Maintaining a successful membership strategy can be challenging, but DFC’s revenue management system can save time and money – and help keep members engaged. Ivan Stevenson explains how it works

DFC has a fully managed revenue management system – what does that mean for gyms?
The system incorporates all the key processes required for the management of members, including billing and customer service, credit control, and CRM integration. The system also takes care of security and compliance.

By partnering with DFC, our clients not only decrease their administration costs, but also free up time for key stakeholders within the business to focus on customer interaction and engagement relating to the sales and retention processes. This has a direct impact on their bottom line through increased sales – and decreased attrition.

Tell me about DFC’s Online Joining Portal – how does it work, and how does it make the customer journey easier?
Called FastDD, our Online Joining Portal is a slick, user-friendly 24-hour sales tool. With it, members can join not only from within the club environment, but also, if they’d prefer, from outside the club at their own convenience – at home, work, or on the go – from a variety of devices.

Promotional-code technology means that our clients can plan their marketing throughout the year; these codes can even be linked into social media platforms to further drive sales.

FastDD also automates bank verification, which reduces delays that often rear their heads at first payment.

Can this drive revenues?
By utilising bolt-on technology, our clients have seen an increase in membership yield by asking at point-of-sale if there are other services the member may be interested in, such as personal training or junior memberships or activities bookings.

Throughout this process, the customer journey is of the utmost importance, and we’ve worked in partnership with our clients to ensure maximum conversion rates are achieved. This is also integrated into our clients’ CRM solution.

All this translates into increases in both membership numbers and revenue; in the first 12 months of working with DFC, one of our newest clients has seen an increase in memberships of 13 per cent and an increase in membership revenues of 22 per cent.

How do you decrease attrition?
Decrease in attrition is delivered as a result of our true business partnerships with our clients. By handling all the key aspects of member revenue management, our clients are able to concentrate on their members and ensure they're looked after.

Our approach to re-engaging with members is proactive, through the deployment of our professional call centre team or the power and ease-of-use of our ‘MyPayments’ portal.

As an example, a recent client with approximately 50 sites has seen a decrease in attrition of 2 per cent within six-months of signing up with our services.

How can you help gyms re-engage with customers?
DFC’s values replicate those of our clients and we work together to ensure we're re-engaging with members quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Our ‘MyPayments’ portal makes it easier for members to bring their membership account up to date and get back into the club and all this functionality is integrated into the CRM, to ensure a smooth automated process for members at all times.

This portal can exist as an integrated feature on our clients’ app or website – again making it very easy for members.

What level of management reporting is available?
Accurate and swift reporting to key stakeholders within our clients’ businesses also allows them to re-engage with customers who have suggested they wish to leave the facility or have cancelled their payment to the club.

On average, we increase the length of stay of members by three months.

This means DFC saves clients – and their employees – valuable time. We handle all the key aspects of the process so they can get on with running and growing their business and more importantly, looking after members.