I have been a member of Mountainside Fitness for nearly two decades, with only a brief break while…read moremy family traveled full-time. During that time, I have consistently supported the company ... not only through my membership, but also by supporting Mountainside Fitness during its legal challenges in 2020, participating in the company's 25th anniversary celebration video, and providing lunches and other gifts of appreciation for staff members over the years. Because of that history, it is extremely disappointing to write this review.
This morning, I was cooling down and stretching in the aerobics room with my three daughters when an employee, Tanna Wick, entered the room, flipped on the lights, told us we could not be in there, and indicated that my children needed to be in childcare. She specifically pointed toward my youngest daughter. I responded that she was 12 years old. Tanna appeared surprised and questioned her age before leaving the room without an apology or further explanation.
To be clear, I understand the need to verify a child's age. My youngest daughter has only recently become eligible to be on the workout floor after turning 12, and staff members have verified her age several times before. The issue was never the verification itself. The issue was the manner in which it was handled.
There were numerous professional and courteous ways to ask a child's age. Instead, we were immediately told we could not be there and that my daughter needed to be in childcare. The interaction felt presumptive, dismissive, and unnecessarily rude.
After our workout, I asked for Tanna's name and attempted to discuss the situation with her directly. Rather than acknowledging my concerns, she denied making the statements and taking the actions that all four of us had just witnessed moments prior. Manager Diego also defended her actions before reviewing any available camera footage or audio, stating that she was simply verifying my daughter's age. His dismissive behavior, especially when he has also verified my daughter's age multiple times previously, was completely unacceptable.
Again, verifying age was never the issue. The issue was the tone, assumptions, and lack of professionalism in the interaction.
I would also encourage Mountainside Fitness to consider implementing a system that clearly identifies youth members who are old enough to be on the workout floor. Whether that is a wristband, tag, button, membership designation, or another visual indicator, it would prevent staff from repeatedly interrupting workouts to verify ages and help avoid situations like this in the future.
As a long-time member, I was disappointed by both the interaction and the handling of my concerns afterward. This experience did not reflect the level of professionalism and customer service I have come to expect from Mountainside Fitness.
I hope this feedback is used as an opportunity for additional customer service and communication training. Families should feel welcomed and respected, especially when they are encouraging their children and teens to develop healthy fitness habits.
