I know that you will probably disregard this email as just another disgruntled customer venting out her frustrations but I feel like, after the experience that I have been through today, there are some things that need to be said for Golds Gym / Custom Built.
When I first signed up with a personal trainer named Augie, I was assured that the personal trainers at Golds Gym Natomas are very dedicated to their work / clients and that they will make every effort to help me reach my goals. I voiced my concern that since I was brought up in a rather rigid cultural environment, I would prefer it better if I could work out with a female trainer. This was deemed, by "Augie" to not be a problem at all as they have plenty of female trainers who would be willing to work with me.
My first trainer, Heather, scheduled sessions for me without calling me. When I called her and left her messages, I did not get any return phone calls. Finally I called the gym and I was told that Heather is no longer working there because of her "personal problems." I asked them to assign me another trainer. I was assigned Anthea London who was quite different from Heather and returned phones calls, scheduled appointments for me. But I did not feel that as a trainer, she understood my goals and my limitations. So I decided to wait until I have a few more free sessions in order to call the gym and get another trainer. Which I did.
The next trainer, Kristy, was somebody that I found that I would be willing to work out with, she seemed to love her job. I turned up for my personal training session on Thursday, October 30th, and I was told that Kristy "no longer worked here." I decided to call it a night and told the trainer that I would call back tomorrow to schedule an appointment / find another trainer.
The moment I got on the phone with Danny Garcia, the district manager for Custom Built, I could feel that he was not interested in helping. I wondered how much of this had something to do with the fact that I had called his corporate office a week earlier to complain about the lack of their initiative to call members about personal training sessions and their initiative thereof to call members about upgrading sessions - for which I received about 5 - 6 calls. It is funny that Custom Built employees are so willing to sell their product but once sold, are not even remotely willing to help motivate customers?
This is the transcript of the chat I had with Danny Garcia:
Me: Hi, I was in yesterday and I heard that Kristy, my trainer quit. She must be about the third trainer I had had so far, so could you set me up with someone else.
Him: Well, (laughs), it is the nature of business mam, trainers come, trainers go, we will set you up with someone, when would you like to come in?
Me: How about today at 5:30pm
Him: Well, i will set you up with "Eddie"
Me: I prefer a female trainer, someone would... (he cuts me off and..)
Him: How about Melanie?
Me: Okay
Him: Hold on while I go get my girls book.
Me: Okay, no problem, if you could hurry up, it would be nice because I am at work.
Him: Well so am I. (I understand that, but this is Danny's job, this is not my job, I am spending precious minutes of work time, trying to take care of a personal thing, did I call him on his personal time?)
(puts me on hold for five minutes)
Me: How long has Melanie worked over there? Y'knoe, coz I do not want to have to go through this again with trainers. It is sort of hard for me. (he cuts me off again... Saying..)
Him: Well, she has been a trainer for 10 years and she is very good.
Me: And so was Kristy and Heather, I would like to work out with someone who had been there for some time
Him: Well, in that case you have to work out with a male trainer.
Me: No, because I, when I signed the contract, I told Augie that I preferred to work out with a female trainer.
Him: Mam, if you read your contract, it clearly says that while we try to honor your request, we are not held liable for it
Me: Please do not read me my contract, i am at work and I simply do not have the time for this.
Him: (proceeds to read me my contract)
He misunderstood me willingness to be more flexible with my time because he said I demanded a trainer during prime time - prime time for whom? Customers right? And am I not a customer, I ask him. He says I can't kick anyone else off the schedule in order to pencil me in, but when did I ask him to do that? I tried to get a word in saying that I do not need prime time trainers how about after six? He says that that is still prime time? How did the topic get from a female personal trainer to a prime time personal trainer? I did not order him to get me a female personal trainer in prime time. He misread and misunderstood my questions, my intentions, kept arguing with me, after which I finally requested that he give me his supervisor's phone number, which he did not. I finally got the number to his corporate office, not his supervisor, mind you, and I called them to report my concerns. I was appalled at the way Danny Garcia spoke to me over the phone and to
the associate I made the comment that he did not know how to speak to a lady. The associate said "that is a sexist comment" I am not really sure when or how he, the associate, figured that I asked for his opinion? What is sexist to him, is a concern for me. This is what sexism means "Sexism is the belief or attitude that one gender or sex is inferior to or less valuable than the other and can also refer to a hatred or distrust towards either sex as a whole (see also misogyny and misandry), or creating stereotypes of masculinity for men or femininity for women." I do not hate or distrust man?! I felt Danny was rude to me, and I expressed my feelings. I am not sure how and why the associate felt that HE could judge me? He was also very rude and did not bother to help me and told me that if I wanted to cancel my contract, I would have to pay $250.00 and that I should read my contract more carefully. I felt attacked and I got angry and upset and I told him
that I feel that it is not fair of me to pay for services that Custom Built promised to provide me with but has not.
I am EXTREMELY unhappy with this whole situation! I think that it is unwise on Gold's Gyms' part to continue to be partnered with such a horrible company such as Custom Built. Due to my experience with Custom Built, I no longer feel comfortable working out at my Gold's Gym. What is the use of paying for a membership that I am not going to be comfortable using? Shouldn't it be the motto of the Gym to provide a comfortable, safe, supporting environment for people to work out in?
What really upsets me is that I was so excited about being a part of Gold's gym and working hard to meet my goals. Now, I just feel like a trapped customer who has being lied to by Golds Gym (it was on their recommendation that I signed up with Custom Built). Now, I just feel that every time I am in the Gym and look at the Trainers, I will feel cheated and lied to. Trust me, I will be filing this report on every website, consumer affairs board and I will be getting my attorney to take a look at the contract and the pain and suffering that I have endured today from Danny Garcia and the associate at custom built customer service. If I am in the Gym and acquaintances, friends, other people working out ask me how I feel about Custom Built, trust me, there will be many instances because I have talked to many people about the Gym @ the Gym, I will definitely share my thoughts with them because you may have cheated me and abused my trust that I placed in Augie
but you will not take away my right to exercise my freedom of speech by saying exactly how I feel about Custom Built. Also, I do not wish, want to be approached by any trainer at Gold's Gym except for the one that will be assigned to me for my work out because I STILL NEED TO HAVE THE SERVICES RENDERED SEEING AS HOW I AM PAYING FOR IT!
Sangita
Sacramento, California
U.S.A.
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