The following insights are based on a broad range of research among users and non-users of leisure, health and fitness facilities - from on-going work with multi-site operators, to 2010’s national Net Promoter Survey, to user research across hundreds of sites.  To read more on what customers and prospects want, and how we are meeting these needs, click here

Things getting worse on the phone?

Leisure-net Solution’s 5th annual call-Focus™ survey reveals the national average score is down by 8% on last year

 The National call-Focus™ Survey, which tests and scores all aspects of a telephone membership enquiry against industry standards, was set up by customer insight specialist Leisure-net in 2007 as a way of helping operators gauge the success of their telephone enquiry handling. This year over 70 sites were rung 3 times over a 7 day period by the companies experienced mystery callers. All calls were digitally recorded and have been sent to the operators concerned.

For the full report please click here

A 2010 survey which revealed shockingly low consumer perception of the fitness industry is to be repeated this year.

 Leisure-net and The Retention People (TRP) are to carry out the health, fitness and leisure sector’s biggest customer service survey for the second time, with improved software making it even quicker and easier to participate this year.

The research, which will take place in November and December, will use the powerful Net Promoter Score® (NPS), a tool used to measure and improve loyalty by several leading brands including Apple and Amazon.

Mike Hill recently presented on the findings of an important piece of research carried out on behalf of the FIA and EHFA – the European Health and Fitness Association. The research looked at doping practice in health and fitness centres across Europe. You can look at the resulting report by clicking here.

Leisure-net are delighted to announce they have signed a 12 month contract to work with leading global property company The Hideaways Club. The Club specializes in the equity ownership and  management of two international investment Funds. Membership of the first Fund, the Classic Collection, offers Members the opportunity to invest in and exclusively enjoy an entire portfolio of luxury villas and chalets throughout Europe, Africa, Mauritius and South East Asia ultimately targeting 100 properties globally and 600 Members.

In June this year the company launched its second Fund, the City Collection, a portfolio of luxurious two/three bedroom apartments which provide Members with a new way to enjoy an unrivalled and luxurious city lifestyle in cities as diversified as New York to Bangkok and Paris to Singapore with ultimately 120 apartments world wide. Leisure-net will be providing regular Member insight surveys to The Hideaways Club including the use of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a key customer service mix.

Donald Watt, Operations Director at The Hideaways Club, commented, “ We currently offer a very high level of service to our Members and in the pursuit of excellence wanted to take it up a notch. The new online Post Visit Feedback surveys which Leisure-net are now providing give me instant feedback from every Member staying in our properties, while NPS gives us a great view of member satisfaction and loyalty to the brand, and how likely they are to recommend us to friends and colleagues.”

Leisure-net Solutions will be carrying out the fifth call-Focus™ Survey this month. The 2011 Survey will involve ringing more than 100 sites across the private, local authority and leisure trust sectors to see how they have improved since last year in terms of answering phones to membership enquiries quickly and efficiently.

The National call-Focus™ Survey, which tests and scores all aspects of a telephone membership enquiry against industry standards, was set up in 2007 as a way of helping operators gauge the success of their telephone enquiry handling. The results – due for release at Sibec Europe in early November – will be benchmarked against previous call-Focus surveys results to test whether the fitness industry is answering telephone membership enquiries more quickly and efficiently.

Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions, says: “Many operators still admit that telephone answering is one of their major challenges in terms of providing an excellent service to customers and potential customers. Finding out more about what we’re doing right – and perhaps more importantly wrong – in the telephone element of our service is crucial to business success.

“Building a rapport with customers on the phone is the first step to securing new members and it’s vital we find out how we can do it better. Mystery membership enquiries are still a major part of our business, with demand for them as popular as ever. With this year’s National call-Focus survey it will be interesting to see whether things have improved from our last survey two years ago.”

For further information and to take part in this year’s survey, email Sarah Forster at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call 01603 865631.

Leisure-net Solutions will for the first time be offering an online version of its market research services, allowing health clubs and leisure centres to conduct their own staff and member surveys. The Leisure-net branded surveys will be created and delivered as part of a partnership deal with one of the UK’s largest market research software and service-solutions providers, Snap Surveys.

Leisure-net, the leading provider of customer insight, business intelligence and consulting services to the leisure industry, will design the survey templates, which will be delivered by Snap’s web-based software solution.

The aim is to provide health clubs and leisure centres with a cost-effective way of carrying out their own simple customer and staff market research online. This new online survey product will be able to provide weekly or monthly automated reports and also have a benchmarking facility. The survey will be flexible, meaning organisations can adapt to meet their own needs and add bespoke questions relevant to their staff or customers. Leisure-net will also be able to provide more detailed research analysis and reporting, should companies wish to take their market research further.

It’s hoped the online staff and member surveys, which will cost between £750 and £1000, will be in the marketplace by the beginning of December.

Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions, says: “This is a really exciting partnership for Leisure-net, linking us with an established leader in mainstream market research. I hope it will lead to an improvement in both the quantity and quality of research taking place within the leisure sector.”

Dr Steve Jenkins, managing director at Snap Surveys, says: “We are delighted to be working with Leisure-net Solutions. This new survey product will be a cost-effective way for organisations in the leisure industry to gather, analyse and benchmark vital staff and customer feedback.”

Plans are also afoot to launch a similar product for the spa sector in the future.

Basildon Council's Community Services Department have awarded a 6 month Interim Management support contract to Leisure-net for the next 6 months.

The Leisure-net support team, headed up by Leisure-net Associate Paul Brivio, and backed up by Lisa Forsyth from Max Associates, will be helping Basildon manage the Pitsea Leisure Centre, whilst developing an ongoing business and investment strategy and helping to appoint a full time manager.

Phillipa Brent-Isherwood, Manager of Community Services, commented

“We look forward to working with Leisure-net to secure the future and expand the offering of this much loved community centre”.

DC Leisure have renewed their Customer Insight contract with Leisure-net for the 5^th year running.

The contract includes regular Net Promoter Score surveys, Customer Experience surveys and mystery calls across 70 of their key sites, plus additional mystery visits and their annual online staff survey.

Mike Hill – MD of Leisure-net commented,

“ We are really pleased that our ongoing relationship with DC is to continue. It shows their commitment to improving the customer experience over the long term.”

For DC Leisure Rich Millard – Operations Support Director commented,

“Leisure-net are the market leaders in this field and we are pleased to be able work with them on such an important part of our business”

Leisure-net Solutions is working with the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA) and the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) on an important new piece of research into drugs in health clubs.

Commissioned by the European Union, the research will look at the levels and patterns of usage of illegal and/or harmful drugs in the European leisure centre and health club environment. Leading customer insight, business intelligence and consultation service Leisure-net Solutions is advising EHFA on the research methodology and sampling framework that needs to be employed on the European-wide project.

The research covers the use of banned substances such as steroids, social drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines, and also food supplements, which or may not contain banned or illegal substances. It will be surveying consumers, exercise professionals and club owners/managers. The nine European project partners are Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK. The project is due for completion in Autumn 2011.

Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions, says: “Leisure-net is pleased to be advising on such an important European project, which will have ramifications for years to come. The research should provide statistically significant information on the prevalence of doping in the European health and fitness sector, something it’s essential that we get an accurate picture on.”

Cliff Collins, Director of Programmes and Projects at The European Register of Exercise Professionals says: “If, as a sector, we want to be instrumental in delivering on the health agenda for European and national governments, it’s vital that we understand this issue much better than we currently do. This important piece of research will be the largest and most comprehensive of its kind ever carried out in Europe.”