As an employee of 24 Hour Fitness, I can testify to several practices which appear shady and underhanded. Being employed with this company makes me uneasy as I am constantly pushed toward sales goals which include pressure sales to individuals who can scarcely afford to purchase such expensive training. Common motivators will be, "even if they can't afford it, it's your job to make the training seem necessary; they'll buy what they think they need." Yes, that's a quote from one of my supervisors recommending that I put a senior citizen on a fixed income into a payment plan for $400 worth of training, or in 24 Hour Fitness language, FIVE SESSIONS. That's an average price tag of $80 per session, of which the trainer gets close to nothing (see next paragraph). Commissions are at a mere 20%, while the company holds on to that other 80%. But that's used for your wages, right? Wrong! If the client doesn't show up, you don't get paid! Often, clients will miss sessions or simply decide they don't want to train. They leave the club with unused sessions which the club simply lets expire after a 6-month time limit. The money doesn't go to the trainer who did the selling, program design and training; it goes to the monthly sales goal of the club or some corporate big wig.
Wages are also horrible here. Trainer wages are determined by "education level, " requiring one to three certifications to become a Master Trainer. A so-called Master Trainer commands an average of $25 per hour for their sessions (the client pays $39 - $50 per session) down to a Level I trainer who is paid $10.75. (Note: This applies to California, outside of San Francisco) On average, most new trainers with 5-10 clients will take home a two-week paycheck of $200 - 400 — Hardly a livable wage.in order to become a Master Trainer, one must purchase the expensive certifications (NASM costs upwards of $1200; I'm sure there are discounts and ways around this, such as test-only options, but this is a common price tag) in order to be paid an extra $4 per session. Even a Bachelor's Degree, which takes four years, only commands the equivalent of ONE certification!!! What does this tell you? They're concerned less about the actual education of their personnel as how many B.S. Certs they purchase from their affiliate companies who give 24 a cut of the action. So, for the amount of time committed to the club (you MUST have a schedule of 12 hours of availability and appointments are NEVER back-to-back), you're paid the equivalent of less than minimum wage.
Yes, McDonald's employees make more than a 24 Hour Fitness trainer at Levels I and II. How much quality do you think you're getting at that price?
By the way: How much do club managers get? Upwards of $100,000 / year. All that training money that goes to the club gets siphoned into "sales bonuses" for management, propping their income into the sextuplets. Their salary would pay for four employees at the club. This is the essence of the term "PYRAMID SCHEME."
Avoid this company at ALL COSTS!!!
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