Abstract
The growing concern with human health has led to a significant increase in the practice of sports, which in turn, resulted in the development of the fitness sector. Managers are seeking solutions that attract more clients to their studios. This service area has grown and customers can be seen as part of this service. This paper analyzes the competitive criteria, lacking studies in the service area, and makes operational recommendations for health services such as physiotherapy, preventive gymnastics, Pilates, among others. The aim is to help managers with a consistent set of decisions about service operations, such as having strategic position in relation to premises, people, equipment, communication material, symbols and price. Data was collected through personal interview with 96 respondents in the south of Brazil. First through qualitative exploratory research and then through quantitative research. Statistical analysis was performed using the method of conjoint analysis through SPSS18 computer program. Results demonstrated the order of importance of criteria, such as service customization, referral, proximity and price, for determining the suggested operational recommendations.
Keywords:
Service operations; Competitive criteria; Conjoint analysis