Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2 - 15A

Interviewees: I found three people who live in Central Florida and that I have not previously interviewed. They are all females ranging from 23-32 years old who work full time and are not married and have no children.

In my last interviews, I asked various people about their needs and preferences regarding their gym attendance and working out styles. I shared with them my gym reward concept, and for the most part, they were all open to it. For the new interviews, I presented them with the original idea plus two alternatives.

Alternative #1 is that they have a set price with no penalties or incentives but with instructional videos at each station.  Alternative #2 is the reward system, with a bit higher rate but no penalties if they can't make it.

London liked alternative #2 with no penalties because life happens, and you don't want to discourage your customers from canceling their membership just for the added fees. Beatriz agreed but also said that I could charge more than an average gym because the members were, in a way receiving virtual personal training with the instructional videos in each station. I loved how she described the concept of virtual personal training. Amanda liked the original idea of how it was presented. She thought the penality fees would encourage her to not skip going to the gym but suggested I added a penalty waiver of three times a month, just in case an emergency happened. I asked them what they all thought a fair price would be for a gym like the one I am proposing. London said she'd pay $50/month, Beatriz $75/month, and Amanda said $45. All three ladies agreed that a month to month contract would entice them more to join.


Post-Purchase Evaluation:  People feel discouraged when signing up for a gym because they feel lost and don't know what they're doing, or they sometimes feel like gyms are ripping them off. But if a gym gives them the confidence and encouragement they are seeking, then purchasing a gym membership makes them feel like they've made a good investment. As long as there are no hidden fees, and there is an easy cancellation policy, people would be more inclined to join and keep their membership.

Report The Findings: None of the ladies that I interviewed seemed interested in the reward concept. They did like the instructional videos in each station idea, and they all were in agreeance to a set price with no hidden fees.

Conclusion: Based on the new interviewees and their responses, an alternative proposal was needed. It made me analyze and refocus my objective for the gym. Although a reward system seems innovative, in the long run, it wouldn't be sustainable. It would be too hard to manage different prices for each individual member. The goal is to make a profit while at the same time giving the customer excellent quality service.