Twin Oaks keeps the back offices at fitness businesses humming with automation, paving the way for the future as well
Gym and fitness club staffs have better things to do than catalog member records, oversee billing transactions, mine for data, and punch out emails to the masses. With big-picture decisions needing to be made and face-to-face conversations needing to be had, there’s bigger fish to fry for most individuals at the core of any fitness business.
But Twin Oaks, the software provider for health clubs and gyms, has spent three decades making these important, yet tedious tasks most operators have little-to-no hankering for a no brainer.
By handling those responsibilities with automative features, the software brand does so at an exceedingly efficient rate. This paves the road forward for brands, putting growth and profitability well within their reach.
Catching Everyone Up
The first step in improving your operational efficiency is realizing there are better ways forward than the old-school approaches still utilized by most fitness businesses. The time is now, if not yesterday, to make that recognition.
“I’d estimate that a significant portion—around 60% of health clubs and gyms are still operating without fully automating fundamental procedures or tasks within their operations, or utilizing advanced data to help them grow their business,” said Carole Oat, National Sales Manager at Twin Oaks. “The gap between businesses that embrace automation and those that don’t is widening, which means that gyms not adopting these technologies are falling behind, both in profitability and in member satisfaction.”
Twin Oaks’ automative features work like a shortcut, brands just need to veer onto it, rather than trotting down the same winding roads they’re familiar with. Doing so makes life easier for both themselves and their members.
“Without automation and data-driven decision-making, these gyms are spending far too much time on manual processes, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities,” said Oat. “For brands, it means they aren’t scaling as fast or as efficiently as they could be. For the members, it translates into suboptimal experiences — like longer wait times, inconsistent services, and fewer personalized offerings.”
Inside the Automation
Twin Oaks’ automative features include communications, like reminder emails, to members that boost retention, automatic payment processing to ensure timely deposits, and streamlining club data to help operators make informed decisions. The brand automates back-office services at such an extensive level that clubs can stay open all day, every day – especially during low-staffing hours.
“Twin Oaks enables clubs to operate 24/7/365 by automating core operational functions and providing member self-service tools that don’t require staff intervention,” said Oat.
The automatic billing helps Twin Oaks clients kill two birds with one stone as well, helping them to run their business operations smoothly and include another level of security.
“Security is non-negotiable as Twin Oaks continually evolves its automated billing and member record management capabilities, amongst other features,” said Oat. “These methods are actually more secure than traditional paper-based systems or even older manual digital processes.”
The Twin Oaks platform features industry-standard encryption to protect sensitive data. This includes financial information and member records. It also removes the risk of error from any mental lapse a human might have when managing such information.
“Automated systems also reduce the risk of human error — such as misplacing records or incorrectly entering data — that could compromise security,” Oat added. “The software is regularly updated to stay compliant with the latest data protection regulations, giving our clients peace of mind. Security and efficiency go hand-in-hand, and we’ve ensured that both are deeply embedded in every feature we offer.”
Impacting the Present and Future
There’s no shortage of evidence illustrating the impactfulness of Twin Oaks’ software. The provider’s handling of membership transactions represents one of the most important features boosting the bottom line for brands and freeing up their staff for more pressing endeavors.
“The best examples come from clubs that have fully embraced Twin Oaks’ automated features for new memberships and renewals, whether it’s day passes, monthly billing, or pay-in-full options, through our customizable, branded Member Portal mobile app,” said Oat. “By shifting all of these processes online, staff are freed up entirely to focus on delivering exceptional in-club experiences—whether that’s launching new programs, providing personal training, maintaining a spotless facility, or enhancing member engagement.”
“Members, on the other hand, can handle everything from booking appointments and signing up for classes to paying balances and updating their billing information, all through the app,” she added.
While Twin Oaks is eager to see these signs of success, the brand continues to evolve with the teams. Twin Oaks remains vigilant, looking for the next curveball the ever-changing fitness industry is sure to throw at operators.
“On one hand, new digital tools and the rise of fitness technology have made it easier for brands to scale by automating operations, managing memberships, and creating seamless member experiences,” said Oat.
“On the other hand, competition in the fitness industry has intensified, making it more difficult for smaller brands to stand out and grow. To help our clients scale in this evolving landscape, Twin Oaks has continually adapted by integrating advanced revenue optimization tools, expanding reporting and analytics capabilities, and improving automation features that help gyms do more with fewer resources.”
