The research

We found the problem fast. The premium tier was being sold as a lounge experience — relaxation amenities, pampering, luxury perks. But members didn't want a lounge. Post-COVID, they wanted wellness. Recovery. Pain relief. Help sleeping. Help with inflammation. Help with the chronic back pain they'd been ignoring for three years.

The brand already had equipment that could do all of this. Members just had no idea. One thought a recovery machine "shakes the fat off you." Another assumed a therapy bed was basically a hot tub and said, "I don't have time for that."

The research was airtight. The strategy was exactly right.

We could have stopped there. Most companies do.

The pilot

We didn't stop there. We piloted it.

Four weeks. A handful of locations with real staff and members. And instead of just measuring results, we watched through a lens of ethnography– observing how members actually behaved in the space.

Members walked in with headphones on, eyes down, straight to the machines. They weren't browsing or looking around. They were locked into their routine and anything that interrupted it was unwelcome.

Including a friendly staff member with a perfect script about wellness benefits.

The message was right. Members who heard it were genuinely interested. But the delivery — a human being stepping into their path and talking — was friction. It didn't matter what the words were. The act of being approached felt like a sales pitch invading their personal space.

The change

So we made one change.

Killed the script. Replaced it with a single card, handed over at check-in, no conversation. Just a quiet nudge: Ask us about the recovery equipment in the wellness area.

No speech, selling, or second card. One card, subtle and done.

The results

Even the slowest location saw gains. Staff loved it because they weren't selling anymore, they were just handing someone a card. And the members who the team least expected to upgrade? They became the biggest beneficiaries.