CLM backs Debitsuccess OMG system for online member sign-ups

Since its establishment in 1995, Community Leisure Management (CLM) has grown to become one of New Zealand's leading health and fitness chains.

With an unyielding commitment to providing an environment where people can work together to achieve their full potential, the company has grown and expanded its network to a degree where it now boasts over 500 staff working in 34 aquatic, fitness and recreation facilities around the North and South Islands.

Such success came as a result of CLM's commitment to delivering better customer service through improving facility performance.

CLM Health & Fitness Manager Geoff Barton has been especially conscious of the ways that technology has enhanced their business and is particularly enthusiastic about a new service that the company has adopted to streamline administration and make it easier to sign-up and retain new customers.

Called the Online Management Gateway (OMG) the tool is an online membership form developed by direct debit processing company Debitsuccess that allows new CLM customers to sign up to the gym and manage their membership payments in a totally online setting.

Barton explains "Debitsuccess has worked with CLM since its early days, which has always provided a simple, effective and hassle free way of processing member payments. To do the same job internally would require a couple of full time staff to manage everything that Debitsuccess does."

Since adopting OMG, Barton says CLM now has a very powerful system that has already seen the company take a step up in its ability to attract and retain new members, adding "basically it comes down to paperwork. Previously members were signed up on written forms that new members would complete. Often there were mistakes, or areas which people forgot to fill in or sign. Written forms can get lost in transit. The more paperwork involved, the more chances there are for something to go wrong. "

Barton says the greatest benefit of the OMG system is that it fixes all these issues at once, "incomplete forms are a thing of the past, because the website will always prompt the user to complete compulsory fields, so important information is recorded without fail."

Barton says a number of CLM facilities have set up computer terminals in their gym reception areas to give people instant access to the OMG for signing up, which has solved the issue of members getting 'cold feet' about the joining process.

He adds "the OMG system helps to complete the process when the iron is hot. If people can sign up on the spot, and then use the gym straight away it really helps their enthusiasm for coming back, and ensures they experience smooth and hassle free customer service."

CLM Health & Fitness has also found OMG beneficial because it helps CLM's online promotion initiatives. Recently CLM opened a new fitness centre in Onehunga and through marketing and promotion managed to direct a large number of new members to sign up on OMG prior to the facility opening.

"People don't want to wait to receive forms, so it's much easier for people to visit the web site and complete the process in their own time."

CLM also finds that when people ring a facility to source information or enquire about services, staff can talk people through the process of signing up on the website. This has resulted in a large reduction in administration time for the facilities.

Geoff Bartons says as CLM continues to use the services of Debitsuccess, they are looking into extending the OMG service into the other business units and providing the service for Swim School families within the SwimMagic network.

Barton concluded "word of mouth recommendations are one of the best and most effective marketing tools for us, so having the OMG is like having a sales person working 24 hours a day."

For more information about Debitsuccess' Online Management Gateway go to www.debitsuccess.co.nz

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