How to get the best deal — The right questions

For many folks, the idea of getting back into shape may drag on for months before finally taking action. The thought of walking into a health club elicits the same concern as walking on to a used car lot – pushy salespeople willing to tell you anything you want to hear just to get a sale. Unfortunately, this is often the case. But, knowing what to look for and some questions to ask can avoid unexpected costs and concerns later on.

THE TOUR

As you enter, most clubs will have you fill out a brief questionnaire to get some very basic background information such as name, address, phone, and general questions about your past work out history. The key to this procedure is getting your phone number. If you don’t buy, expect a few calls over the next couple of weeks.You should expect someone to give you a tour of the facility. During the tour, ask questions. Now is the time to gather information to determine if this club is the right fit for you. DO NOT ask about membership rates now because you won’t get an answer and you don’t have all the facts for you to figure out if this is a good deal or not. Be patient.

QUESTIONS

During the tour, some of the questions to ask are:

• If you are a woman, do they have a women’s only area?
• Do they offer child care?
  • If so, what ages?
  • Is child care part of the membership?
  • What time is the child care area open?
  • How many child care providers are working in the area at any one time?
• Are all group classes included in the cost of the membership?
• What is the average age of the club’s members? (If you’re in your 40′s, you don’t want to be in a club where most members are in their 20′s).
• Does the club offer any type of orientation for novices who have not been in a club before?(Very important. The best clubs will offer a time to acquaint all new members with abasic strength and cardio workout plan as well as showing the basics of how to use different pieces of equipment).
• What are the club hours?
• What are the busiest times? (Usually from about 6:30am – 8:30am and 5pm – 8pm)
• Are members of the fitness staff available if you have general question about how to use a particular piece of equipment?

These types of questions let the salesperson know that you have done your homework and are not going to be blindly led into signing a membership. Once the tour is done, now the fun times really begin – finding out about membership rates.