Drop-in sessions are a great way to attract casual customers, as well as referrals. However, for a membership-based business, having long-term members makes for much more consistent and predictable cash flow. Drop-ins are there almost as the first step towards membership; the key is to figure out how to consistently and effectively convert drop-in customers to committed members.  

There are a few ways to do this and they all revolve around creating the desire to come back. Here are some of our top tips for creating that desire at your membership-based organization. 

Customer Service 

Mediocre service is forgettable and bad service leaves a poor taste in your mouth. Good customer service not only wins over customers, it can be the backbone of your business that keeps people coming back, over and over again. It doesn’t matter how great or innovative your recreation facility is; people won’t put up with bad customer service. Some quick tips include greeting customers by name, remembering regulars, and building genuine relationships with them — all things that can lead to you building a strong community. 

Another thing you’ll want to think about is having flexible scheduling, as long as you have the manpower to do it. One big reason a drop-in customer may not want to purchase a full membership is that their lifestyle or schedule doesn’t fit your existing class calendar. 

Pricing Structure 

Most membership-based businesses have a different price for drop-ins and for long-term memberships. Generally speaking, the longer the term, the bigger the discount. Businesses will have to determine what the best balance is, in order to attract the most customers in the long-term. If the drop-in rates are too high, you might lose opportunities for attracting new customers. Additionally, if they’re too low, customers might be happy remaining as casual customers. If your long-term memberships are too high, you might miss out on the chance of locking in clients for long periods of time, whereas, if they’re too low, you might not be receiving enough revenue. 

Loyalty Programs 

Incentivizing regular attendance is a great way to boost regular memberships, as well as boosting the number of visits from casual customers. By providing a stamp card that allows guests to attend a free drop-in after attending x number of paid ones, it can help motivate your clients to attend more frequently. For long-term memberships, you can provide your guests with a special perk, gift or discount, at certain intervals of their memberships.  

Keeping Things Spick and Span 

The product you provide needs to be of a very high level, especially when compared with your competition. This means you need to ensure your instructors are knowledgeable and skilled teachers, your facility needs to be clean, organized, and as presentable as possible. Keeping things tidy, updated, and in good repair will go a long way towards keeping your students happy. 

What do you think is the biggest factor in one’s decision to stay a casual customer, rather than bucking up for a full membership? Let us know on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Google+, to stay up to date with all of your Xplor Recreation news.