User Experience. It's Not Just a Digital Thing

We’re all well aware of the ongoing buzz around UX. In a landscape laden with digital and augmented experiences, we’re surrounded by terms like “user journey”, “pathing”, “experiential flows”. But these catchphrases are almost always delegated to describing what we’re doing online. Which is a big miss. Case and point: My gym experience this morning.

Crunch Fitness recently launched a new website, which enables members to reserve class spots up to 36 hours in advance. I support this practice in theory: It’s nice to lock in your attendance ahead of time and then go about the rest of your next day and half with the comfort that when you show up you’re IN. (Previously, there was a 1 hour “open” period at the front desk which inevitably caused a gym rate traffic jam, in addition to leaving you with an annoying 50 minutes to kill before the class even started). Kudos on this, at least.

But here’s the flaw: Even if you’ve signed up online, you’re still required to get there 10 minutes beforehand to check in (yes, I am in fact Veronica Wilson, and am present for this spin class). Sometimes you receive a bracelet, other times just a friendly nod. But without fail there are a handful of people lurking around the desk, hoping that someone who signed up doesn’t actually show up, freeing up a spot they can suddenly snag. These people complicate things tremendously. They start taking the recently available places and then Joe, who did sign up online, appears at T minus 2 minutes, out of breath, explaining how the subway was delayed, but look, there’s his name on the sheet that was printed off the internet!

Chaos ensues, things slip through the cracks, and as those of us who followed the rules get settled in to our bikes, the announcement comes: Everyone get off their bikes and go stand outside. We’re going to do roll call. An awkward and frustrated cluster of us move outside and wait to hear our name shouted out by the front desk employee as we physically check in, again, as if we were a class of 5^th graders, some of whom are trying to cut the line and get lunch first. Class starts 15 minutes late, and though the anger may fuel a better ride in the end, it’s hard to appreciate any of it.

So, unfortunately, Crunch has made themselves a prime example of how the online-to-offline experience can quickly fall apart if not executed properly. (Note: I have been, and remain, a happy and loyal Crunch member, so this piece should be taken as constructive criticism).

Do I think Crunch should scrap the online signup process? No. But I do think they should remember what they’ve been historically good at: Giving people a positive, efficient, and accessible workout. But upping your digital game shouldn’t mean compromising your core value proposition if you’re an offline business. It should be about complimenting and enhancing what it is people already use you for: If the online process won’t actually make my workout experience any better, I don’t care how cool it looks.  

At Recyclebank, we talk about the potential to use online tools to catalyze offline action all the time. I think that companies that do this best (ex:Tough Mudder, who embodies the concept of offline experience acting as their own form of social currency) are poised for the greatest long-term success. So to all the companies out there that have digital side and an offline side, please think of UX as something that very much traverses the two. I promise a more holistic approach will ensure a better entire experience for everyone.