Fitness
How to haggle a gym membership
One fitness insider reveals the secrets to negotiating yourself a good deal at the gym.
It’s a trap that befalls many a potential gym goer: you pop your head over a reception desk, utter the words "I'm just wondering...", and before you can finish the sentence your palms are clasped tightly in the handshake of a sales rep ushering you onto a tiny sofa in their own personal best time.
Gyms, you see, are just like any other business – entirely reliant on getting as many paying customers through the door as possible. And as such there are deals to be done. Of course not all gyms are as flexible, not all offer the same discounts, but haggling can sometimes pay off in a big way.
"That’s why you won’t see the membership prices listed very often," reveals a man we'll call Dave. "These companies don't want a rigidly structured membership fee, so they can work out how much you're prepared to pay and, more importantly, what they want you to pay."
An elite coach and gym owner with well over a decade’s experience in the commercial side of the fitness world, 'Dave' reveals the secrets that gyms won’t tell you when it comes to haggling a membership.
1. Take a tour so staff are invested
“A tour will mean you're taking up their time and they then won't want you to walk away without signing up. This also allows them to give you different price points on the fly, and now they've become your point of reference they'll certainly be looking to get commission from you."
2. Realise that you’re just meat in the room
"What staff won’t tell you is that 30% of a gym's income comes from people who sign up and never show. That's no lie. It’s such a big psychological statement to cancel a gym contract that many people allow a fee to trickle out of their account every month instead. Because of this, gyms with a 1,000 capacity will aim to sign up 1,250 to 1,500 members – they want the no-shows. So have that in mind when they talk about making members feel special."
3. Under no circumstance pay sign up fees
“Most top gyms have banished sign up fees altogether, but some haven’t. There is no admin fee involved with typing your data into a computer system, it’s a completely made-up cost, free money, a bargaining tool they use. If they offer to waive fees, don't fall for it."
4. Start them on the back foot
“The best tact is to tell them that you’re just looking at gyms in the area and that you have no intention of signing up today, even if you want to. They'll then feel by eventually converting you into a member, even at a lower rate, they’ve won that interaction. It will depend on the club and where they are of course, but my line as a customer would be, ‘I’ve got an offer at a rival gym, can you match it?'".
5. Get out of the London bubble
“If you live in the South East but travel around the country a lot, or have family up there, sign to a gym chain up north, as it will likely be cheaper, then use the southern gyms. Some of the gyms, including David Lloyd fitness clubs, are around £65 per month or so in Manchester, but down in London can be upwards of £120. They may pull you up if you stop going to the northern branches, but they’re not going to throw you out. Besides, you can just say you’ve now moved back to the capital."
6. Visit towards the end of a month
“Most fitness sales teams will have targets to hit by the end of the month, so if you pop in around this time when they may be lagging behind on said targets goals you've a a better shot of haggling yourself a better deal."
7. Play the corporate card
“You’d be surprised just how easy it is to get a corporate rate. Generally, you will only need three people in one workplace to receive one, and this umbrella term gives the sales team licence to offer a decent deal. If the gym you like has a branch close to your work, mention it to the rep. You might get a £55 per month rate down to £40."
8. Don't rule out a rolling contract
“12-month fixed deals always work out cheaper, of course, but if you want a rolling monthly contract you can sometimes get lucky. Sign up for a month – and if you indicate no appetite of extending your stay, certain clubs such as Virgin Active may email to offer a 'two months for the price of three' extension, which would effectively work out cheaper than what annual members fork out for the same period."
9. See if there’s anything you can leverage
"While you'll find this less with the big chains – depending how much autonomy the managers are given – smaller and independent gyms do allow for mutually beneficial trades-offs. You might say, “I do SEO”, or “I do copyrighting”, or “I own a restaurant down the road," and the management may give you a more favourable deal. I used to own a gym in central London and we allowed the owners of local restaurants to go in for free, which meant our staff would get big discounts when eating out. We’d even promote their restaurants in our newsletter. It happens more than you'd think."
10. Pay attention to the detail
“As ever, watch what you sign. Enquire as to what happens if you are injured, move to the other end of the country, become pregnant, and if you can freeze or transfer your membership. Most gyms are good at this now and let you cancel with 30 days’ notice, so you'll most likely be fine, but it’s worth checking."
11. Off-peak rates are also a thing
“If they’re inflexible on a standard price, ask what discounts they have on off-peak memberships. Be up front and tell them the hours you’ll be willing to use. If you work freelance, or nights, for example, this can play right into your hands as you’ll be paying less than most members while getting the gym to yourself. You might not get these deals in the huge chains but you certainly can in the smaller chains and independent gyms."
12. Discounts can vary depending on the time of the year
"January is traditionally the best time for low fees. March tends to be really slow for memberships, as that’s generally when everyone has got over the new year fitness kick, so you may get a good deal or two then. Later in the year, August is also a good time to strike a deal as people are either away or out enjoying the weather."