Start with the reason they left, not a bigger discount
A member win-back campaign is an invitation to restart a relationship. Choose an appropriate former-member list, offer one manageable first step, assign a person to answer replies, and track visits and reactivated memberships rather than just clicks.
A former member might have stopped because of schedule changes, price, an unresolved experience, or a loss of routine. You do not know until you ask. A discounted pass cannot fix a timetable that still does not work for them.
Use the plan below as a starting point, not a promise of a particular return rate. It expands on SIXPAC's 30-Day Boxing Gym Member Win-Back Kit. Run the outreach through your existing email or SMS provider, and use SIXPAC to organize the memberships, bookings, and customer records around the return visit.
The complete campaign, in one kit
Three offers, follow-up messages, a staff plan, and a fill-in scorecard.
Get the Free Kit1. Prepare the right former-member list
For a first campaign, consider people whose memberships ended 30 to 365 days ago. This is a suggested starting window, not a retention benchmark. Separate expired memberships from active members who simply have not visited recently; those groups need different conversations.
- Remove active or already-returned members, duplicate records, and people who have opted out.
- Exclude unresolved disputes and safety-related removals. Address a complaint directly rather than adding that person to a promotion.
- Use only contacts eligible for the channel you plan to use. A stored phone number or former membership is not, by itself, proof of permission to send marketing texts.
- Where known, group people by their previous program and reason for leaving. Offer youth-program families and private-coaching clients a relevant return path.
Assign one campaign owner. That person checks replies twice daily, keeps the contact list current, and stops the sequence when someone replies, claims the offer, or opts out.
Before sending, review your provider's consent and suppression rules and applicable law. Commercial email needs appropriate sender information, a valid postal address, and a working opt-out process. These examples are not a legal-compliance guarantee. See the FTC's business email guidance and FCC guidance on revoking consent to automated calls and texts.
2. Choose one comeback offer
The kit offers three approaches. Pick one that fits your capacity and economics. Do not stack several competing offers into the same message.
A paid, short return pass
The kit's example is a $29 Return-to-the-Ring Pass for 14 days, credited toward the first month if the member rejoins before the pass ends. These are suggested gym-offer terms, not SIXPAC software pricing. Adjust the price and terms to fit your business.
A short return with a coach check-in
A seven-day comeback pass can lower the barrier to a first visit. Reserve enough capacity to give returning members attention. A free week still costs staff time, so evaluate it like any other offer.
A class with a training partner
Invite the former member and one guest to a comeback class. Specify eligibility, the class, any fee, and required waivers. The benefit is a more comfortable first visit, not an indefinite discount.
Set one real deadline, one claim link, and clear pass conditions. Avoid an invented countdown or implying that space is scarce when it is not. Make sure the front desk knows exactly how the pass and any credit should work.
3. Run a measured 30-day follow-up
Use this schedule only where contact permission and your provider's frequency rules allow. Someone should not receive every message automatically just because their name is on the starting list.
| Day | Channel | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Preparation | Clean the list, test the claim link, agree the offer, and brief staff. |
| 1 | Send a personal invitation with one clear return offer. | |
| 2 | Text | Invite eligible non-responders to ask for the details. |
| 5 | Address the difficulty of returning and offer help choosing a session. | |
| 8 | Personal call | A coach checks in with selected former members; leave a brief voicemail if appropriate. |
| 12 | Text | Offer to answer questions, without restarting outreach to anyone who opted out. |
| 18 | Remind eligible non-responders of the actual offer deadline. | |
| 24 | Personal follow-up | A coach reaches out individually where appropriate and permitted. |
| 29 | Text | Send the final reminder only to eligible non-responders. |
| 30 | Review | Close the offer and record replies, visits, and reactivations. |
A reply ends the automated sequence. Continue the conversation personally. An opt-out ends marketing outreach; it is not a prompt to try another channel. After a claim, send relevant visit information rather than more sales reminders.
4. Use messages a coach would actually send
Replace the bracketed fields, confirm the offer, and test the booking link. Send from a recognizable person at your gym. Add the required sender and unsubscribe details before sending.
Email: the first invitation
Subject: [First Name], a simple way back to [Gym Name]
Hi [First Name],
We would love to see you back at [Gym Name]. We are offering former members a 14-day Return-to-the-Ring Pass for $29. If you rejoin before the pass ends, we will credit that $29 toward your first month.
Want help finding a good first session? Reply with the days that work for you, or see the pass details here: [Link].
The offer closes on [Deadline].
[Coach Name]
[Gym Name] | [Postal Address]
[Unsubscribe Link]
Text: permission to continue the conversation
Hi [First Name], this is [Coach Name] at [Gym Name]. We have a 14-day comeback pass for former members: $29, credited toward your first month if you rejoin before it ends. Want the details? Reply YES. Reply STOP to opt out.
Send only with the necessary permission. Check message length, segment costs, sending hours, sender registration, and opt-out handling with your SMS provider. A STOP line does not establish consent.
Voicemail: keep it personal
Hi [First Name], this is [Coach Name] from [Gym Name]. I wanted to invite you back and see how you are doing. We have a short comeback pass for former members. Give me a call at [Phone] and I can help you find a session that fits. Hope you are well.
If they say the schedule is the problem, offer actual available sessions. If they raise a complaint, listen and resolve it. If they are not interested, respect that answer. A response is a conversation, not just a lead status.
5. Measure visits and memberships, not just clicks
Track unique people as well as total messages sent. Link scanners and repeat opens can make engagement numbers look stronger than the actual response.
- Eligible members contacted: the unique people who received campaign outreach.
- Replies and passes claimed: real responses and accepted offers, counted separately.
- First visits completed: people who actually came back, not just booked.
- Memberships reactivated: people who restarted a paying membership.
- Revenue and costs: recurring revenue restored, pass income, offer credits, outreach costs, and added staff or delivery costs.
Illustration, not a benchmark: If 100 eligible former members receive outreach, 12 claim a pass, 8 attend, and 4 reactivate, your reactivation rate is 4% of contacted members. At $120 per membership, that represents $480 in monthly recurring revenue before fees and costs, not $480 in profit or a guaranteed annual result.
Check again after the first renewal. A member returning for one discounted visit and a member rebuilding a training routine are different outcomes. Record the reasons people declined; those answers can inform your schedule and member experience.
6. Make the next visit easier to manage
Before the returning member arrives, confirm the class, pass terms, waiver status, and the staff member welcoming them. Keep the offer credit and membership decision clear so they do not have to explain the campaign again at reception.
SIXPAC's boxing gym software connects the operational side: memberships, class and private-session bookings, signed waivers, and customer records. Your outreach can stay with the messaging tools you already use.
Comparing the cost of that setup? Read how much boxing gym software costs, including payment processing and the tools you may still need.
The campaign's job is to open the door. A clear, welcoming first visit gives the member a reason to return again.