ONE STAR
First off,…read moreI want to give one star specifically to Tarah Zahner, Director of Membership.
Somewhere along the way, one pretty important part of customer service seems to have gotten lost: remembering that the customer, especially a longtime loyal customer, should occasionally come before the almighty dollar.
So, let me take you on a little journey.
I've been a member of Woodside for many years. I supported the club, enjoyed the club, recommended the club, and even lived at Woodside Village for several years. I wasn't someone who joined for three months, used a treadmill twice, and disappeared into the night.
I was a loyal customer.
In September, I let Woodside know that I was moving away and needed to cancel my membership. I was then informed that I would still be charged for another month, despite the small inconvenience of NO LONGER LIVING IN THE AREA OR BEING ABLE TO USE THE CLUB.
OK. Interesting.
So I reached out to Tarah.
My email was kind. It was respectful. I explained my situation and simply asked if, after years of being a loyal member, Woodside might consider making an exception.
The answer was no.
But quite frankly, the "no" wasn't even the part that bothered me most.
It was how I felt I was treated in the response.
Tarah's email came across to me as condescending and dismissive, with an underlying "Who exactly do you think you're talking to?" attitude.
And THAT is where Woodside lost me.
Because here's the thing: you can tell a customer no without making them feel small. You can enforce a policy and still show kindness. You can explain a rule and still acknowledge that the person on the other end has supported your business for years.
I didn't expect a parade. I didn't need a plaque by the pool. I wasn't asking them to name a treadmill after me.
I simply expected a little grace and good customer service at the end of a relationship that had lasted for years.
Instead, I walked away feeling like all those years of loyalty meant considerably less than collecting one final monthly payment from someone who doesn't even live there anymore.
And yes, I'm sure there is a policy somewhere that says they can charge it.
That's not the point.
There is a tremendous difference between what a business is allowed to do and how a business chooses to treat people.
Customer service isn't really tested when the answer is easy. It's tested when someone has an unusual circumstance and you have an opportunity to make them feel valued.
Woodside had that opportunity.
Unfortunately, in my experience, they chose the invoice.
After all these years, I would have loved for my final impression of Woodside to have been about the beautiful club, the memories, and the years I spent there.
Instead, I'm leaving with a completely different impression:
Apparently loyalty has an expiration date.
The billing cycle does not.
