Would an owner listen? - I don't tend to think so. I believe enough SC patrons will come in sufficient numbers, regardless of how the club's run, to make it profitable, especially since most of the help is paid on a sliding scale (i.e., tips) that goes up and down with the number of customers in attendance. While there's some embedded expense (rent, heat/AC), it's relative low compared to the human element. As a result, it's mostly it's a service business run on tips, so fewer customers = less operating expense.
Why are many clubs run poorly? - I think I partly answered that question above. Like restaurants, there's no "residual" or "recurring billing" built into the SC business model. Instead, restaurants and SCs must rely on a sufficient quantity of individual customers making a decision each day to visit the establishment to make it profitable. Unlike restaurants however, there are far fewer SCs relative to the number of potential customers (low supply/high demand), so even a shitty club can still bring in enough to turn a profit. That may be all some owners need/want, so there's little incentive to innovate or improve.