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Building CustomerYouSatisfaction One Fit Health Clubs Bring Local Ideas to a National Workout at a Time Stage W Submitted by: Harrison Tropp
ell before the chic health club craze populated the majority of American cities, Rick Berks was busy establishing himself as a champion for the average person simply looking to exercise in a comfortable gym environment. A revolutionary establishment, You Fit Health Club offers environmentally conscious simplicity. Berks originally owned a Golds Gym before starting Planet Fitness in 1993. After selling the trademark years later, Berks discovered the need many gyms had overlooked: comfort. Along with his daughter Christy Stross, their originality led to the creation of You Fit Health Club in 2008. With over 30 locations across the eastern United States and 30 in Florida alone, You Fit Health Clubs now serve as one of the country’s premier gym franchises, even rivaling those establishments Berks used to once own. There seems to be a common gym conception vastly disregarded in today’s thriving health club market. While most franchises profess a desire for contentment and satisfaction among their customers, the need to appeal to customer comfort and gym simplicity are hardly addressed. From obnoxious grunting, to weight slamming, to plain rudeness, gym etiquette is a primary focus to Berks. “You know if you want to be in a gym with large guys screaming, this isn’t
the place. We want the average customer to feel welcomed.” Realizing the concern in his own health clubs, Berks contends You Fit is simple, it has ‘You’ in mind. Berks addresses common gym faux pas and eliminates the need for elaborate locker rooms, swimming pools, mile long tracks, and ritzy saunas. Instead with the costs savings, Berks invests in quality gym equipment and staff who care about having a clean and friendly workout facility. Berks offers state of the art equipment with machines designed for cardio training and resistance training. You Fit also offers treadmills with individual TVs, areas for floor exercises, and plenty of free weights. Berks further incorporates a 30-minute Express Circuit for those customers who are in a hurry and need a quick workout.
facility insulation and even eliminated paper contracts. According to Berks, “I don’t really mind the expense if we’re able to be environmentally conscious.”
If his arsenal of innovation and accomplishments was not impressive enough, Berks and Stross are actively involved in community charity. They both have given time and financial assistance to children, especially Toys for Tots, and most recently, aid to the two fallen St. Petersburg police officers.
Berks and Stross have expressed no interest in slowing down anytime soon. You Fit Health Clubs are continually being built nationwide. And for just $10.00 a month for their basic membership, people cannot afford not to join. With 8 more under construction in Florida, there is a friendly, top notch health club right down the street. According to Berks, their motto is simple, “Our goal is to simply be an unpretentious place where normal people feel comfortable exercising.”
Since Berks knew his pioneering attitude would lead to the creation of several workout facilities, he wanted to make sure each was designed with environmentally friendly materials, including the same layout and color scheme. The purple and green colors used from location to location offer an immediate feeling of excitement and enthusiasm. In each gym, Berks replaced the air conditioners for more energy efficient machines and used recycled Nike sneakers for flooring. Additionally, he took important, yet expensive steps to improve FOCUS Magazine south tampa march 2011
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