NAHFTA's Customer Responsibilities

Customers Have a Role

How Customers Maximize Peak Service Performance

This section outlines the simple but essential actions customers can take. Providing clear information, keeping equipment accessible, and responding promptly, all these things lead to smoother, faster repairs and better outcomes for everyone involved.

Better Outcomes Start with Better Collaboration: The Customer’s Role in Successful Service

The North American Health & Fitness Trades Alliance (NAHFTA) believes that successful service outcomes require cooperation from everyone involved—including customers. Whether you manage a facility or own a treadmill in your home, there are clear ways you can help ensure repairs are timely, accurate, and effective.

Service calls don’t exist in a vacuum. Customers are a critical part of the process. This page outlines the ways customers can contribute to smooth, successful repairs and ongoing maintenance.

Note: This isn’t about blame. It’s about collaboration. When customers understand their role, everyone wins—especially the customer themselves.

Technicians want to help, and they do their best work when customers make it easier to do so. These simple expectations help minimize downtime, avoid misunderstandings, and lead to faster, more successful service outcomes. Below, we list best practices we believe in that optimize the service process for all involved

  • The Expectation: A clear responsibility that manufacturers should meet
  • Why It Matters: How this affects the service process
  • NAHFTA’s Stance: How we believe manufacturers should engage with service providers

Prefer to view this as a PDF?

Click here to download.
Customer Responsibilities
Responsiveness & Communication

    • The Expectation: Take responsibility for what’s within your control.
    • Why It Matters: When one part of the chain drops the ball, others are forced to scramble to pick it up, costing time, money, and trust.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Own your role. Don’t shift blame or expect others to compensate for avoidable oversights. A strong service ecosystem depends on everyone doing their part.

    • The Expectation: Respond to scheduling, approvals, and questions promptly.
    • Why It Matters: Slow communication delays repairs, prolongs downtime, and risks additional fees.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Fast replies help everyone. When you respond quickly, your equipment gets fixed faster.

    • The Expectation: Provide accurate information about the issue during the initial service request.
    • Why It Matters: Vague or incorrect details lead to misdiagnosis, wasted trips, and delays.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: The more accurate you are upfront, the faster and better your repair will go.

    • The Expectation: Be present or responsive when scheduling or approving work.
    • Why It Matters: Delays in communication slow down everything, from quoting to repair.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Timely responses keep the process moving for everyone.

    • The Expectation: Communicate issues respectfully and factually.
    • Why It Matters: Rudeness, threats, or exaggeration damage relationships and slow resolution.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: We stand firmly with providers. Professionalism should be a two-way street, and no technician deserves abuse for doing their job.
Access & Environment Preparation

    • The Expectation: Ensure the equipment is accessible and ready for service.
    • Why It Matters: If a technician arrives and the machine is blocked or in a locked area, the visit may need to be rescheduled, potentially incurring a trip fee. Techs are not authorized to move furniture or access restricted areas without assistance.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Please prepare the space before your tech arrives. For safety, liability, and efficiency, techs won’t move items to reach equipment. Delays due to inaccessibility can result in additional charges and extended downtime.

    • The Expectation: Don’t attempt repairs yourself before the tech arrives unless advised.
    • Why It Matters: DIY fixes often complicate or mask the real problem, making it harder to diagnose.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: If you’ve tried something, be honest. If you haven’t, don’t start now.
Approvals & Follow-Through

    • The Expectation: Approve or decline quotes in a timely manner.
    • Why It Matters: Parts can’t be ordered and repairs can’t be scheduled until approval is received.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Decide quickly. The longer you wait, the longer you’re down.

    • The Expectation: Follow post-repair instructions or maintenance guidance.
    • Why It Matters: Ignoring recommendations often leads to repeat failures.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: If the tech leaves instructions, follow them. It protects your investment.
Preventable Issues & Common Sense Checks

    • The Expectation: Double-check basic setup and settings before requesting follow-up service.
    • Why It Matters: Many repeat service calls turn out to be simple oversights, power switches, unplugged safety keys, tripped breakers, or loose shoelaces causing noise. These issues don’t require a technician and can delay real repairs for others.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Before you report a problem, take a moment to verify the basics. It saves time, avoids unnecessary delays, and helps ensure your issue gets resolved as efficiently as possible.
Service Value & Technician Respect

    • The Expectation: Choose your service provider based on quality, not just price.
    • Why It Matters: The cheapest option up front often leads to repeat issues, poor communication, and long-term frustration. Fixing someone else’s mistakes usually costs more than doing it right the first time.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Value matters more than price. A qualified, professional technician may not be the cheapest, but they’re almost always the least expensive in the long run.

    • The Expectation: Don’t undervalue efficient service.
    • Why It Matters: Experienced techs can often diagnose or resolve complex issues quickly, that’s a sign of skill, not something to discount. You’re paying for the outcome, not the minutes it takes.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Expertise isn’t measured in time spent. Recognize the value of getting it right the first time.

    • The Expectation: Respect the technician’s time and expertise.
    • Why It Matters: Interruptions, second-guessing, or questioning every step of the process only delays service and drives away good techs.
    • NAHFTA’s Stance: Trust the pro. You hired them for a reason.
Manufacturers Set the Tone

How Manufacturers Set the Pace for Service Excellence

Manufacturers influence nearly every aspect of the service experience. This section defines expectations around part support, documentation, training, fair pay, and timely communication to raise the industry standard.

Service Providers Lead by Example

How Service Providers Outperform Across Every Aspect of Service

Service providers are the face of the industry. This section details expectations around communication, documentation, conduct, preparation, and commitment to quality that set providers apart as true professionals.

Retailers in the Middle

How Retailers Fuel High-Performance Service

Retailers play a pivotal role in the service process. This section highlights best practices such as relaying service requests accurately, clarifying financial responsibility, and educating customers on warranty expectations.