Utilization for Stretch Practitioners
We all want every individual on our team and our studio to be successful.
There are many ways to measure what success is, and in our studios it can be easier to measure success for Sales Associates than Stretch Practitioners. SAs have easy to access performance numbers as feedback like how many demos were booked, calls made, sales completed and goals hit.
But what numbers do practitioners have to gauge their success? Of course session survey feedback and Google reviews are helpful, yet they are not always something we can rely on daily in the studio with consistency. Practitioner "utilization" is a number that can be easily calculated and that we can learn a lot from.
What is "utilization"?
Utilization refers to the percentage of clocked-in time during a shift that a Stretch Practitioner (SP) is actually stretching members or guests. For example, if a practitioner has a two hour shift, that means there are four possible time slots for members to schedule a stretch session. If that practitioner has four bookings during that time, then they would be 100% utilized for stretching.
In that same scenario, if the SP had only three bookings when four were available, then that SP would be 75% utilized. Two stretches in a two hour time period would equal 50% utilization, etc.
Don't worry - as a practitioner you are NOT expected to keep 100% utilization! We do want you clocked in when you are opening or closing the studio, looking over client files as you prepare for stretches, making session notes and logging off sessions, taking your 15 minute break during a shift of 3 hours or more, and helping with cleaning or outreach. None of these activities go toward your utilization, and they still need to be done every shift.
So what is a good utilization percentage to aim for?
Once a practitioner has been stretching in a studio for 60 days or more, utilization should be steadily at 75% or above.
Stretch Zone corporate outlines raises available as practitioners consistently achieve 80%, 85% and 90% utilization. This happens naturally over time as more of our members get familiar with SPs, and SPs continue to deliver a great stretching experience each time. We definitely want to reward our best practitioners financially, and one way we know who they are by how full their schedule is on a regular basis.
Click below and read more about High Performance Raises
To summarize, when a practitioner maintains the following averages over a trailing 90 day period, the following incentives come into play and remain in place as long as trailing averages are kept;
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 90%+ utilization is considered exceptional! It signals high demand and excellence in the stretch experience delivery of our product. Thank you!
⭐⭐ 85% + utilization is fantastic and adds $.50 increase to Activity Rate ($1.00 per hour if fully booked!)
⭐ 80-84.99% very good utilization and adds $.25 increase to Activity Rate ($.50 per hour if fully booked)
75-79.99% utilization is good and acceptable (with white space on the calendar logged with studio activities being completed during unscheduled time).
70-74.99% indicates there is room to improve on technique, client experience, Stretch Zone Method, rapport building, assisting members to re-book, and demo conversion skills. Take the time to review these things and master your craft at a higher level. Ask for coaching and for direction if you are unsure on how to improve on these areas.
65-69.99% indicates a weakness in one of the above areas. Actively ask for feedback from your studio lead and seek out help to improve. Observe other practitioners that regularly are fully booked to see what you can learn from them. It is important to not stay in this utilization zone long. We are always progressing or declining in life, so make sure you are moving forward if you find yourself here.
Below 65% utilization is not sustainable for any length of time. It becomes urgent with these numbers that you show improvement. Our members vote with their bookings, and if people are not re-booking with you, or they are consistently choosing another practitioner when you are available, they are sending a polite message that improvement is needed. Don't take this personally, but DO take the hint that change is needed, and take initiative to do something about it while you have the chance. Know that we are here to support and develop our staff! Do all that YOU can to shift the situation, and consider making yourself available for shifts during more peak times to help pull your averages up. Ultimately, if numbers sit here for more than a week or two, it may be an indication that this is not the best role for you within Stretch Zone, so ask for a meeting with your studio lead and explore if another role with us may be better suited for you. Again, we want all our employees to feel success!
Blocking Off the Club Ready Schedule
Paying attention to and managing practitioner utilization is not only key for measuring practitioner skillsets, but it is also important in helping us run a healthy business as an organization. With the studio model Stretch Zone provides, it is a tremendous strain on the business if SPs remain on the clock but there are no members on the table paying for them to be there.
Because of this, SPs may notice the very beginning or end of their shift time blocked by a lead or regional manager with a note like "start shift at X time" or "book early shifts first", etc. especially if there are other SPs available to schedule with at the same time. This is an effort to help SPs have the highest utilization possible (and take advantage of the raises details above) by consolidating stretches together, and also to earn the most possible while they are in studio by taking full advantage of their Activity Rate possible.
Delayed Shift Start
When SPs look at the current work day on the Club Ready Schedule and see white space at the beginning of their shift, they can block off the beginning portion of the shift if desired and come in ten minutes before their first booking. This frees up their time to do something in their personal life instead.
***Please be aware that members can still book stretch sessions and guests can still book demos online with one hour of notice. If you look at your schedule early in the day and no one has booked until partway through your shift and you decide to come in just before your first stretch, do make sure to block off the time that you won't be available, or else be ready to come into the studio within the hour if someone books! We HOPE that they do book!***
Please do not block out your schedule ahead of the current day. If you need to arrange to take a full day off, please use this Time Off Request digital form or speak with your studio lead if you need a partial day blocked ahead of time.
Clocking Out
Another tool to keep utilization high is simply clocking out when you are not performing stretching. Clocking out is only expected one time per shift IF there is a block of 90 minutes or longer with no stretches or demos booked.
When an SP is clocked out they can leave the studio to take a walk or run errands, or they can remain in the break area as long it is clear that they are not "working" and as long as they are not a distraction to other employees who are on the clock. Some SPs that are students appreciate having the time to study or read, or relax on their phone.
IF an SP has a section of white space on their schedule that is less than 90 minutes they can remain clocked in if they like, and are expected to fill in their Club Ready calendar with time blocks explaining what was accomplished during that part of their shift.
Ultimately, utilization is a reflection of how well are doing business and presenting our product to the marketplace. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRACTITIONER TO KEEP THEIR OWN SCHEDULE FULL. If you need guidance on how to reach and exceed the numbers expected, please ask for help and we are here to support you!
NOTE: We respect your time and we don't expect you to come into the studio for one stretch. If there is a very minimal amount scheduled on your calendar, reach out to your studio lead and see if they want to move the stretches to someone else for that day and take the day off instead, or rest assured that we can always help you find enough to do in studio to accommodate a 2 hour minimum shift. Here is a reminder of things that can be done in studio during Practitioner White Space.
***Full time Stretch Practitioners are not expected to clock out during 90+ minutes of white space, but are expected to detail how their time is spent on shift. They are welcome to clock out for large blocks of white space if they desire to. They are held to the same utilization standard of 75% or above.
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