"Frozen" Gym Memberships - do you "Let It Go"?

We’re going to kick off the GGFaqs series with a couple of questions that we frequently ask clubs; do you allow your members to freeze their membership, and if you do, how much do you communicate with them while they’re on freeze?

At clubs that do offer a contract freeze, we’re surprised to find that little or nothing is sent to members on freeze.
Some clubs send the regular newsletter (nothing specific), others send nothing. The next step after the freeze starts is often the next DD as the freeze ends. So what action does the member take when this happens? Well some complain, ask to extend the freeze, say they thought they’d cancelled, or just stop the next DD payment. And that’s for the members who haven’t already cancelled the DD during the freeze.

A frozen member, yesterday

It’s much better to contact your frozen members before the freeze ends to let them know. If you’ve feeling generous (!) you could offer the terms to extend the freeze (perhaps for just 1 month more). Sure, some will still extend the freeze and others will still try to cancel, but you’ll be on the front foot with your admin, and could get some more members back in sooner.

While we’re at it, you could also send a message (or messages) to members during their freeze period, especially if they’re paying to freeze. Try to encourage them to come back early (depending on the freeze reason), perhaps offering a stay in touch voucher for a fitness test, coaching session or coffee.

And finally, confirming the freeze as it happens is also a good idea. Just like sending a new joiner email, send a new freeze member an email to confirm the freeze period, terms, etc. This checks that you have the correct contact details – better to find out now than when you’re trying to get them back!

Please add your comments, thoughts, or practices on membership freeze below, or submit your own GGFaq here or by email to GGFaqs@ggfit.com

To read more from the GGFaqs series, please click here