"I built, scaled, and sold Flair Gymnastics using systems. Over 27 years, 9 sites across the UK and UAE, sold for a pretty penny — because I had systems that held value. Systems made me a business owner, not an operator stuck in the grind."
— Richard Dwyer, Co-Founder, Kids Club Systems| Section | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Introduction | Purpose, confidentiality, how to use | Active |
| 2 · Our Story | Mission, vision, strategic objective | Active |
| 3 · Team Spirit | Culture, values, mission and vision | Active |
| 4 · Org Chart | Team structure and reporting lines | Active |
| 5 · Services & Products | USPs, offerings, cross-sell and upsell guide | Active |
| 6 · Service Standards | Customer service charter and service keys | Active |
| 7 · Systems Central | Position manuals, SOPs, checklists & scripts | In progress |
| 8 · Policies | People, H&S, safeguarding, financial | Active |
| 9 · Training & Development | Video resources, how-to guides, courses | Active |
This Playbook is designed to streamline operations, enhance consistency, and ensure every team member understands and follows standardised processes. It is a living document — update it whenever processes change.
Nailing this will allow you to train new employees without hiccups, reduce learning time, increase accountability, and reduce liability. A lack of clear documentation results in employees doing things their own way — which makes consistent service delivery impossible.
This Playbook is the property of [your gym name]. Contents are confidential and proprietary. All team members must sign the confidentiality agreement before accessing this document.
Add your company story video here
Upload a short intro video from the owner — this builds immediate trust and connection with your team.
Add your culture and values video here
Share what makes your gym different — this is what makes great people want to join your team and stay.
Friendly, personalised and consistent service. We stand out with our commitment to service that feels personal every time. Our goal is a warm, inviting atmosphere that keeps families returning year after year.
We respect everyone. Customers, coworkers, suppliers — we treat everyone with the same respect and kindness we'd want for ourselves.
We don't speak ill about our competitors. Even if we hear them speak ill about us. Speaking ill of competition portrays weakness and negativity. We attract what we put out.
We are go-getters. We are people of action. We work tirelessly until the job is done on time, exactly as promised.
We share our knowledge. Knowledge is meant to be shared, not hoarded. We invest in our staff and encourage them to learn together.
We welcome accountability and feedback. We stay humble. We do not let success get the better of us.
We give back. We believe in contributing to something bigger than ourselves.
Add your "Face of Our Business" overview video
Record a short personal message to your team — hosted in FreddieAI, it makes this section memorable and personal.
You play a vital role in creating a positive and welcoming atmosphere for every family that walks through our doors. Your friendly demeanour and professional attitude are key to ensuring every customer has a memorable experience.
Remember — always strive to put your best foot forward and provide exceptional service to every customer you interact with, whether in person, on the phone, or online.
Add your onboarding overview video
A 3-minute walkthrough from you sets the tone — new starters watch this before their first day.
1. Welcome and orientation
Give the new employee a brief orientation of the layout — the floor space, equipment storage, staff areas, changing rooms, first aid station, and all customer-facing areas.
2. Introduction to staff and management
Introduce the new employee to their coworkers and managers, giving a brief overview of each person's role so they know who to go to for what.
3. Playbook and training
Every new employee is given access to this Playbook and required to read it on their own time. They also complete comprehensive training on equipment use, procedures and policies specific to our gym.
4. Performance expectations
Outline the performance expectations and job duties so the new team member knows exactly how they will be evaluated. Walk through the Employee Onboarding Checklist together — this covers all key expectations for the first 90 days.
5. Employment paperwork
Complete all employment papers and sign the confidentiality agreement before the first shift begins.
6. First weeks
New employees join as additional members of staff until they feel confident enough to take a complete shift on their own. Shadow experienced team members across different class types and front desk scenarios before taking on solo responsibility.
Standards
- All new employees complete the Playbook read-through within their first 3 days
- Confidentiality agreement signed before first shift — no exceptions
- New employee is accompanied by an experienced team member for minimum 2 full shifts before solo work
- First 1-on-1 check-in scheduled within first 2 weeks
All new employees are hired subject to a 90-day trial period. This allows us to assess their ability to follow instructions, learn on the job, and work well with others.
It's important to note that feedback from both management and colleagues will be considered during this time. We value the input of all team members since they will be working closely with the new employee. Their feedback and involvement are critical to ensuring a smooth integration into the team.
During the trial period
- Regular check-ins from the line manager — minimum fortnightly
- Performance against expectations set at onboarding is reviewed at the 30, 60 and 90-day mark
- Either party may end the employment during this period with the agreed notice period
- Feedback from the wider team is actively gathered and considered
Confirming employment
At the end of the 90-day period, a formal review meeting takes place. If the employee meets the required standards, their employment is confirmed in writing. If not, an extension or exit conversation takes place at this point.
- Official communication must be conducted through company-provided email addresses
- Emails should be checked and responded to at least twice daily — once in the morning and once in the afternoon
- Use clear and concise subject lines that indicate the content and priority
- For client-related communications, always CC the relevant manager
- If you are sharing a document or attachment, always use email — do not share documents over WhatsApp or Slack
- Use your team messaging platform for quick questions, updates, or informal communications
- Each team has its own channel or group for team-related communications
- Maintain professionalism in language and content shared on these platforms
- Documents and attachments go via email — not messaging platforms
- Use calls for urgent matters or when a detailed discussion is necessary
- During business hours, answer calls from colleagues and clients promptly. If unavailable, return within 4 hours
- Voicemail must be set up with a professional greeting and checked daily
- Maintain confidentiality and privacy in all forms of communication
- All communications reflect the company's values and professionalism — think before you send
- Document and archive essential communications that pertain to transactions and client interactions
- Respect working hours — for non-urgent matters outside of business hours, schedule messages for business hours where possible
Add your class attendance overview video here
Upload a short how-to video showing your register process in action — hosted in FreddieAI, your coaches watch this during onboarding.
Before class — 15 minutes prior
- Open the register — Load the class register on your device or collect the printed register from front desk. Verify it matches today's date and class time.
- Equipment check — Inspect the floor area and all equipment. Remove or flag anything unsafe before students arrive. This is non-negotiable.
- First aid kit — Confirm the kit is accessible, in its designated location, and stocked.
- Brief on trials — Check if any trial students are expected. Know their name before they arrive.
During class arrival
- Greet each child by name — Make eye contact, use their name. This is your first safeguarding check — you are confirming identity and building trust.
- Mark the register — Mark each student as Present (P), Absent (A), or Late (L) within the first 5 minutes. Do not wait until the end of class.
- Flag unknown attendees — If a child arrives who is not on your register, do not allow them to join the class without first notifying front desk.
- Flag absences immediately — Any student absent without prior notice must be flagged to front desk within 10 minutes of class start for a welfare call.
After class
- Complete the register — Every name must be marked before you close.
- Hand to parent or guardian — Every student must be physically handed to their parent or guardian. No child leaves the floor unsupervised.
- Submit register — Return completed register to front desk or submit digitally in your booking system within 10 minutes of class ending.
- Log concerns — Any safeguarding concerns from the session must be logged immediately using the Anonymous Issue Reporting Form.
- Register loaded / printed and verified for today's class
- Floor area inspected — nothing unsafe on the floor
- First aid kit confirmed — accessible and stocked
- Session plan reviewed — progressions noted per group
- Music / playlist loaded and ready
- Any trial students noted — know their name before they arrive
Standards
- Attendance is recorded accurately for every student, before class begins — every single session, no exceptions
- Zero unknown children are permitted on the floor without front desk verification
- Every absent student without prior notice triggers a welfare call within 10 minutes of class start
- Every student is physically handed to a parent or guardian — no child leaves the floor unsupervised
- Register submitted within 10 minutes of class ending
Add your enquiry handling overview video
Show your team exactly how to handle a first enquiry — tone, speed and warmth are everything at this stage.
Step 1 — Respond within 60 minutes
All enquiries — phone, web form, email, social media — receive a personal, warm reply within 60 minutes during business hours. Use the approved message template as your starting point, then personalise it with the family's name and child's name. Never send a generic auto-reply as a final response.
Step 2 — Qualify the enquiry
Before suggesting a class, gather: child's name and age, previous gymnastics or activity experience, which class type they're interested in (if they know), and preferred days and times. Log all of this in your CRM immediately — even before the trial is booked.
Step 3 — Book the trial class
Offer two specific time slots — never leave it open-ended. "Would Tuesday at 4pm or Thursday at 5pm work better for you?" Confirm the trial booking via email and SMS. Add the child's name to the class register and brief the coach before the trial day.
Step 4 — Trial day preparation
- Send a welcome email 24 hours before the trial — what to expect, what to wear, where to park
- Add the child's name to the welcome board on trial day
- Greet the parent personally on arrival — use their name
- Brief the coach on the trial student's name and any relevant background
Step 5 — Post-trial conversion
Within 2 hours of the trial class ending, follow up with a personal message using the Conversion Script. Lead with genuine enthusiasm, end with a specific offer and available start date. Never ask "would you like to think about it?" — always give them a clear next step to say yes to.
"Hi [Parent name]! How did [child name] find their class today? We absolutely loved having them — they did brilliantly! We'd love to get them started properly. We have spaces from [date] — shall we get them booked in?"
Lead with genuine enthusiasm, end with a specific offer. Never say "would you like to think about it?" — always give them a clear next step and make it easy to say yes.
Standards
- Every enquiry receives a personal response within 60 minutes during business hours — zero exceptions
- Every enquiry logged in CRM with full family details on the same day it arrives
- Trial class conversion rate target: 65% or above — review monthly
- Post-trial follow-up sent within 2 hours of every trial class ending
- All trial student names added to welcome board on trial day
Add your stock management video here
A short walkthrough of your stock room and ordering process — prevents costly over-ordering and last-minute stock-outs.
Par Levels
Par levels are the minimum quantity of each item that must be kept in stock at all times. When stock falls below par level, it is time to reorder — do not wait until you run out. Set par levels based on usage rates, lead times, and storage capacity.
Reorder Points
A reorder point is the inventory level at which a new order should be placed to ensure there is enough stock to cover demand until the next delivery arrives. Set reorder points for each item based on lead times and weekly usage.
Inventory Instructions
- Regular inventory checks are conducted [indicate your frequency — weekly / monthly] to ensure stock levels are accurate and to identify any discrepancies or areas of waste
- Upon receiving new inventory: check for accuracy, quality and condition before storing. Record the receipt in your inventory log
- Store items in designated storage areas — never mix new and old stock. Use First In, First Out (FIFO) for perishable and date-sensitive items
- Maintain strong relationships with suppliers to negotiate favourable terms, ensure timely deliveries, and manage costs effectively
- Any discrepancies between ordered and received stock must be reported to the manager immediately and documented
| Policy Area | Purpose |
|---|---|
| People Policies | Employment, conduct, disciplinary and grievance procedures |
| Health & Safety | Equipment safety, incident reporting, emergency procedures |
| Customer Service | Service standards, complaints handling, refund policy |
| Sales Policies | Pricing, discounts, membership terms and conditions |
| Child Protection | Safeguarding policy, DBS checks, photography policy |
| Financial Policies | Cash handling, payment terms, expenses and purchasing |
| Marketing Policies | Social media guidelines, brand usage, photography consent |