Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth?

We recently had some experienced CrossFitters come to check us out.  They were members of another CrossFit gym in the area, but were curious about what else Pittsburgh has to offer.  In the middle of one of our conversations, they talked about how nice it was to see that we tried to help our members without nickel and diming them every time a member wanted to ask a question.  They said that at their CrossFit gym, if you want some extra attention from a coach, you can get it, but it will cost you a private training session.

We met with another potential client later in the week who echoed the same issue about another CrossFit gym in Pittsburgh.  This person was a complete beginner.  He wanted to enroll in our Fundamentals Program and was surprised at how flexible we were scheduling his beginner sessions.  We must have seemed surprised because he added that the other CrossFit gym he went to wanted to charge him extra because he has a busy schedule that didn’t fit theirs.

This is a theme that we see more and more around the Pittsburgh.  When we are trying to be the best CrossFit Pittsburgh has to offer, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the experience for our clients.  However, we are trying to do that without making Industrial Athletics so expensive that no one can join.  Yes, we are a business and we need to make money to stay open.  However, there comes a time when it seems a business owner is only in it to make money.  That’s not why we started Industrial Athletics.  Our primary goal is not to make a million dollars.  Our primary goal is to make you a better person.  We can’t make you a better person if we make the cost so high, or the barrier of entry so high, that you can’t join.  We think the other CrossFit gyms in the area are positioning their business to have only people who can afford to pay a lot of money to see any benefit.  On the other hand, we have worked hard to keep our cost at a level that gives us the ability to be the best CrossFit Pittsburgh has to offer while not cutting off a large set of the Pittsburgh population.

When you are looking to join a gym, one question you have to ask is whether the gym is there for your benefit, or to simply take your money.  Does the gym offer programs and feedback that are truly designed to help you?  Or, does it seem like every service is an addition to the regular membership price?  Does the gym offer you flexible membership options with cancelation options, hold options, and adjustments for extenuating circumstances?  Or, is the gym locking you into long contracts with no exceptions?  Again, this doesn’t mean you should expect to get everything for nothing.  We are not arguing that.  But, when a CrossFit gym charges close to $200 per month for a membership and then tells you that it will be an additional $50 for a private session to correct your faulty lifting patterns, that should leave you scratching your head.  The gyms that are going to separate themselves as the best CrossFit Pittsburgh has to offer know that a lot of what other gyms are charging extra for are basic services that should come with the monthly membership.  Only long term premium services meant to help you reach very defined individual goals can justify additional fees.  These would be something like personal nutrition consulting, private programming, or mindfulness practices.

So, remember, if you feel like you are paying way too much for what seems like basic services, you probably are paying too much.