GMAT Argument Writing Sample 56

The following appeared as part of an article in a health club trade publication.

“After experiencing a decline in usage by its members, Healthy Heart fitness center built an indoor pool. Since usage did not increase significantly, it appears that health club managers should adopt another approach — lowering membership fees rather than installing expensive new features.”

Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.

56. Because Healthy Heart fitness centers experienced no significant increase in member usage as a result of building a new indoor pool, the author cautions other health dub managers against installing new features as a means of increasing member usage, instead, they are advised to lower membership fees. This argument is flawed in two critical respects.

First, the conclusion that installing new features at fitness centers will not increase member usage is based on too small a sample to be reliable. The only evidence offered in support of this conclusion is the fact that Healthy Heart fitness center did not experience an increase. Unless it can be shown that Healthy Heart is typical of all fitness centers, the fact that it experienced no increase in member usage is not grounds for concluding that all fitness centers will experience similar results.

Second, the author fails to consider other possible reasons why building an indoor pool failed to increase Healthy Heart's member usage. Perhaps Healthy Heart's members are primarily interested in body-building rather than cardiovascular exercise, or perhaps they prefer racquetball; or perhaps they just don't like swimming. Reasons such as these would help to explain why the addition of a new indoor pool failed to increase member usage. The author's failure to investigate or even consider other possible explanations for Healthy Heart's poor results renders the conclusion based upon them highly suspect.

In conclusion, the author's argument is not convincing. To strengthen the argument it would be necessary to show that Healthy Heart fitness center is typical of all fitness centers. Additionally, the author would have to show that other possible reasons for the lack of increase in member usage could be eliminated.