Mastering Customer Reviews: A Fitness Instructor's Guide

Learn how to manage and respond to reviews as a Pilates Teacher or Fitness Studio owner. (Photo Credit: Freepik.com

PILATES STUDIOSTHE BUSINESS OF PILATESPILATES FOR PILATES INSTRUCTORS / PILATES TEACHERS / FITNESS INSTRUCTORS

Corie Kellman

6/26/20255 min read

Two fitness women looking at ipad
Two fitness women looking at ipad

Photo Credit: Freepik.com

Why Customer Reviews Matter

As a fitness instructor, engaging with your clients goes beyond just leading a class or offering personalized training plans. One key aspect that can significantly elevate your business and reputation is how you respond to customer reviews. Reviews serve as powerful testimonials that can either attract new clients or deter them. They reflect your professionalism and commitment to clients' well-being. Many reviews will provide great value and insight--and other reviews might not (simply put.)

Crafting Thoughtful Responses

Imagine receiving a glowing review from a client who just hit their fitness goal. It's tempting to respond with just a quick “Thanks!” But think about what a more thoughtful reply could achieve. A personalized response not only shows appreciation but also builds a connection. You might say, “Wow, Jamie! I’m so proud of your dedication to reaching your goal. It’s been a pleasure working with you!” This creates an engaging interaction and makes clients feel valued. Be careful not to post information that is too personal on a public review response. You may also consider thanking them in person the next time they are in class for the positive review. If you are not the business owner and notice someone has provided you a positive review online, saying thank you in person is a great way to show that client how much you appreciated the shout out.

Handling Negative Feedback Gracefully

Every fitness instructor faces negative reviews at some point. The true test lies in your response. It’s normal for clients to have off days or for things to go awry in their fitness journey. When you receive a negative review, take a step back and assess the situation. Start by acknowledging their feelings—but try to avoid canned responses that may seem inauthentic or cookie-cutter. Some negative feedback will be actionable and some will not be actionable. Do not completely ignore their feedback, even if you disagree--which can be tough. You can acknowledge the feedback and not take action he feedback.

Let's take a look at a few examples:

Review: "Class was not hard enough." - Jane

Processing Review: Do you objectively believe that this class was level appropriate based on the internal studio expectations? Do you think you could have offered more progressions within the internal studio expectations? Do you think that this person may not have fully understood the method and had expectations that do not align with the class format or fitness modality? Etc...

Response: "Hi Jane! I'd love to connect and learn more about which parts of class you could have used more progressions in. Feel free to email me at mentors@graduatepilates.com. I'd be happy to make sure you get into the appropriate level class for your challenge expectations or offer additional personal tricks and tips to make this class a little more challenging for your needs."

Review: "The instructor was more interested in singing along to their playlist than providing instruction. It was difficult to understand what I was doing." - Jack

Processing Review: Is your studio format and brand built on vibes where this is internally the expectation?

Response: "Hi Jack -- oh man, I am sad to hear you felt lost during class. Some of our class formats do focus on high energy and the music is a key element in our studio's method of teaching. I know that other studios keep the music at a lower volume and focus on a lot of verbal cueing. We offer some classes with more attention on this as well. I want to invite you back to our Foundations class format for that experience if you are willing to give that a chance--I think you may like that class format better. I will also check in with the instructor of the class you took and make sure we are keeping the energy up, but that there is a good balance so it doesn't feel like a cover band concert. Feel free to reach out with more questions or concerns to mentors@graduatepilates.com--my inbox is open to you!"

When To Address Reviews With Your Staff

Create an internal process and policy around when you share reviews with the staff so that this becomes something that is expected and does not increase anxiety. Relaying reviews to your staff should be done with intention and with respect. Sending every negative review to your teachers through random texts or in passing can cause stress and low morale. Feedback should be timely, direct, and actionable. You should also be sharing positive reviews with your staff. It is not just about the negative ones.

  1. Set internal expectations and loop feedback back to those expectations so that nothing seems like a surprise or out of the blue.

  2. Set up a schedule or frequency to sharing reviews. Feedback should be timely, but not instant unless it poses a danger to your members or warrants immediate termination. It always sucks to be provided feedback weeks later for something you do regularly but had no idea needed to be adjusted. It also sucks to be told something non-urgent in the middle of a teaching block where your energy should be focused on creating a great experience for the customers. Weekly or bi-weekly may be appropriate depending on how many reviews you are receiving.

  3. Feedback should be objective, clear, actionable, and empathetic. Providing feedback in person if possible is always a good tactic. Providing feedback can been difficult, especially if you like to avoid conflict. But, if you deliver feedback in person, tone can be reflected and a two-way conversation can be had if necessary. It promotes a stronger relationship between you and your staff. If you are taking up your instructors time to have these conversations, pay them for it. Don't expect them to receive feedback off the clock on their own time.

  4. Adjust internal expectations as necessary and communicate these with your staff. If you are continuing to receive negative reviews that do not align with your internal expectations, it may be time to make some internal adjustments. Make sure those new expectations are communicated clearly to everyone.

  5. Don't forget to celebrate your staff for the things they are doing well -- even if they are also getting negative reviews. Two things can be true at the same time. You may have a new instructor who has received feedback that results in the need for coaching them on effective cueing AND that same instructor can also be doing a great job at programming their class. Make sure they know what they are doing well, just as much as your need to coach them in areas they can improve.


Encouraging More Reviews

Once you’ve mastered the art of responding, consider ways to encourage more feedback. Happy clients are usually eager to share their experiences, but they might need a little nudge. You could simply ask after a successful training session or during one-on-one conversations. Another tactic is to set up a small incentive program—like a discount on their next class—for those who leave a review. This not only enhances your online presence but also creates a buzz around your fitness services.