How 7 Anytime Fitness Locations Lifted Lead-to-Member Conversion to Up to 73% With AI - Without Adding Additional Staff

The Challenge: Fast-Growing Multi-Location Gyms, No System Built for Scale

Baleo operates 50+ gyms within the Anytime Fitness network. This case study focuses on the initial rollout across seven locations. 

With modest ad budgets, they couldn't afford wasted opportunities. Every lead mattered, and delayed follow-up directly impacted revenue.

Across all locations, gym managers were responsible for lead follow-up while simultaneously running tours, supporting members, managing staff, and handling day-to-day operations.

Speed was critical, but capacity was limited.

Baleo needed a way to respond instantly, book appointments consistently, and reduce no-shows without adding staff or increasing operational pressure.

The Problem: Manual Follow-Up That Couldn't Scale

Before automation, lead follow-up was handled manually by gym managers.

In theory, leads were contacted the same day. In practice, leads coming in after hours waited until the next morning, replies lagged during busy periods, and follow-up constantly competed with tours, coaching, front-desk work, and operations.

This created predictable friction: missed or delayed replies, repetitive texting, chasing no-shows, after-hours messages piling up, and constant context switching between conversations.

No one was underperforming. The system simply didn't scale with the workload, especially when every paid lead needed proper attention.

The Real Constraint: A CRM That Couldn't Be Touched

Baleo used ClubOS as their primary CRM. It was a corporate requirement and worked well for reporting, but it didn't offer API access, and direct integrations risked system instability.

A traditional plug-and-play automation wasn't an option.

Rather than forcing integration or replacing the CRM, we left ClubOS unchanged and built automation as an external layer. This allowed us to connect lead sources to automated conversations safely, sync appointment data without touching ClubOS directly, and preserve CRM stability while layering automation around existing systems rather than replacing them.

This delivered the benefits of automation while keeping the CRM stable and untouched.

The Rollout: Prove It Once, Then Scale It

We didn't roll this out across all locations at once.

We started with one gym as a proof of concept, validated booking behavior, tone, and workflows using live performance data, refined the system based on real results, and documented everything into reusable infrastructure.

Once proven, new gyms could be launched in a matter of days from a technical perspective.

The full rollout across seven locations took a few months by design. Beyond deployment, we worked with gym managers to install clear SOPs, align follow-up expectations, and make sure the system fit naturally into daily operations.

This change-management layer ensured staff adoption, consistent use across locations, and long-term reliability, rather than a rushed rollout that would break under real-world pressure.

Alongside implementation, we worked closely with the Baleo team through weekly working sessions, acting as ongoing technical partners rather than just setting up a system and walking away.

The Solution: A Lead Response System, Not a Chatbot

We didn't build a chatbot. We built a complete lead handling system with memory, logic, and operational awareness.

The goal was simple: every lead gets handled like a trained manager is responding personally, regardless of time, volume, or staff availability.

What Makes the System Work: Knowledge and Context

For the system to work across seven locations, it needed to respond with the same accuracy and confidence as a trained gym manager, every time.

Location-Specific Knowledge

Each location's system was trained on membership options and pricing logic, class types and schedules, facilities and opening hours, local promotions and offers, and common objections and FAQs.

This ensured consistent answers regardless of time or location, fewer handovers back to staff, and no "it depends who you talk to" experiences.

Conversation Memory

The system retained conversation context across multiple days and interactions, allowing it to remember what a lead had already asked, avoid repeating questions, personalize reminders and reschedules, and reference previous messages naturally.

This reduced friction and ensured leads arrived better informed and more committed.

What the System Handles End-to-End

Each location now has its own automated lead response system operating 24/7.

The system replies instantly to new leads, books appointments directly into the calendar, sends confirmations and structured reminder sequences, handles reschedules automatically, answers common questions using location-specific knowledge, and manages conversations after hours.

A critical detail: every booked appointment triggers a calendar invite and a timed reminder sequence. This made appointments feel more real, reduced forgetfulness, and significantly improved show-up rates without staff needing to chase leads manually.

We also implemented no-show recovery flows, review request flows after visits, and SMS reactivation campaigns using existing lead databases.

Human staff only step in when someone is already on-site or speaking to them directly.

The Results

Performance varied by location, as expected, but the system worked consistently across all seven gyms.

Reply Rates

50 to 70% reply rates compared to industry averages of 20 to 30%, driven by instant response, 24/7 availability, and clear conversational messaging.

Booking Rates

30 to 55% of leads booked appointments, supported by low-friction booking, easy rescheduling, and clear confirmations with reminder sequences.

Booking-to-Member Conversion

AI-handled appointments often converted better than self-booked ones because leads arrived better prepared, there were fewer no-shows, and conversations were more focused.

Examples of leads to members conversion:

Gym 1

• October: 73% AI-booked vs 38% self-booked

• November: 40% vs 27%

• December: 29% vs 24%

Gym 2

• October: 64% AI-booked vs 7% self-booked

• November: 25% vs 23%

• December: 47% vs 34%

Across locations, the pattern was consistent: instant contact improved outcomes, guided booking outperformed self-service, and calendar invites with reminders reduced no-shows before they happened.

The lift came from process and timing, not increased ad spend.

Unlocking a Second Revenue Stream: Reactivation

Once the system was live, Baleo unlocked an additional growth lever by running SMS reactivation campaigns using existing lead databases.

These campaigns re-engaged dormant leads, booked new appointments automatically, and generated members without additional ad spend.

Examples:

Gym 1

• 311 leads contacted

• 39% reply rate

• 19 appointments booked

• 7 new members

Gym 2

• 1,049 leads contacted

• 31% reply rate

• 35 appointments booked

• 11 new members

Beyond immediate revenue, these campaigns cleaned the database and reopened long-term nurture opportunities with leads who had previously gone cold.

What Changed for the Team

While performance mattered, the biggest shift was operational.

After implementation, managers spent less time on manual texting, missed fewer leads, dealt with fewer no-shows, had more focused in-club conversations, felt less pressure to respond instantly, and gained more control over their workday.

Managers moved from constant follow-up mode to overseeing the system and focusing on tours, sales, and member experience.

Client Feedback

"Before working with AI Formula, we were inefficient in how we capitalized on new leads.

They built a system that automatically engages leads, books appointments, and improves show-up rates, freeing our club leaders to focus on tours and sales instead of constant follow-ups.

We're now using the system across multiple gyms, with plans to roll it out across all locations. Conversions are stronger, follow-up is consistent, and we're finally getting full value from our ad spend.

Ged and Gabby don't just build tools - they build systems that perform and scale."

— Michael Chere, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Baleo

What This Unlocked for Baleo

This system wasn't built just to save time. It changed how Baleo operates at scale.

Every lead is handled consistently, 24/7, regardless of staff availability. New locations don't increase operational strain on managers. One manager can effectively oversee multiple clubs. Growth is no longer tied to headcount in lead response roles.

The same system can now be deployed to any new Baleo location in days, not months.

Who This Type of System Is For

This works best for gym owners and franchise groups, multi-location fitness operators, teams losing leads due to slow or inconsistent follow-up, and businesses that want more value from the leads they already pay for.

Want Something Like This?

If follow-up feels chaotic, leads slip through the cracks, or staff are stretched thin managing conversations instead of closing tours, that's not a people problem. It's a systems problem.

We help multi-location gym operators build automated lead response systems that increase appointments, reduce no-shows, and scale consistently across locations.

If this sounds familiar, a short call is usually enough to see whether a system like this makes sense for your business.