The Bias We Don’t Like to Admit Exists in Customer Service

 

The Bias We Don’t Like to Admit Exists in Customer Service

A few days ago, my daughter and her boyfriend, both 17, went out for dinner at what should have been a really nice restaurant experience.

Instead, they waited around an hour and a half before being properly served.

Eventually, I stepped in and spoke to the manager and we are still in discussions on this one

Bias.

Because if I’m honest, I strongly suspect the experience would have been very different had a middle-aged couple in business attire walked through the door instead of two teenagers.

And that’s uncomfortable to admit.

But it happens everywhere. Including in our industry.

Human beings are naturally wired to make quick assumptions. Psychologists refer to this as unconscious bias or implicit bias. These are the automatic judgements our brains make based on age, appearance, clothing, body language, gender, confidence, attractiveness or perceived status. The difficult part is that most people genuinely do not realise they are doing it.

In customer service, these assumptions influence far more than we think. They affect how quickly somebody is approached, how warmly they are spoken to, how much effort staff put into the interaction and even whether somebody is viewed as a “valuable customer” before they have said a single word.

Once you start noticing it, you see it everywhere.

One of the classic examples often discussed in sales training is the wealthy customer dressed casually. A man walks into a high-end car dealership wearing joggers, trainers and a hoodie. Staff assume he is “just looking”. Meanwhile, another customer walks in wearing a tailored suit and expensive watch and instantly receives full attention.

Yet often the genuinely wealthy people are not trying to impress anybody.

The first customer may have significantly more purchasing power than the second, but perception shapes behaviour. Luxury retail has known this for years. There are countless stories of high-net-worth individuals receiving poor service because they simply did not “look” wealthy enough.

The same thing happens in gyms.

We like to think the fitness industry is welcoming and inclusive, but subconscious bias still exists in many clubs.

Older adults are often treated differently. Somebody overweight walking into a gym for the first time may receive less engagement because staff assume they are unlikely to stay long term. A younger person may be ignored because staff assume they cannot afford membership. Somebody quiet or lacking confidence may receive less support simply because they are not naturally outgoing.

And without even meaning to, staff often gravitate towards people who feel familiar to them. The already fit. The confident. The experienced gym user. The person who looks like they “belong” in that environment.

But if our industry genuinely exists to improve lives, then surely the people who deserve the greatest service are often the ones least comfortable walking through the doors in the first place.

It is easy to impress somebody who already loves fitness.

The real skill is making somebody feel comfortable who never wanted to enter a gym at all.

The nervous beginner. The older adult trying strength training for the first time. The teenager lacking confidence. The overweight member terrified of being judged. These interactions matter more than most businesses realise because people are making emotional decisions within seconds of entering a facility.

Research consistently shows that first impressions within service environments strongly influence long-term loyalty and retention. Not equipment. Not décor. Not technology.

People.

The dangerous thing about bias is that it is rarely intentional. Most staff are not deliberately rude or dismissive. They simply do not realise their assumptions are influencing how they behave.

And that is why training matters so much.

Customer service training should not just focus on sales scripts, tours and objection handling. It should focus on emotional intelligence, awareness, empathy and inclusion. Staff need to understand that every single person walking through the door has a story, an insecurity, a motivation or a fear that may not be immediately visible.

The best operators train teams to treat everybody with the same level of interest, warmth and professionalism regardless of age, appearance, confidence or background. They ask questions before making assumptions. They focus on understanding the individual rather than categorising them.

Because inclusion is not just about race or gender, which is often where these conversations immediately go.

Real inclusion is much broader than that.

It is age. Appearance. Clothing. Tattoos. Hairstyles. Confidence levels. Body shape. Personality. Social background. Education. Culture. Experience.

In reality, it is about how we respond to anybody who appears “different” from what we subconsciously expect.

Bias is rarely obvious discrimination. More often, it appears in smaller ways. Less attention. Less patience. Less warmth. Less effort. And the person on the receiving end feels it immediately.

The teenager who feels ignored. The older adult who feels out of place. The heavily tattooed member judged before speaking. The overweight beginner who assumes everybody is watching them. The quiet person who struggles to approach staff.

These moments matter far more than most businesses realise.

The irony is that the fitness industry constantly talks about wanting to engage more people, yet many clubs unintentionally create environments where huge parts of the population feel uncomfortable, judged or unwelcome. Then we wonder why only a small percentage of the population actively uses gyms.

Perhaps the bigger question is this:

How many people have walked away from businesses feeling unseen, unwelcome or judged purely because of unconscious bias?

And how many businesses had absolutely no idea they were doing it?

The fitness industry talks constantly about inclusion, but inclusion is not posters, campaigns or slogans.

It is how people feel the moment they walk through the door.

That is the real test.

Ryan Charlesworth  |  Black raccoon Consulting  |  ryancharlesworth@blackraccoon.org