Arjo Neevel

My vision on quality is about efficiently delivering a high grade service or product consistently in such a way that it is almost looking effortless and invisible for the client.

​

For this I would like to bring up some of the most current examples of my current internship at MIBOSO. Myself being a regular gym visitor for years and one with an eye for detail, I noticed immediately some points of improvement at the MIBOSO sports studio that aims at becoming and being a high-end healthy lifestyle facility. To understand their approach and execution of services it is of great importance to know about the ‘why’. Why is it done and why is it done in that specific way. The wish of implementing consumable greenery is already an example of innovative thinking and thus improving quality overall.

​

Right at the entrance there was a minor issue that resulted in a big solution. I am speaking about the doormat. Part of the operational management of the facility is making sure the environment is clean and safe to use for clients. Because of a small doormat and the Dutch weather the floor became very dirty easily. One way of to tackle this is to clean the floor multiple times a day which is great when there is plenty of time and there aren’t many other tasks to do such as training clients. The core business activities to say. Looking at this issue from a meta-level the right solution was to upgrade to a industrial doormat fit for the task of cleaning the feet of many clients. Resulting in a cleaner floor and less time wasted at cleaning. Periodized cleaning of the facility including ventilation and air conditioning tubes were also implemented after me mentioning this towards the owner. The executing of the cleaning was within the responsibility of the owner of the building so it was without interfering core business activities. In this way business operations can run more efficiently and the presentation of the facility is of higher quality.

​

Other aspects of improving quality is to increase the in-company knowledge about physical activity and nutrition in order to help the client reach their goals. Key example of this is the course weight consultation Auke van Dijken, one of the personal trainers, is currently following. Parts of this course overlap knowledge that I gained during my time studying Human Movement Sciences, Sports Sciences and the minor nutrition in Portugal. I use this knowledge to help Auke van Dijken in reaching the goals to pass this course. For example administering body calliper measurements in order to estimate a client’s body fat percentage. By showing the correct way of using the measurement device and give some tips and tricks on placement on the body.

 

This also brings me in a position of taking and practicing a leading role within the company. I try to profile myself as someone the internally and externally personal trainers can always go to with questions and issues they are experiencing. In this way I have more of a mediating role between the owner(s) and the personal trainers. Instead of a more top-down approach I experienced in the past where employees are dragged, pushed and pulled into the desired direction using an aggressive approach with talking louder instead of talking with better use of words. With this position I can receive more honest input to form my own point of view and in this helps to lure them in the desired direction.