BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Julie Allen from Active Insight explains why the future of leisure data could be “all about the emotion”

The leisure sector has never had access to more data. Membership trends, attendance figures, retention rates and customer satisfaction scores all play an important role in measuring performance. Yet many operators continue to face the same challenge, ‘understanding what is happening, but not always why.’ As the sector becomes increasingly data-driven, there is a growing recognition that numbers alone cannot tell the whole story. The next evolution in business intelligence is understanding the emotion behind the data. Traditionally, customer feedback has been gathered through surveys, complaints and conversations at reception, however, today’s customer leaves a much broader digital footprint. Approximately 45% of feedback is still delivered face-to-face, while website forms (15%), email (10%), surveys (10%), telephone (5%), and social media and online reviews (10%) all contribute valuable insight. Every channel offers a different perspective, yet many organisations continue to rely heavily on structured feedback alone sent directly to them.

Just as importantly, not all feedback has equal influence. A private complaint may lead to an internal resolution, but a public review can influence prospective customers, shape community discussion and have a lasting impact on an organisation’s reputation. Increasingly, understanding public sentiment has become as important as measuring customer satisfaction.

This shift is driving the adoption of more sophisticated approaches to customer insight. Rather than simply counting positive or negative responses, organisations are beginning to analyse sentiment, identify emotional drivers and measure how customers feel about specific parts of their experience. Metrics such as Net Sentiment Score (NSS), Complaint Intensity Score (CIS), Management Response Rate (MRR) and Emotional Heat Indexes are helping operators move beyond traditional KPIs towards a richer understanding of customer experience.

Recent benchmarking we at Active Insight shared with the ukactive Scottish Member Network illustrates why this matters. The sector’s overall Net Sentiment Score currently sits at 72.88, with an overall Sentiment Score of 73.37, suggesting that customer opinion remains broadly positive. However, looking beneath these headline figures reveals a far more nuanced picture.

The most valuable data isn’t just about what people do, it’s about how they feel

Customers express the strongest positive emotions around classes (83.24), staff (77.4) and gym experiences (76.02), reinforcing the importance of people, programming and personal interaction in creating memorable experiences. Facility quality (73.7) and swimming pools (73.24) also perform strongly. In contrast, lower emotional scores around booking (35.36), value (52.76), cleanliness (58.5) and accessibility (60.47) highlight areas where seemingly routine operational processes can significantly infl uence customer perception.

This richer level of insight enables organisations to identify where improvements will have the greatest impact, not simply on satisfaction scores, but on reputation, loyalty and participation.

Ultimately, the future of leisure data is not about collecting more information. It is about connecting operational performance with human experience. The organisations that combine quantitative measures with qualitative insight will be better equipped to understand their communities, make informed decisions and create environments where more people feel welcomed, valued and motivated to be active.

Because the most valuable data isn’t just about what people do, it’s about how they feel.