For Gym Operations Managers ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have Mindbody's AI-powered front desk assistant handling member and prospect inquiries automatically — answering questions about pricing, hours, and class schedules, and booking tours — even when your front desk is closed or busy. You'll capture leads you're currently losing at 9pm when someone texts your gym.
What you'll need
Log into your Mindbody business account → click your account name or gear icon in the top right corner → select "Business Settings" or "Account Settings" → look for "Messenger" or "AI Assistant" in the navigation. Click it.
What you should see: The Messenger[ai] configuration screen with sections for setup, FAQ management, and conversation settings. Troubleshooting: If you don't see Messenger[ai] in your settings, contact Mindbody support to confirm your plan includes it. It's listed as a separate add-on on some plans.
Messenger[ai] can respond on: SMS/text, web chat widget (your gym's website), and Facebook Messenger. Connect the channels you use:
For SMS: Enter your gym's business phone number → verify via code. For web chat: Copy the embed code Mindbody provides → paste into your gym website's HTML (or give it to whoever manages your website). For Facebook: Connect your gym's Facebook page via the provided OAuth button.
What you should see: Connected channels show a green checkmark in the Messenger settings.
This is the most important configuration step. Navigate to "FAQs" or "Knowledge Base" in the Messenger settings. Add answers to the questions your front desk receives most often:
Add these at minimum:
For each FAQ, write the answer the way your front desk would say it — conversational, not bureaucratic.
What you should see: Your FAQ library grows. The AI will use these answers to respond to questions on any channel.
Navigate to "Booking" or "Lead Capture" settings. Enable "Tour booking via chat." Configure:
What you should see: A booking flow that the AI will walk prospects through when they ask about joining or visiting.
Configure when Messenger[ai] should hand off to a human staff member:
What you should see: Escalation rules saved. The AI will alert you via email or app notification when something needs human attention.
Send a text to your gym's number or use the web chat widget. Ask: "What does a membership cost?" then "Can I come in for a tour tomorrow morning?" Walk through the full booking flow as if you were a prospect.
What you should see: Accurate answers and a completed tour booking — all without human involvement.
These are the most common chat flows to test and configure: