Should I stay or should I go? Exploring the decision to join, maintain, or cancel a fitness membership

Abstract

This study examined reasons why people join, maintain, and cancel a fitness membership by following 26 new members to a Canadian fitness centre over a one-year period. Participants were interviewed at three different time points (i.e. new membership purchase, six-month follow-up, and one-year renewal decision). Notable reasons to join included being a role model for children, improving health, and organisation reputation. Reasons to maintain membership included health-related goals, service quality, and organisational culture values. The study found that only 50% renewed their membership after the year. Notable reasons to cancel the membership included the cost, lack of time, interest in other physical activity classes like yoga, outdoor exercise and, most prominently, changes to the family dynamic. The paper discusses the controllable and uncontrollable factors associated with membership maintenance, including service quality, organisational culture, and psychological aspects of the theory of planned behaviour to better understand a person's decision to join, maintain, or cancel membership.

Keywords:

• service quality
• organisational culture
• theory of planned behaviour