BoxEx handles review collection from athletes we send you automatically. This step is about the reviews sitting uncollected from your existing members and every other visitor who has trained at your gym.
Run these numbers for your gym. Most owners are sitting on a review opportunity they have never touched.
If you have 100 active members and half of them left a review today, your Google ranking would shift in a way that no ad budget could replicate. Most of them liked their experience enough to still be there. They just need to be asked.
Think about how many people trained at your gym as outside visitors over the last 12 months. Each one was a potential Google review. If even 30 of them had left one, that is 30 verified five-star reviews from real athletes who experienced your gym and loved it enough to come back the next day. That kind of social proof changes how you show up in search results permanently.
Google ranks gyms in local search by review volume and recency. More reviews means higher placement. Higher placement means more people find you before they find anyone else. If gaining 50 reviews over the next 90 days brought in even two new members at $150 a month, that is $3,600 a year - from reviews that cost you nothing to collect.
Every outside visitor who trains at your gym and leaves without being asked for a review is a missed opportunity. A simple policy - first visit is on us in exchange for an honest Google review - turns every visitor into a marketing asset. You give up one class. You get a verified review from a real CrossFitter. That trade wins every time.
Your existing members are your warmest audience. They already trust you. A single well-timed ask to your full list will generate more reviews in one week than most gyms collect in a year. Here is how to run it.
The best moment to ask is right after something good happens. Zen Planner's research on gym review timing shows that members who are asked immediately after a milestone - a PR, a program completion, a long streak - are significantly more likely to follow through. Time your campaign to coincide with something worth celebrating.
Search your gym on Google, open your Business profile, click "Write a review," and copy the URL from your browser. Save it. This is what you will send.
Send it through your CRM to everyone currently active. Do it on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning - open rates are higher midweek.
Generate a free QR code at qr-code-generator.com using your review link. Print it and stick it somewhere visible. Members who see it are reminded to do what the email already asked.
Say it out loud once during warmup or cooldown. Your voice carries more weight than your email list. One mention is enough - do not repeat it weekly or it loses sincerity.
Hey [First Name],
We have been heads down building something we are genuinely proud of here at [Gym Name]. And a big part of that is you showing up the way you do.
We have one favor to ask. If you have had a good experience training here - if you feel stronger, more consistent, or more connected because of this community - would you mind leaving us a Google review?
It takes about 60 seconds and it helps other people in [City] find us when they are looking for a gym that actually cares. That is the whole ask.
Here is the direct link: [YOUR REVIEW LINK]
Thank you for being part of this. It means more than you know.
[Coach Name] / [Gym Name]
"Quick favor before we wrap up. If you have had a good experience here and you have not left us a Google review yet - we would really appreciate it. Takes 60 seconds. I will put the link in the group chat. That is it."
Any CrossFit athlete who walks in off the street - not through BoxEx - is a visitor you can convert into a review, a regular paying visitor, or both. The suggested policy is simple: their first class is on you. In exchange, they leave an honest Google review before they leave.
Think about the math: You give up one class. You get a verified five-star review from a real CrossFitter who experienced your gym and was impressed enough to show up in the first place. Now multiply that by every outside visitor you see in a year. That is a compounding asset that keeps paying.
"Hey, welcome to [Gym Name]. First class here is on us - no charge. The one thing we ask in return is an honest Google review before you head out. If you had a good time, tell people. If something could be better, tell us. Sound good?"
"Great having you today. Here is that review link I mentioned - [YOUR REVIEW LINK]. Takes 60 seconds. We really appreciate it."
Make this a standing policy your coaches all know. Any outside visitor gets the same welcome. First class free, honest review in exchange. Brief your coaches once so it happens consistently whether you are there or not.
Every athlete who trains at your gym through BoxEx is automatically prompted to leave a Google review after their visit. You do not need to ask. You do not need to follow up. The review request goes out on your behalf and the reviews come back to your profile. This is one of the core things BoxEx does for every gym in the network - it is already running.
Step 4 of 4 - the last one. About 10 minutes.