When YMCA Black Country Group needed a new management solution, switching to Xplor Gym was stress-free with big benefits

Operated by YMCA Black Country Group and located in West Bromwich, UK, YMCA Western Gateway is home to Y Gym, which has a state-of-the-art gym, dance studio and sports hall and serves around 800 members.

Y Gym was using different systems for payments and membership management when it was given the opportunity to get a demo of Xplor Gym software. Recognising the benefits of upgrading to modern, intuitive, all-in-one gym management software, the operator decided it was time to make the change.

Straightforward switch
Switching happened fast, as Luke Tyler, head of health and wellbeing at YMCA Black Country Group, explains: “Constant communication and being able to ask questions that come up is vital when moving to a new solution.

“The biggest positive for us was how quickly the UK-based Xplor team responded to questions, and concerns,” he says, “everything was addressed and resolved quickly and we were given clear dates and details of what would happen. From signing the contract, we were able to switch quickly and were never left waiting.”

Y Gym went live in September 2022. “The software has been easy to learn, with new staff members completing the basic training in 10 minutes on their first shift,” says Tyler. “Less time is spent on training and more time is spent serving members in-person.

“I appreciate how simple and effective Xplor Gym is – it’s not over-complicated and gives us the functionality we need to succeed,” he says. Plus, with one solution for member management and payments, Y Gym gets a 360° view of all members.

Managing the online sign-up process is easy, as new membership types and prices can be added at any time directly by the management team. Promotional codes can be created too, meaning Y Gym is in control – no waiting for these to be set up or incurring admin fees.

Marketing support
Member communications have also improved, as in-built marketing automation lets Y Gym target groups of members with personalised email and SMS messages that can be conveniently scheduled ahead of time.

Tyler explains: “We can communicate with members in a personalised way. Previously, this required additional staff time and cost, but now, emails are included in our package and require very little time to send. That’s a big benefit.”

Next up, Y Gym plans to improve access control by going from two systems into one. A barrier system will be installed and linked to Xplor Gym, enabling the generation of reports on visits and check-ins that can be used to optimise onboarding, marketing, retention and more.

With software that makes life easier, the organisation can focus on supporting its community. Tyler adds “I’d recommend Xplor Gym to other gym operators because of how simple it is. It has everything you need without unnecessary complications.”

More: www.xplorgym.co.uk