff members approachable and responsive to your questions/concerns?

To gauge whether your membership services are sufficient, you could ask: 

• How satisfied are you with our communication regarding updates, new classes, and promotions?
• Have you used our online services (e.g., app for booking classes, workout plans)?
• If yes, how satisfied are you with these services?

And, for open-ended feedback, you could ask:

• What do you enjoy most about your experience at our studio?
• What one change would most improve your experience?
• Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

Ready to start capturing feedback?

From our branded app to our powerful gym membership software, Hapana helps you reach out to members and ask for feedback. It’s all about providing easy ways to engage — and Hapana delivers this in spades. To see how easy it can be, take a tour of our gym management software today.