Does your swim program face off-season enrollment dips? What if you nurtured existing client relationships instead of spending heavily on marketing to generate new leads?
If you’re looking for a greater return on investment, shifting focus to retention efforts can reduce marketing costs (leading to more profit) and boost customer satisfaction (leading to lower churn). Relationship building doesn’t have to happen through grandiose gestures. In a program environment, it often appears in mundane moments that feel magical to members.
Here are a few ways Program Directors and staff can build relationships across various touchpoints.
1. Creating a hospitable environment
At most facilities, the Front Desk team or Deck Manager typically assumes a “greeter” role. These staff create lasting first impressions with simple smiles and salutations that make people feel safe and seen. When businesses have friendly, positive staff, that’s a place people want to be at and stay at.
In addition, teams can elevate their service approach in other ways. For instance, many high-service environments use the 10/5 rule, where staff smile or wave to guests within 10ft and verbally greet them within 5ft, so everyone feels equally “seen.” Adding small perks in the lobby area, where parents spend lots of time, can additionally win them over: comfy chairs, charging outlets, a play corner for siblings, and single-serve coffee.
In the pool area, swim instructors form connections with students by learning each child’s name and creating a safe, positive environment. This is especially imperative for younger levels, where children often have their first swim lesson or pool environment experiences. When instructors push skill progressions too quickly or are overly critical, children may feel discouraged or unsafe. Instructors who stay patient with the learning process and recognize achievements will keep families coming back.
2. Communication with parents
Since parents invest substantial time and money in swim lessons, they want to receive regular updates about their child’s progress and see if they can assist with any obstacles along the way. When parents know what to expect and what their child can improve upon, frustration declines and enrollment increases.
Aside from swim lesson progress, parents should know about anything that could affect their child’s lesson or account billing. Unexpected charges or lesson cancellations can damage trust and cause conflicts that require careful resolution. However, regular communication and conversation with parents will establish trust, making parents more understanding about miscommunications and forgiving of mistakes.
Out of all staff, Deck Managers have perhaps the most important role: building rapport through regular conversations with families and remaining accessible for questions or concerns. Even a simple “Hey Brady, your back float was amazing today” can go a long way. Due to this familiarity, parents can easily approach Deck Managers with questions about their child’s progress.
Although swim instructors don’t necessarily need to provide recurring updates for group lesson parents, progress updates for private lesson students–at the end of each lesson–are advised. To communicate group swim lesson progress, instructors can provide report cards or verbal updates at the end of the month/session, depending on the facility’s lesson structure.
3. Listening to, and implementing, customer feedback
When managers implement client feedback, program members feel proud that they helped solve a problem and contributed to a positive change in your business. Not only that, but if they raised a concern that they’re especially passionate about, then properly addressing this will show you truly care about them and, therefore, earn their loyalty.
Whether or not you’re the direct recipient, listening to people’s concerns makes them feel “heard.” Program Directors may receive feedback from surveys, social media comments, Google/Yelp reviews, or through the grapevine. For hard-to-meet requests, perhaps you could alter a small aspect of program operations, such as class times. Taking time to appreciate their suggestion still goes a long way if you absolutely can’t change something.
At the end of the day, programs should meet real community needs. Not sure what this looks like? A good member needs assessment (via email survey) can identify what your participants would like.
4. Instructor and level match
Having the right instructor match can make or break a client’s experience, similar to finding the right fit when looking for a job. Knowing what areas your staff specializes in, what they enjoy teaching, and their teaching styles can help you create a “perfect match” that keeps clients enrolled year-round. This may not be a dealbreaker for those who want short-term group lessons, but it is significant for private lesson clients, who pay a premium for 1:1 instruction.
When kids swim with an instructor who fits their personality well and understands their needs, they form a sense of trust and emotional connection. As a result, students learn faster, experience increased confidence, and display enthusiasm for lessons. Working with the same instructor can also build consistency that reduces turnover, as parents are familiar with their teaching style and communication.
Furthermore, the correct level placement is imperative for group lessons. Spending time in the wrong level can lead to missed expectations, as swimmers readily surpass peers or struggle to meet goals. On top of that, re-assigning a swimmer means shifting their class time; too many extra steps can overwhelm a parent and negatively impact their perception of your program.
To create the right match, Program Directors can use a pre-lesson assessment. This is similar to a needs assessment, but it focuses on an individual swimmer’s needs and swimming capabilities. Using this information, the Program Director can place swimmers in the correct class or match them with the best-fit private lesson instructor.
5. Community events
Hosting events that promote family fun is a great way to create a larger community within your program, similar to group fitness classes at a gym. Kids and adults alike meet new friends, and these social connections keep them rooted in your program. Not only that, but themed events–Christmas, summer pool parties, Easter egg hunts–all create memorable experiences that people don’t want to miss out on. This is also a great opportunity to have in-depth conversations with those who quickly rush off to other activities after lessons.
6. Celebration and recognition
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, humans desire achievement and recognition. When learning new skills, recognition is especially important because it keeps people motivated and reinforces the fact that they’re making progress.
Generally, swim instructors should always provide students with positive feedback. But to provide that “wow” factor, many swim schools recognize students by letting them ring a swim bell when they “level up” or by giving them a ribbon. Other options include showcasing a “swimmer of the month” on social media or in an e-newsletter, creating swim challenges for more advanced students, or providing physical progress cards that show which skills students have achieved.
Aside from recognizing swim progress, the Front Desk staff or Deck Managers can make clients feel valued in other ways, such as recognizing client birthdays or enrollment anniversaries on a bulletin board.
Next steps
Clearly, connection and camaraderie underlie successful programming. Solid teaching is vital, but clients are a business’ lifeline. Program Directors who create that ecosystem of connection within their program can expect regulars to return, whether it’s pouring rain or in the heat of summer. Finally, holding in-services about this topic will allow staff to understand how they can create a positive environment that makes customers feel valued, welcomed, and comfortable.