The "Fast food" club for fitness: You get what you pay for
Written: Jun 21 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, good for those wanting to pick up a date
Cons: Unclean establishment, rude staff, wait time for equipment, uncomfortable surroundings
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| plaything's Full Review: 24 Hour Fitness |
Oh my memories of having a membership at 24 hr. fitness are quite vivid. Can you say meat market? How about downright rude & uncourteous staff? You will find all this and more.
Now don't get me wrong, if you are looking for a low budget club that has a decent selection of exercise equipment, 24 hr. fitness, may just fit the bill for you. But I would rather pay more and get more for it.
My experience with this club was quite a few years ago. At the time I was looking for a club within close proximity to my home and cheap. They were running a special, which included no start up fee and at only $19.00 monthly which would be billed on my credit card.
I went to my local 24 hr. fitness, was led through a quick tour, and the next thing you know they had me signing a contract and out the door I went. Well, to begin with the contract I signed was for limited usage for the graveyard hrs. At the time, it seemed to fit into the shift I was working. But I soon realized, I was not pleased with the limitations of the hours I could frequent the club; even if it was cheaper than the full usage membership.
Then came time to use the club. Even at the wee hrs. of the morning you would be surprised how many members are there, and how many thought just like you when signing to work out at that hr. (thinking it would be less crowded). While they had a variety of machines, they didn't have a good quantity; and often times I had to wait to use the ones that I had chosen to receive the desired results I wanted to achieve.
Next I tried talking to a counselor about my fitness needs, and wasn't given much help or information. Basically I was told that I should set up an appointment, and pay extra for it, if I wanted any personalized instruction.
Upon arriving at the club each time, you have to wait and have your I.D. card scanned before entrance. That could take more than 5 minutes sometimes, which to me was not justifiable. Why should I, the customer, have to wait while this teeny bopper is finishing their late night "personal" phone call. And then when they finally did acknowledge my presence, they so rudely snatched my card and flipped it back at me.
It wasn't just this club I experienced this attitude in, but other 24 hr. fitness clubs as well. I found the staff to be obnoxious, rude, and very unhelpful. Some of the workers, don't even have the knowledge of how to demonstrate how certain equipment works. In one word: pathetic!!!
The club I frequented, was not kept too clean either. The locker rooms quite often had towels sprawled all over them, and the bathroom area was just a mess! The workout areas had seen better days, with paint chipping from the walls and holes in the carpeting.
One plus of the facility I primarily worked out in, was the on site child care. But since I have no children, it was of no benefit to me. But by the tour I took, even if I had children I wouldn't leave them in that room. There was what seemed like an excessive amount of kids being watched by one worker; who was sitting in a chair chewing on a candy bar, and seemed oblivious to what the children were doing.
And meat market, I think more people join this club to scam on members of the opposite sex than to work out. When I go to a club, I am there for a purpose: to maximize my physical potential and add to my overall physical health, not to pick up Friday nights date!
After about 4 months of my membership, I decided no way; this was not for me. I tried to cancel the membership over the phone. No can do, I was told, I had to submit it in writing. I tried that as well, and still they were processing the monthly charge on my credit card several months after I had even used the facilities. Finally, I think I had to take it up with my credit card company; and write them a letter explaining that I was no longer authorizing the charges. What a nightmare!
So to sum it up, if you are looking for a fitness club that offers no frills, one that is inexpensive, and doesn't care about it's customers; this is the one for you. If you are knowledgeable as far as utilizing the machines, and don't care if you have to wait to use them; this one's for you. If socializing is a higher priority then your actual workout; this one's for you. If you don't care about it being a bit messy, (actually for some, it may make you feel more at home); then this one's for you.
But, if you want a fitness club that offers not only a variety of machines, but a vast quantity of machines, a club that has a helpful staff that is both courteous and knowledgeable, a clean establishment and one that is obviously maintained to provide the customer with a comfortable & pleasant environment; then I suggest you seek elsewhere. Remember, you get what you pay for; and while other clubs may be a little more expensive, in my opinion they are definitely worth the extra pennies!
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
plaything
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Member: Cassandra
Reviews written: 48
Trusted by: 74 members
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