How do gyms stop members not turning up to booked classes?
Set a clear cancellation window, switch on automatic waitlists and reminders in your class booking tool, and apply a late-cancel or no-show rule that members agreed to when they joined. For trial passes and inductions, a small payment at booking can make people more likely to come.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Problem
- No-shows
- The fix
- Online Booking & Deposits, £1,800
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to gyms and fitness studios.
- Booking costs members nothing
- On an unlimited membership, booking a class is a tap. Members book a few “just in case” and skip the ones they don’t fancy on the day.
- A no-show blocks someone else
- A full class with three empty spots means three waitlisted members were turned away. They notice, and it’s their membership you risk.
- Rules exist but aren’t switched on
- Class booking tools such as TeamUp and Glofox have cancellation windows, waitlists and late-cancel or no-show fees built in. Many gyms never set them up.
- Trial passes booked on impulse
- Someone claims a trial pass in January at 10pm and forgets by Thursday. With no payment and no reminder, there’s nothing to bring them in.
What to do, in order.
Set a cancellation window
Decide how much notice members must give to cancel a class, and set it in your booking tool. Many gyms choose a few hours; busy classes may need more.
Turn on the waitlist
Let the tool move the next person up automatically when someone cancels in time, and message them when it happens.
Agree a fair rule, then apply it
A late-cancel or no-show fee, or a short booking block after repeated no-shows. Put it in your membership terms and show it when members book.
Remind before every class
A push or text a few hours before, with a one-tap cancel. An early cancel frees the spot for the waitlist.
Take payment for trials
Online Booking & Deposits lets new people book and pay for a trial pass or induction on your website, with reminders before they come.
Where M1 can do it for you.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Online Booking & Deposits £1,800
New people book and pay for a trial pass or induction on your website, with reminders and your cancellation rules shown as they book.
Bookings taken online, with a deposit paid up front.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
It adds automatic reminders for trial visitors and texts back calls you miss on the gym floor.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
- Growth Blueprint £500
It maps how trial visitors and new members move from booking to joining, and shows where they drop out, before you buy anything.
Find out where enquiries go cold between the first call and the booked job.
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Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
Should a gym charge for class no-shows?
Many do, once members have agreed to the rule in their terms and it’s shown when they book. Start with a warning or a short booking block if a fee feels heavy for your members.
Do I need new software?
Probably not for members’ classes: check your booking tool’s cancellation, waitlist and penalty settings first. Online Booking & Deposits is for trial passes and inductions booked from your website. The booking tool’s monthly fee and card fees are paid directly by you, and listed before you agree.
How much are no-shows costing us?
Put your own numbers into the no-show cost calculator. The guide to reducing no-shows with deposits explains how deposits work.
Keep reading.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
Sammy writes down what’s holding your business back and what to fix first. The Foundation Blueprint is yours within 5 working days of your answers.
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