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Compare gyms in Melbourne to Europe 31-Jan-2008 At 10:58:39 AM alrob

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On 31/01/2008 devlin66 wrote:
>On 30/01/2008 alrob wrote:
>>On 30/01/2008 devlin66 wrote:
>>>On 30/01/2008 Cliffhanger wrote:
>>>>From a gym owners perspective, you won't get full-time route setters
>>>until
>>>>the volume of patronage in gyms, at least in Melbourne, trebles! It's
>>>just
>>>>not cost effective.
>>>
>>>From a customers perspective you won't get more patronage until the
>walls
>>>are better set and the gyms feeling like a good place to climb rather
>>than
>>>some run down barn.
>>
>>so if the gyms jacked up their entry price to pay for professional routesetters
>>you'd be cool with that?
>>
>>the reality is that when you rock up on a tuesday night to climb with
>>friends and socialise, you're oblivious to the hours spent during the
>day
>>by staff setting routes. do you realise how much time and effort goes
>into
>>setting even just a single route?
>>
>>granted, most of the staff are not trained routesetters, but you don't
>>go to your local bakery and ask why the croissant you just bought for
>80c
>>tastes nothing like the one you had in France do you?
>
>Actually I'm not oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes. In the past
>I have managed a gym and been the main route setter there. Some weeks were
>up 60hrs trying to stay on top of the route setting and the day to day
>running of the gym.
>
>What I'm on about is where I'm paying $18 to climb on routes that have
>been there for the last 6 months some even longer. When I had my routine
>sorted I could strip and set a decent route in about 45 mins if there were
>no interuptions. Is it too much to ask that someone who is getting paid
>about $18 an hour to set routes, to do a couple a day to keep the routes
>turning over. That's only a a couple of customers worth and they 'll keep
>coming back because of the variety. No need to jack up the price at all.
>So much easier to retain customers than trying to entice new customers
>all the time. Climbfit in Sydney seem to realise the importance of good
>route setting. I have not climbed at Sydney Indoor since the move, but
>I know Saxon Johns well who is a route setter there and know the philosophy
>they work to at the gym, so I can imagine they turn their routes over pretty
>well. It costs a little up front like any buisness improvement but done
>properley will reap returns in more feet through the door. Pretty simple
>busines that even a non business guy like me can understand.

fair enough.

But i think theres a big difference in the number of climbers between Melbourne and Sydney, so fortunately for Sydney gyms, they have the demand to warrant paying for regular route setting. Plus more gyms means they have to work harder to keep patrons. Here in Melbourne its down to hardrock or altona, and with both being on on opposite sides of the city, so people don't have as much choice. Plus less actual climbers coming through the doors means less of a need to focus on top notch routes.