Courtesy of Omnify, a SwimSwam partner.
The sun is getting brighter everyday and summer is finally here! Swimming is the 4th most popular recreational sport in the USA, where 36% of children from ages 7 – 17 and 15% of adults swim at least 6 times each year, according to the CDC.
As everyone is excited to return to swimming pools to beat the heat, it’s going to be a very busy season for swim facilities!
It is thrilling when a swim facility expands its customer base and grows its business. This also brings challenges for a swim facility to keep up with the accelerated pace and a greater responsibility to ensure an experience that will keep them coming back.
Here’s how your swim facility can better prepare for a busy summer:
- Look Back to Plan Ahead
- Gear up Safety and Training
- Revamp the Budget
- Hire Additional Help
- Level Up Management
- Host New Events
1. Look Back to Plan Ahead
Swimming has always been a favored activity among children and adults. Anticipating a boom this summer, a facility can take inspiration from their previous years to prepare for the new season. Go through your previous business plans to analyze your big wins and shortcomings.
Together with the swim coaches, review your programming calendar to improvise and develop engaging programs that follow current trends and encourage coaches and swimmers to reach their goals. See what strategies implemented during the previous peak season worked best for you, and what did not, and build improved class programs based on that to keep clients on the hook. Make smart decisions with previous experiences as pillars of support to help plan for the upcoming season.
2. Gear up Safety and Training
An increase in customers invites novice swimmers and people who have lost touch with swimming. In a busy swim facility, without a formal update on the safety training, the chances of an accident can rise through the roof, putting the customers and your facility in danger.
40% to 91% of swimming injuries occur in the shoulders, according to a study by Sports Health, in May 2012. Taking preventative measures by revisiting training for swim coaches, assessing facilities infrastructure to repair any potential causes of damage, and replacing faulty equipment, the facility will ensure a safe environment suited for a larger crowd.
In a swim facility, proper CPR training is vital for all members of the team. It is mandatory for all the Swim Coaches and Lifeguards, but other staff members should also be equipped with emergency life-saving training. In case your facility conducts swim classes for babies and toddlers, a special focus on basic CPR for babies must also be included in the training session.
A check-up on all the equipment will help in identifying the key maintenance changes the facility needs to make, keeping all the swimmers safe and sound.
3. Revamp the Budget
All the maintenance and preparation to expand your customer base means facilities will need to invest more in their business. But don’t let this burn a hole in your pockets. This is the perfect opportunity to analyze the finances and find out how the busy season changes impact the expenses. Whether it is replacing the filters or maintaining the changing rooms, identifying the additional costs will help the facility prioritize the allocation of budget and prevent taking astronomical hits on their wallets.
4. Hire Additional Help
As your pool facility keeps attracting more customers, your attention is stretched thin across all new activities. Hiring additional employees for the busy season will help the facility run all the operations smoothly, with improved efficiency. An extra set of hands will keep the facility stable during the rush period, enabling you to focus on the bigger picture.
Apart from hiring lifeguards and swim coaches, the facility can also benefit from summer volunteers for administration and operations, cleaners, janitors, or freelancers to meet the facility’s unique requirements.
Streamlining your processes with technology to manage scheduling and maintenance will optimize your facility’s operations. A pool reservation system takes care of every aspect and gives the customers liberty to book any slot at their convenience.
A pool reservation system like Omnify takes care of all your capacity management and booking needs. Each facility has unique challenges, whether it is creating customizable slots to manage the crowd, setting a limit on bookings, or tracking detailed reports of occupancy and cancellations, Omnify makes managing your facility easy and convenient, enabling you to avoid any potential headaches.
5. Level Up Management
As your pool facility starts welcoming new swimmers, swim coaches, and employees, it’s harder to keep track of all the tasks at all times. The facility needs to implement a methodical approach to face the chaos.
Even if there is an influx in swimmers, the pool’s capacity will remain the same. Retain all the potential customers by creating or altering your schedule to add more slots/classes. A slight change in the time allotted or extending the operating timing to accommodate more classes means everyone gets their chance to visit the facility.
In a busy environment, it is important to remember the significance of customer service. This is the time for the facility to make a lasting impression on the new customers. Focus on maintaining a high quality of service at the facility with proper management tools like pool reservation software.
6. Host New Events
During the hot summer, your facility is as busy as a bee. It’s the perfect time to focus on engaging with your clients. Branch out your services to host fun activities, creating a deeper bond between your clients and the swim instructors. All the fond memories made in the facility will help the swim facility in customer retention well after summer and build a larger swim community in your area.
Some events that the facility can host next are:
- Weekly Swim Meets
- A local swimming championship with solo and team events
- A special celebration for the 4th of July
- Parent – Children swim race
- Seminars and special classes for advanced swimmers
Conclusion
Summer is right around the corner, and your swim facility is in the spotlight. Prepare for your busiest season yet, and take your business to the next level. Make the most of your facility to provide the best amenities to your customers and strengthen the swim community to retain your customer beyond summertime.
As your swim facility prepares for summer, your team might find itself stretched thin at times. If you would like to make sure your team or club is backed by the right tools to optimize their operations and deliver the highest standards of service, Omnify offers swim schools an all-in-one class scheduling and management solution through an intuitive and easy-to-use platform. To find out how Omnify would work for your operational needs, sign up for a FREE TRIAL and get started today!
