Emma Thomas, Head of Development, Trafford Leisure

Major leisure operators Trafford Leisure have joined forces with DFC. Their goal? To simplify the digital journey for their members and standardise Direct Debits across the organisation.

The partnership is set to speed the online joining process up by an impressive eight-minutes. But they can also expect equally big benefits to in-house administration and customer service.

Who is Trafford Leisure?
Trafford Leisure manages the leisure facilities in the Trafford area on behalf of Trafford Council. They are a Community Interest Company (CIC), meaning their profits are reinvested into their facilities to benefit the wellbeing of their customers.

Since they began trading in 2015, Trafford Leisure has been a port of call for all those interested in indoor and outdoor activities like fitness, swimming, gymnastics and golf. With nine facilities over nearly 10 miles and 350 staff, Trafford Leisure attracts a wide demographic, from young adults to families and old age pensioners.

Joining forces
Twelve months ago, Trafford Leisure underwent a migration to Direct Debit for gymnastics, trampolining and swimming lessons. Since this move, Direct Debit has claimed responsibility for 60 per cent of Trafford Leisure’s total monthly income, leading the operators to outsource.

Emma Thomas, head of development at Trafford Leisure, said: “Since moving our swimming lesson and gymnastics memberships across to Direct Debit, collections have almost doubled overnight so the time seemed right to think about contracting this resource out.

“We’d already looked at DFC three years earlier before continuing to manage this in-house. We chose to work with them because they give us a really personable experience. Their values are closely aligned to those of Trafford Leisure.”

Exciting plans ahead
Thomas continues: “Our primary goal is to speed up the buying time and improve the overall digital experience.

“Our previous online buying journey took 11-minutes from start to finish. Whereas DFC’s online joining portal, FastDD, takes just over three minutes.

“The process should become much more customer-friendly, with a number of additional communication avenues like My Payments and SMS in place as a way of reducing pain points”.

Trafford Leisure are also looking to clean up their cancellation process and reposition their membership offering for people considering leaving. They are now working with DFC partner, Leisure Net, to develop a cancellation portal.

Doing things differently
DFC is a leading revenue management solutions provider in the leisure industry. As Direct Debit experts, they take away all the hassle of collections for busy health and fitness organisations.

It’s their mission to help facilities improve customer relationships so that customers stay longer. They do this through a commitment to maximise income, streamline administration processes and reduce customer churn.

Find out more at: www.debitfinance.co.uk.

Chris Heron, Founder and Owner, The Engine Room

Marylebone’s newest boutique studio - The Engine Room - turns indoor rowing into a fitness experience.

Everything about this studio is designed to deliver a high-quality indoor rowing experience. Even the building – a stunning Grade II-listed church – is near the popular boating lake in Regent’s Park.

“We offer an immersive and data-driven rowing experience,” says founder Chris Heron. “Technogym’s SKILLROW was the obvious choice. Rowing is often part of a gym workout, but here it’s the main focus. SKILLROW machines help our customers develop great technique, track progress, and assess useful data.”

Member Journey
Learning technique is a central part of the offer. Heron and his trainers need machines they can rely on as customers get fitter and more skilled. He says: “Our ROW 101 class is the perfect introduction to the fundamentals, including rhythm and movement patterns. Part of this involves teaching connection to the machine. SKILLROW helps people fall in love with rowing while learning proper technique.”

Dedicated App
Smart studio owners know the power of digital for an enhanced customer experience The Engine Room has its own app – powered by Technogym’s mywellness platform – which lets participants capture workout data and the results of their Tanita body composition tests. The app links to third-party apps, so members can keep lifestyle stats in one place.

“We were keen to partner with innovative technology,” says Heron. “People love being able to access and track their data and see changes happen. From our point of view, this helps differentiate our offering and add even more value to those who choose to train with us.”

Signature Classes
The Engine Room offers two signature classes after ROW 101. ‘Beats’ combines time on the SKILLROW with floor work using functional products from the Technogym SKILLTOOLS range. The class finishes with a friendly team race.

‘Breathe’ classes focus on improving performance using varied metrics. The SKILLROW machines and Technogym-powered app record user data and give individual scores. This science-led approach creates an individualised experience.

Heron says: “SKILLROW takes rowing to a new level – and that’s exactly what we set out to do at The Engine Room. The future of fitness lies in empowering customers with data. SKILLROW’s digital solution helps us offer a truly cutting-edge fitness experience.”

To discover more about Technogym’s market-leading equipment, visit: www.technogym.com

www.theengineroomlondon.com

John Grindrod, FTC gym director

Since opening in March 2018, FTC Gym in Suffolk has worked closely with TRX to add its TRX Training Zone® Studio Line in order to deliver functional training solutions that will maximise its gym floor space, enhance the training offering and create an engaging zone for members.

The line offers modular solutions in various configurations to meet an array of functional training, suspension training and storage needs. Having opted for the TRX Bridge Solution and three extra storage bays, the installation at FTC Gym has created an impressive training zone.

John Grindrod, FTC gym director says: “We chose the TRX Studio Line because of the high quality frame and storage shelves. This ensures equipment is stored properly, removing chance of damage, injury risk to members and improving the longevity of the equipment life.”

“It’s been a fantastic addition to our space and seamlessly elevates our functional training identity. In order to best enhance the sizeable area we had to work with, we opted for the TRX Bridge Solution and the rig has been immensely popular with members and PTs alike.”

The TRX Bridge Solution is used for small group training, open use and 1-1 PT sessions. Offering a complete functional solution, as well as TRX Suspension trainers and TRX RIP Trainers, the zone also contains TRX functional training accessories including kettlebells, slam balls, battle ropes, resistance bands, gym mats and magnetic exercise posters.

Grindrod continues: “We wanted to provide a training option that allows all of our members, regardless of ability, to access the functional training method they need. The TRX Studio Line gives us that, thanks to how flexible we were able to be with the design.”

To complement the rig, FTC Gym has a 25ft TRX S-Frame with 11 TRX C4 Suspension Trainers. Used for studio classes, it can meet the demands of high-volume usage.

Commenting on the TRX Training Zone® UK IRE country manager Julian Woolley says: “With unlimited configurations, customisable storage solutions and single or multi-bay options, we’re able to work closely with gyms and studios at the early stages to maximise space efficiency and exercise functionality, while emphasising design and aesthetics to suit the needs of each member, space and activity.”

To find out more about these modular functional training installations and how they can transform under-utilised gym spaces, visit: www.trx.co.uk