How not to communicate with customers #2

A while ago I received a cheap-looking letter from the gym. You know, one of those where they have photocopied a photocopy and it ends up looking tatty and not-quite-black. “Your subscription is nearly up!” it helpfully informed me. “You should think about renewing.”

I certainly did think about renewing. For about a minute, and then I went back to doing whatever else I was doing, safe in the knowledge that an renewal form and request for payment would soon be making their way to my post box.

So this morning, when my membership card was refused in front of a huge queue of people at the gym, was the first time I actually checked the date and realised my subscription had expired yesterday.

To give the receptionist some credit, he did let me in on the proviso that I spoke to the subscriptions lady on the way out. That’s when I found out there is no renewal process. I had to fill in exactly the same form as last year and get a brand new membership card. There are no perks for returning members. There’s not even the basic service of being able to pay in monthly installments. I can live with that, but not with the hassle of having to renew today so that I still use the gym tomorrow. Their poor communication means extra bother for me and the whole going-to-the-gym experience is bothersome enough (if I can say that without sounding like Winnie the Pooh) without having to do someone else’s thinking for them.

Lesson learnt: communication needs to be timely but also relevant. It must include all the appropriate details and if you are expecting the recepient to take some action, spell out what you need them to do. Otherwise you risk them sitting by and waiting for the next message with instructions.