The missing piece in Cure.fit’s customer experience

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog post is purely based on the personal experience. It was not influenced by any external factor.

Cure.fit is an ambitious startup.

It is difficult for a company to attain $100 million in annual revenue within three years of its inception. The company that was started in 2016, is currently valued at over $575 million and has raised $294 million over 8 rounds of funding. They’re aiming for $1 billion in revenue (10X growth) in the next three years. They also have plans to go for an IPO if they reach this milestone.

When cure.fit recently launched in Chennai, I was tempted to check it out. The driving factor for me was I knew it was famous in cities like Bangalore and was excited to experience it.

So, I downloaded the app and signed up for a trial class.

The trial class went well. The trainers were nice and the place was really good. But, I wasn’t getting enough attention. Not that I am someone who is attention-seeking, I meant it in a way someone new needs attention.

After the trial classes, I realized that I had a good experience, but I wasn’t extremely happy. I didn’t even have the dilemma between whether I should pay or not. I immediately felt that I was not motivated enough to pay for a subscription.

Yes, the offers were attractive, but I felt I wasn’t provided enough value.

So, as a product marketer and a customer, I tried to analyze what could make me sign up for a subscription and I came up with a few pointers.

Cure.fit positions its pricing and not the value

The homepage of Cult.fit shows the price of the membership. It works for a service like eat.fit where the customer’s goal is to order something to eat. But, when it comes to paying for a gym subscription, customers would want to understand the value along with discounts and offers.

The homepage of Cult.fit does not provide the value a customer will get out of their membership. What will they get out of boxing? What will be the health benefits of yoga? Or what should I know about something new like the HRX workout? or Prowl?

I’m not talking about providing a one-paragraph description. I’m talking about a dedicated page where they can feature the history of each exercise form, quotes from famous athletes and bodybuilders, etc. If I don’t know what I’m going to get out of a product or service, why would I buy it?!

According to Ankit Nagori, in an interview with Livemint, only 20% of the customers will go to the centers and the remaining 80% will use the digital version of the product. It is common for gym chains to enroll more customers because they knew that only a portion of them would show up every day. The rest usually pay the money and forget about it. When I used the app, the digital version of the product was not prominent on the app. All I could see were various subscription plans available at my nearest center along with a range of offers.

If they’re aspiring to add 10–15 million customers within the next 3 years, shouldn’t they also promote their digital subscription packs when they launch in a city? Most of their DIY workout packs are free. It would be a good way for people to try them, see the benefit and opt for a paid subscription from the app.

What would I do?:

I would redesign the homepage of the website and the app. I will have dedicated landing pages for boxing, HIIT, HRX workout, etc. and would communicate the value one would get out of each type of workout. I will also include video from celebrities like Hrithik Roshan or Tiger talk about how the workouts are designed and what does it aim to solve. Because each customer would look for a different thing. Some would want to tone their body; Some would want to lose weight; And, so would just want to stay healthy.

I’d then place multiple CTAs that would take them to the pricing page. Also, I would mention which type of people can and cannot do this workout. I will also provide a short quiz that should ask the visitors and a series of questions and recommend them workout programs along with a 4-week schedule. This will create a great brand image and people will start trusting the brand more.

They assume we know it all

People who attend a trial class were not given enough attention. They were treated like advanced users. They assumed that everyone who comes for a trial class had already been to a gym. Result? Most people find it difficult to follow the trainer. This creates a not-so-great experience for potential customers.

What would I do?:

I will ask a few questions to my customers while they’re booking a trial class through the app. The questions will help the trainers understand if they had previous gym experience. On the day of the trial class, everyone who signed up for a trial will be given a wrist band to differentiate them from the subscribers. This will allow the trainers to identify the new customers and help them out. The color of the band can tell how experienced they are. It will be easy and effective.

Nurturing the customers is the key

After I completed my trial class, I received no email. I would’ve been happy if I had received an email or a push notification asking for feedback. The email could mention the number of calories I burned today and how if I keep up with the routine I can reduce more weight by the end of the month. The email could also offer diet tips, things I should do/don’t when I am not working out, etc.

According to Nagori, a typical customer pays roughly about ₹25,000 a year. That’s about $350. And, they’re planning to extend that to $1,000 in the future. A person who is paying or considering paying $350/year, which is higher than any average gym chain in Chennai, would expect a lot more for the money. It is the mindset of the Indian customers. We don’t buy something until if offers a lot of value. Adding an email journey wouldn’t hurt.

What would I do?:

I would set up a email nurture journey for the customers. I would send a series of emails that will ask for their feedback on the session, talk about how that day’s workout had improved their mind and body and what benefits would they get if they continue working out. Even if they did not buy a subscription, I will keep sending them health tips, every week or every month. It will also contain blogs and interviews from nutritionists, fitness experts, athletes, etc. This would make them be conscious about taking care of their body and they might eventually end up buying a subscription.

If this becomes successful, phase 2 will have an onboarding team to call the customer as soon as he signs up for a trial class. Have a 9 to 5 helpline to assist customers with questions, remedies for sports injuries, suggesting the right workout plans, etc.

India is in a phase where people are becoming increasingly aware of their health and the importance of fitness. And, it is good to see Cure.fit disrupting the Indian fitness space. But, as a customer who tried their service, I feel that there are a few things they could do in order to enhance their customer experience.

And, if they did, they could do wonders.

Originally written for Endangered blog