I was previously a member for approx. a year and a half. The staff at the club are helpful, friendly and fantastic. With that said, the club manager Liz has absolutely no business in the service industry. I wasn't using my membership so I cancelled it a couple years ago. Several months ago I wanted to get health once again and since my experiences with fit 4 less have always been positive, I decided to reactivate my membership. I dropped by he club and the employee politely told me that he can see a balance left over from my previous membership of around $80, he suggested that I come by or call in on a weekday when the Manager would be there. I called back and the manager told me that the balance was because several payments didn't go through and informed me that they actually cancelled it for non payment. I told her that I emailed them a couple years ago requesting to cancel and assumed it was taken care of. I inquired as to why, if I supposedly owed them for non-payment why wasn't I ever notified or contacted? She became extremely defensive and proceeded to argue with me. I told her that I didn't want to get into an argument, all I wanted was to join again and become a customer and I told her that I would appreciate it if they would work with me on what they say is owing. She immediately shot me down and said "No, if you want to join you have to pay what you owe". I told her that I understand she may be the wrong person to speak with and asked if I could possibly speak with someone else, perhaps someone at head office. She told me that she is the manager of the club and that it wouldn't be possible to speak with anyone else. I asked her for a phone number for head office and she said she doesn't have one. I told her that I find it pretty hard to believe that she doesn't have a phone number for head office and she said that they call her occasionally but if she needs something she sends and email (I know she was lying). I asked for her regional managers name and she said that I don't need to know then. Finally, asked for her name and she said that she had already given it to me at the beginning of the call. I said that I didn't jot it down as I was assuming that this would be a simple matter to clean up and likely wouldn't need it. She proceeded to tell me "I choose not to give it to you just like you choose not to pay your bills".
After that conversation, I spoke with my wife because to was fuming angry (I rarely ever get that angry), my wife was in the club within 20 minutes, cancelled her membership with the employee and asked to speak with the manager. She tells me that the moment she seemed nice for the first few seconds until she told her that she was my wife and her tone immediately changed and she started to defend herself. My wife told her what I told her she said, initially she lied and said she didn't say those things but eventually admitted that it may have been possible in the heat of the moment.
I have since managed to track down the regional manager and spoke with him a couple months back. He was actually a very nice guy, polite, friendly and appears to be genuine. He apologized for my treatment and assured me that he would be getting the managers side and dealing with the situation appropriately.
I am someone has spent 18 years in the service industry. I have worked in hotels, call centres, grocery stores and currently work in a client facing role for the government. As a service professional I have been screamed at, called every name in the book, spit on, threatened with physical violence and was even assaulted once and despite all of that I have never treated a customer with such disrespect and contempt as the manager at this fit 4 less treated me.
I have heard that she is still with the club, perhaps some day I will consider giving them another chance but it sure as hell won't happen with people like that running the clubs. read more
