Market-Retention in Fitness Centers: Identifying and Ranking the Factors Affecting Customer Retention

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Physical Education Department, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood Branch, Shahrood, Iran

2 sport management department, physical education faculty, Shahrood university of technology, Shahrood, Iran

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify and to rank the factors affecting market retention in fitness centers. 14 participants including the customers and managers of fitness centers participated in a semi-structured interview to collect the required data. Sixteen factors were extracted from the interviews and sixteen experts evaluate the relationships among these factors with pairwise comparisons. Based on Interpretive-Structural Modeling, the factors categorized in five levels, i.e. 1) customer relationship quality,customer experience quality, reputation, price, perceived value and satisfaction, 2) Overall servicequality, secondary services and ethical climate, 3) Training type and schedule, location and accessibility and social responsibility, 4) Interior design and equipment, 5) Manager communication and trainer’s competencies.  For the sake of customer retention, fitness centers are required to align their decisions with their customer requirements. Ranking the effective factors in this study can provide the fitness centers’ managers with a better understanding of the factors affecting customers’ decisions.

Keywords


Afthinos, Y., Theodorakis, N. D., & Nassis, P. (2005). Customers’ expectations of service in Greek fitness
centers. Managing Service Quality, 15(3), 245-258.
Avourdiadou, S., & Theodorakis, N. D. (2014). The development of loyalty among novice and experienced
customers of sport and fitness centres. Sport Management Review, 17(4), 419-431. 
Barshan, G., Elahi, A., & Aghaei, N. (2017). Impact of service quality on satisfaction, loyalty and intention
to revisit of sport customers: The case study of swimming pools in Alborz Province. International
Review of Management and Marketing, 7(2), 334-339.
Berry, L. L. (2002). Relationship marketing of services perspectives from 1983 and 2000. Journal of
relationship marketing, 1(1), 59-77.
Bitner, M. J., & Hubbert, A. R. (1994). Encounter satisfaction versus overall satisfaction versus quality.
Service quality: New directions in theory and practice, 34(2), 72-94.
Bueno, E. V., Weber, T. B. B., Bomfim, E. L., & Kato, H. T. (2019). Measuring customer experience in
service: A systematic review. The Service Industries Journal, 39(11-12), 779-798.
Calabuig, F., Núñez-Pomar, J., Prado-Gascó, V., & Añó, V. (2014). Effect of price increases on future
intentions of sport consumers. Journal of business research, 67(5), 729-733.
Chelladurai, P., & Chang, K. (2000). Targets and standards of quality in sport services. Sport Management
Review, 3(1), 1-22.
Chun, R. (2005). Corporate reputation: Meaning and measurement. International journal of management
reviews, 7(2), 91-109.
Dictionary, C. (2015). Cambridge dictionaries online. In: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Douglas, L., & Connor, R. (2003). Attitudes to service quality–the expectation gap. Nutrition & Food
Science, 33, 165-172.
Elçi, M., & Alpkan, L. (2009). The impact of perceived organizational ethical climate on work satisfaction.
Journal of Business Ethics, 84(3), 297-311.
Fallah, Z. (2015). A survey" Ethical Climate" among wrestling clubs of Golestan province. Research
Journal of Sport Sciences, 3(10), 267-269.
Ferrand, A., Robinson, L., & Valette-Florence, P. (2010). The intention-to-repurchase paradox: A case of
the health and fitness industry. Journal of Sport Management, 24(1), 83-105.
Funk, D. C. (2017). Introducing a Sport Experience Design (SX) framework for sport consumer behaviour
research. Sport Management Review, 20(2), 145-158.
García-Fernández, J., Gálvez-Ruíz, P., Fernández-Gavira, J., Vélez-Colón, L., Pitts, B., & Bernal-García,
A. (2018). The effects of service convenience and perceived quality on perceived value, satisfaction
and loyalty in low-cost fitness centers. Sport Management Review, 21(3), 250-262.
García-Fernández, J., Gálvez-Ruiz, P., Vélez-Colon, L., Ortega-Gutiérrez, J., & Fernández-Gavira, J.
(2018). Exploring fitness centre consumer loyalty: differences of non-profit and low-cost business
models in Spain. Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 31(1), 1042-1058.
Greenberg, P. (2001). CRM at the speed of light: Capturing and keeping customers in Internet real time
(1st ed.): Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media.
Greenwell, T. C., Fink, J. S., & Pastore, D. L. (2002). Assessing the influence of the physical sports facility
on customer satisfaction within the context of the service experience. Sport Management Review,
5(2), 129-148.
Güzel, F. (2013). The effects of sensory based positive emotions and feelings on post-purchasing
behaviour: a research on German tourists. Anatolia: Turizm Arastirmalari Dergisi, 24(2), 226-236.
Hanlon, C., Jenkin, C., & Craike, M. (2019). Associations between environmental attributes of facilities
and female participation in sport: a systematic review. Managing Sport and Leisure, 24(5), 294-
306.
Huang, J.-J., Tzeng, G.-H., & Ong, C.-S. (2005). Multidimensional data in multidimensional scaling using
the analytic network process. Pattern Recognition Letters, 26(6), 755-767.
Jin, N., Lee, S., & Lee, H. (2015). The effect of experience quality on perceived value, satisfaction, image
and behavioral intention of water park patrons: New versus repeat visitors. International Journal of
Tourism Research, 17(1), 82-95.
Kellen, V. (2002). Customer relationship management measurement frameworks: for the CRM practioner.
Adjunt Faculty E-Commerce, DePaul University, Chicago, 2-37.
Kinuthia, L. N., Keren, G., Burugu, M., Muthomi, H., & Mwihaki, M. (2012). Factors influencing brand
loyalty in sportswear among Kenyan university students: the case of swimmers. differences, 1(4),
223-231.
Kölbl, M. K., Blank, C., Schobersberger, W., & Peters, M. (2019). Understanding What Is Relevant For
Club Member Satisfaction-An Empirical Study In A Leading German Tennis Club. 27th European
Sport Management Conference Seville 2019, 652.
Lee, K. (2008). Opportunities for green marketing: young consumers. Marketing intelligence & planning,
26, 573-586.
Lee, S. Y. (2017). Service quality of sports centers and customer loyalty. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing
and Logistics, 29(4), 870-879.
Lee, S. Y., Cong, R., & Choi, I. S. (2017). Effect of Relationship Marketing Factors of the Sports Centers
on Customer Trust and Intention to Repurchase. Journal of Digital Convergence, 15(8), 435-444.
Lim, S.-J. (2006). The influence of service quality on customer satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty, and
behavioral future intentions for participation of fitness centers in South Korea: A structural equation
modeling approach. (Doctor of sport management), United States Sports Academy, Daphne,
Alabama.
Lin, Y.-T., & Lin, C.-H. (2008). Factors influencing brand loyalty in professional sports fans. Global
journal of business research, 2(1), 69-84.
Liu, Y.-C., & Chen, T.-L. (2012). An Analysis of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer
Loyalty of Commercial Swim Clubs in Taiwan. 弘光人文社會學報(15), 133-154.
Martínez, P., & Del Bosque, I. R. (2013). CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust, customer
identification with the company and satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality Management,
35, 89-99.
Mathe, K., Scott-Halsell, S., & Roseman, M. (2016). The role of customer orientation in the relationship
between manager communications and customer satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism
Research, 40(2), 198-209.
McWilliams, A., & Siegel, D. (2000). Corporate social responsibility and financial performance:
correlation or misspecification? Strategic management journal, 21(5), 603-609.
Murray, D., & Crilley, G. (1999). The relationships between service problems and perceptions of service
quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions of Australian public sports and leisure center
customers. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (USA), 77(20), 42-64.
Nyadzayo, M. W., Leckie, C., & McDonald, H. (2016). CSR, relationship quality, loyalty and
psychological connection in sports. Marketing intelligence & planning, 34(6), 883-898.
Oh, H. (2000). The effect of brand class, brand awareness, and price on customer value and behavioral
intentions. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 24(2), 136-162.
Okpara, J. O., & Wynn, P. (2008). The impact of ethical climate on job satisfaction, and commitment in
Nigeria. Journal of Management Development, 9, 54-63.
Pérez, A., & del Bosque, I. R. (2013). The effect of corporate associations on consumer behaviour.
European Journal of Marketing, 47(1), 218-238.
Pérez, A., & del Bosque, I. R. (2015). How customer novelty seeking influences customer CSR perceptions.
Marketing intelligence & planning, 33(3), 486-507.
Petrick, J. F., & Backman, S. J. (2002). An examination of the construct of perceived value for the
prediction of golf travelers’ intentions to revisit. Journal of travel research, 41(1), 38-45.
Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard business review, 76,
97-105.
Polyakova, O., & Ramchandani, G. (2019). Perceptions of Service Quality Among Frequent Users Of
Gyms In England. Paper presented at the 27th European Sport Management Conference, Spain.
Pouliou, T., Lowe, S., & Higgs, G. (2019). Assessing the health impacts of adults’ participation in sports:
investigating the role of accessibility to sport facilities. International Journal of Population Data
Science, 4(3), 055.
Robinson, L. (2006). Customer expectations of sport organisations. European Sport Management
Quarterly, 6(1), 67-84. 
Sato, S., Gipson, C., Todd, S., & Harada, M. (2018). The relationship between sport tourists’ perceived
value and destination loyalty: an experience-use history segmentation approach. Journal of Sport &
Tourism, 22(2), 173-186.
Schembri, S., & Sandberg, J. (2002). Service quality and the consumer's experience: Towards an
interpretive approach. Marketing theory, 2(2), 189-205.
Schwepker Jr, C. H., & Hartline, M. D. (2005). Managing the ethical climate of customer-contact service
employees. Journal of Service Research, 7(4), 377-397.
Seiders, K., Voss, G. B., Godfrey, A. L., & Grewal, D. (2007). SERVCON: development and validation of
a multidimensional service convenience scale. Journal of the academy of Marketing Science, 35(1),
144-156.
Shrestha, S., Kestens, Y., Thomas, F., El Aarbaoui, T., & Chaix, B. (2019). Spatial access to sport facilities
from the multiple places visited and sport practice: Assessing and correcting biases related to
selective daily mobility. Social Science & Medicine, 236, 112406.
Su, L., Swanson, S. R., Chinchanachokchai, S., Hsu, M. K., & Chen, X. (2016). Reputation and intentions:
The role of satisfaction, identification, and commitment. Journal of business research, 69(9), 3261-
3269.
Sun, H., & Liu, M. (2009). Empirical Analysis on the Effect of Customer Relationship Management to the
Customer Loyalty. Paper presented at the 2009 International Conference on Wireless Networks and
Information Systems.
Voss, G. B., Parasuraman, A., & Grewal, D. (1998). The roles of price, performance, and expectations in
determining satisfaction in service exchanges. Journal of marketing, 62(4), 46-61.
Wang, Y., Lo, H. P., & Hui, Y. V. (2003). The antecedents of service quality and product quality and their
influences on bank reputation: evidence from the banking industry in China. Managing Service
Quality: An International Journal, 13(1), 72-83.
Watanabe, Y., Matsumoto, K., & Nogawa, H. (2013). Variables influencing spectators’ desire to stay at a
professional golf tournament in Japan. Contemporary Management Research, 9(3), 283–298.
Yildiz, S. M. (2009). Service quality models in participant sports services. . Ege Akademik Bakis, 9(4),
1213-1224.
Yoshida, M. (2017). Consumer experience quality: A review and extension of the sport management
literature. Sport Management Review, 20(5), 427-442.
Zaboyar, F., Ziyaee, M., & Nargesiyan, J. (2012). Factors affecting customer satisfaction using
SERVQUAL model. Journal of the New Marketing Research, 3, 186-173.
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and
synthesis of evidence. Journal of marketing, 52(3), 2-22.
Zins, A. H. (2002). Consumption emotions, experience quality and satisfaction: a structural analysis for
complainers versus non-complainers. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 12(2-3), 3-18.