Just stepped into this gym manager gig last month, and boom – straight hit with the pricing headache. Old owners charged everyone the same flat rate, no matter when they showed up. Seemed fair? Nah. Lunchtime and 5pm felt like sardine cans while mornings were ghost towns.
My Dumb First Try
Thought I’d be slick – dropped all rates 20% overnight. Big mistake. Regulars kept coming peak hours but now paying less. Crowd got worse, money tanked. Felt like throwing cash into the treadmill. Lasted three days before scrapping it.
Experiment Mode Activated
Grabbed the attendance spreadsheet, coffee, and a red pen. Marked up busy slots like a maniac:
- 6-8am: Dead empty
- 12-1pm: Machines sweating more than people
- 5-7pm: Waiting lines for bench press
Next week, slapped new signs everywhere:
- Peak hours (5-7pm): 10% MORE than old price
- Off-peak (mornings/lunch): 30% LESS
- Super dead zones (like 2-4pm): Drop-in deals at half price
Held my breath. Braced for screaming.
What Actually Happened
Regulars? Grumbled but paid up – guess those squat racks mattered more. But holy cow, lunchtime exploded. Office folks flooded in for quick 30-minute sessions. Mornings? Got college kids and retirees stretching everywhere. Dead afternoons? Suddenly saw freelancers trickling in. Evenings stayed busy but felt less like mosh pits.
Checked registers after two weeks: total cash up 15%. Space felt… used better. Still tweaking – maybe cut Tuesday nights? Nobody loves leg day anyway.
Biggest Kick in the Teeth
Thought members would quit over peak pricing. Reality? Nobody left. Two asked if they could downgrade to off-peak memberships instead. One dude even paid the peak surcharge but grumbled “worth it to avoid Karen’s 6pm yoga screams.” Lesson learned: convenience costs.
Still ain’t perfect. Now dealing with towel shortages at noon. But hey – weights are clanking, machines ain’t lonely, and register’s chinging. Good enough for now.
