138 CEO MONTHLY / CEO 100 8 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 12 2019 , PeterWilliams is theManaging Director of premiumhealth, fitness &wellbeing centre The Thames Club. Now operating two successful businesses – The Thames Club and Hot Yoga Club – we caught up with Peter to find out more about howhis business activities were going. Simply, the One to Watch in Health & Fitness Nestled in suburban Staines, Surrey, The Thames Club has been around for 16 years. Offering the same wide range of exclusive health and fitness facilities in stylish and comfortable surroundings that brought it success originally, the continued success of this business can be laid firmly at the feet of Managing Director Peter Williams. With a team of over 30 staff dedicated to delivering a personal experience to over 2,500 members, this business has gone from strength to strength. Offering excellent gym facilities in their Cardio, Functional and Weights zones, a heated swimming pool, spa and sauna, along with your choice of personal trainer, Peter runs a facility that caters for every gym-goer’s needs and desires. Indeed, under his watch, The Thames Club has expanded its operations, opening the Hot Yoga Club in January 2018. As a separate business in its own right but fully owned by The Thames Club, the Hot Yoga Club offers a diverse range of challenging hot yoga and Pilates classes for all abilities, shapes and sizes taught by first-class teachers. This innovation has proved to be quite the boon for the successful Staines gym. ‘Hot Yoga Club made a positive financial contribution within 12 months of trading which is an outstanding result for any new start-up,’ Peter tells us. ‘We have a number of students who tell us “this place has literally changed my life”.’ One of the major developments in this area going forward is a diversified range of classes, workshops and courses along with member focused benefits and programmes to increase retention. ‘Our front of house team provides the highest level of customer service every time someone enters the studio, making every single person feel comfortable when they visit. Our doors are open to everyone and each student is greeted with a smile and we know them all by name. We’ve built a real community here that knows each other, looks out for each other and has fun together.’ It’s no surprise that Peter turns his attention to the community he helped to build up at The Thames Club. He sees it as the heart of the enterprise and encourages its development at every opportunity. ‘Our members are the backbone of our club and we are proud to say that they stay with us for a long time. Some of our founder members have been here since we opened 16 years ago.’ Retention is key to the success of The Thames Club. It means that members are willing to engage with the vision of the enterprise. ‘When we have vacancies, we ask our members who they know and often have them actually join us as employees,’ admits Peter. ‘Who better to know and work with our members than a member!’ ‘We are very much a people business and believe that our team is the key differentiator that truly makes us stand apart from our competition,’ Peter explains. ‘There are many clubs with great facilities and equipment, but we believe that our team across the business are dedicated to delivering the very best and most caring member experience.’ Peter is also quick to credit his staff with the positive impact they bring to each of their clients. ‘We’re extremely focused on recognition of both our staff and our members,’ Peter explains. Staff have a quarterly MAD (Made A Difference) award, where they can be recognised for going above and beyond in their daily roles, while the Member of the Month reward scheme focuses Oct19216 OCT19216
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