How to Empower Your Staff and Members at the Frontline
The most effective gyms don’t rely on back-office heroics — they empower their people at the point of contact.
At GrowthFit, Jaco van der Merwe shared a simple but powerful principle: ownership. Operational efficiency begins when your staff and members are equipped to act immediately — without delays, handovers, or frustration.
The 80/20 Rule of Operational Success
“If you can deal with 80% of inquiries at the front desk, you’re winning.”
That’s how Jaco put it — and the logic is clear: every layer a task passes through adds cost, time, and complexity.
By empowering the first point of contact — your reception or front desk — you eliminate bottlenecks before they start.
Strategies to Empower Staff
Automate routine tasks: Sign-ups, payments, and member verifications should happen via smart workflows — not email threads.
Equip with smart tools: Your reception staff aren’t MBAs. They need systems designed for speed and clarity, not complexity.
Train for resolution, not delegation: The goal is fewer “Let me send this to the back office” moments, and more real-time problem-solving.
Let Members Help Themselves
A surprising insight from the GrowthFit session: members prefer private, fast solutions.
Jaco recalled seeing a blocked member approach reception with their phone instead of heading straight to the access gate — they had already seen their blocked status and chose to resolve it discreetly.
Give members the tools to self-service:
Blocked account notifications in-app
Payment links via SMS or the Itensity app
QR access codes and booking tools on mobile
These reduce admin burden and improve member experience — without awkward conversations or delays.
Operational efficiency isn’t about replacing people — it’s about enabling them.
When your staff and members are equipped to act quickly and confidently, your gym runs smoothly, your team feels empowered, and your members stay happy.
