Personal interactions or price on Fitness? The key elements to the price-quality relationship

Abstract

Introduction: In a modern world, due to an exponential growth in the health and fitness sector, managers are daily challengedwith the problematic to acquire and preserve the customers. Several strategies and procedures could be adopted, but it is extremely important to understand what kind of variables can affect retention behaviour. Aim: The study purpose is to analyse the influence of personal interactions and price with the price-quality relationship. Methods: One hundred and seventy- two adults (female, n = 110; male, n = 62) of a health fitness club of Baixo Alentejo-Portugal, aged 37.5 ± 11.7 years old, answered to an online questionnaire constituted by sociodemographic and characterization questions of the consumer. Results & discussion: A significant correlation between the “price- quality relationship” variable and selected variables to the personal interactions quality and price was verified. Furthermore, it was also shown that variables of personal interactions quality were most valued than the price variables for the customers. Conclusions: The present study consolidates the necessity of the health fitness clubs to provide a good personal environment. This evidence should be considered important to the health fitness club managers in order to development new strategies to preserve customers, as well to the recruitment processes where technical skills and interaction skills should be privilege.