I wrote my first complaint letter

[COMINATCHA]

So here's what happened to make me very annoyed with a gym I tried to join, and have just sent an official complaint. Keep in mind that I'm not one to get angry easily, so for me to do this is a big thing.


On Monday of last week I signed up on a gym website (I won't name the company) for a guest pass, where you can trial everything for 2 weeks before you decide to join. I have been a member of this gym before, so I knew what it's like anyway, but they offer everyone the 2 weeks for free, so why not?

So a membership consultant then calls me to arrange a time for an appointment. I asked for Saturday, but that was not convenient for him, so we settle on Friday 4th May at 5:00. He asked that if I could come in any earlier that would be appreciated, so he wouldn't have to stay back too late. I said fine, i'll do my best.

So I leave work half an hour early (my boss doesn't mind, he's cool) and get there just before 5. I was dressed for a workout, as you sign up then get straight into excersising.

The receptionship tells me that the guy I made an appointment with has gone home for the day. She tries to call him and he doesn't answer his phone.

I am annoyed, as they could have at least called me to let me know. But I figure someone else will take his place and help me out.

So she asks 3 other membership consultants who were standing around. One guy says he cant stay back, as his girlfriend is waiting for him. The other 2 say they want to go home, so no they wont stay back.

They then all just look at me. No one apologises, or offers me the chance to at least go ahead and use the gym. Nor am I told if my appointment will be re-scheduled. I am left standing there, made to feel like a nuisance.

So I walked out.

I am really annoyed. I just want to join this gym. I would go join another one in protest, but this one is close to my house.

I wrote a letter to them just then, stating what happened and that I would like for someone to contact me about this. I'm not trying to get anything for free, I just want them to know what happened and how it made me feel.

Does anyone think I went a little overboard by writing to them? I think it was justified, but I haven't got any second opinions on this yet.

[Becks]

I think you were justified. They could've handled it much better.

[hawkchick11]

You are definately justified in writing a complaint letter. The higher-ups might not be too thrilled to find out that the membership consultants aren't doing their jobs, because if they did this to you, who knows how many others they've done that to.

[myswtghst]

Completely justified. I understand not wanting to stay late, but to say it right in front of a customer, and not even offer an apology or an excuse, that's not cool. Even less cool is that this guy left, knowing that you had an appointment scheduled for 5pm that you even arrived early for--it's not like you were running late. Kudos to you for standing up for yourself.

[powerboy]

I would have done the same thing. It is one thing if it is an emergency, but they didn't call you to let you know. The higher ups will be upset about that, since they are at least out of that money that could have been coming in.

[Broomjockey]

I think you were right to write the letter, and would have been still good even if one of them had taken it. They need to know about a gaff like that. What if it happens to other people, who then simply walk out. Most people never take the time to write a letter, so they would have to consider that possibility, and think about making changes.

[COMINATCHA]

Well they called me back about my complaint letter!

The guy who i had made the appointment with, called to apologise. He mentioned that he is also the trainee manager, and this is good in a way, as he can learn from my mis-fortune (I wasn't sure how to feel about that comment).

He said he didn't go to work at all that day, as he was in a car accident (not serious), and that he called the gym to inform the staff that I was coming that night, to ensure someone would look after me.

He also said he tried to call me, which I didn't agree with, as I had no missed calls. He kept apologising, he said he feels really bad. He also kept saying they will do whatever they can to make it up to me.

I repeated what I had written in my letter, that the staff were rude and very unhelpful when I arrived. He said he is really angry that it happened, and will be making sure it won't happen again. He said he is glad I wrote to them, so they are aware of it.

So we make an appointment for me to come in the next day, as I still want to join. Yes I know that might sound like a stupid idea, but they are so close to my house! I'm not guna sign up somewhere expensive and far away, just to spite them.

This was yesterday that he called. Today I get another call from the gym. This time it is the manager of the gym. He would also like to 'sit down and have a chat with me' when I come in. Now i'm a little nervous, lol. I'm assuming he just wants to hear it from me in person.

[tollbaby]

Maybe the manager wants to get the whole story since it's obvious that your guy intercepted the letter before the mgr saw it. They seriously dropped the ball there, but please DON'T tell them you'll sign up there anyway. Let them work a bit to redeem themselves. It'll teach them a lesson that they can't just treat prospective clients like dirt. (I'm not usually one for "teach them a lesson", but in this instance, I think it's desperately needed).

[Boozy]

I don't believe that trainee manager guy. You know he lied about "trying to call you". How do you know he's telling the truth about anything else? He sounds like a lazy jackass trying to cover his own arse.

[Canarr]

Agree with Boozy. The least you could do is let him sweat, plus make sure that not all the employees there are lazy idiots like that. No point in joining a gym that's close to home, when you'll wind up stuck with a long-term contract to a place you don't like.

[COMINATCHA]

Well I went to the gym last night. Only the trainee manager came out to see me. He showed me around the gym (it has 4 different levels to it - I was in awe) and talked to me about what they offer, and asked what I want from a membership.

I said that the manager had also called me - where was he? He said yea he knew, but he assured the manager I was fine, and that he was going to take care of me and sign me up. I was a tad annoyed about that. Because even though i'm not trying to get free stuff, I expect them to give me SOMETHING, and you know what they offered me? A small discount on the joining fee. Having a joining fee is a cop-out anyway I think, but I didn't say that. I'm not a nasty person, I didn't want to argue.

He asked how I was going to pay, and I said i'm not paying anything yet until I at least try out their facilities. So he let me have a workout. And it was great. But I haven't committed to anything yet, he will also let me have a free workout today.

My friends are all saying I should demand free membership and stuff, but I can't bring myself to say that. I don't like confrontation, and I don't think they would give me that anyway, lol.

[Alfie]

I really don't think that you should demand to get any discount off your membership, but I do think that you need to demand to see the manager. It sounds like the trainee manager tried to gloss over the issues, and the manager may want to find out how his staff are really treating the customers. Maybe once you see the manager, he will offer you a discount etc, but I think the most important job is to meet with him and let him know how it effected you.

[tollbaby]

I agree with Alfie. I consider it extremely high-handed and sneaky of the Trainee Manager to brush you off like that, and I'd phone and ask to speak to the manager for a private interview. This guy is a smarmy jerk, and he's trying to cover his own ass by keeping you away from his boss. DEFINITELY follow up on it, although I agree, you shouldn't expect or request anything for free.

[zzapp the witch]

I wouldn't trust a single word that comes out of the trainee guy's mouth. Please, please, talk to the manager. This guy sounds sleazy as hell, and if he's lying to you with this much ease and disregard, I wouldn't doubt he has the same "bad habit" with his boss. The boss needs a heads up on the load of manure this guy's fed you detail by detail, and flat out tell him WHY you want to use this gym, but that you don't want to have to put up with Lying Sleazeball spreading his verbal fertilizer.

I wonder if the boss knows about this "minor traffic accicent" (I say that because I doubt that even that is true).

[MystyGlyttyr]

The receptionship tells me that the guy I made an appointment with has gone home for the day. She tries to call him and he doesn't answer his phone.

He said he didn't go to work at all that day, as he was in a car accident (not serious), and that he called the gym to inform the staff that I was coming that night, to ensure someone would look after me.

Methinks if that were the case, the receptionist would have known he weren't in at all that day and might not have said he had "gone home for the day."

This reeks of dead fish. Talk to the manager.

Randomly, I would have made a very loud stink the instant they started staring at me after they proclaimed that they didn't want to stay in my earshot. Sure, I understand you want to go home, but how hard is it to take five minutes to re-schedule?