Vancouver Forum: Fitness World

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Skinny

Posted - 5/16/2006 10:48:02 PM Fitness World is not what it may seem.  As far as the Davie/Howe locaton is concerned, almost without exception, the staff don't give a flying fcuk about their members.  When you walk in the door, despite there being 5 or six staff behind the counter, they totally ignore you.  No greetings whatsoever!  They all seem to be in their own little world.  Maybe they're preoccupied with wondering where the next sale is coming from (it's coming from that permanent "Open House Today" sandwich board on the street!) or maybe their just caught up in a fantasy of their own importance.  Who knows?  But I'll tell you something:- one of the prime rules of a successful business is to know your clients.  Totally ignoring them when they arrive and leave is not getting to know your clients!  Whyd do I still go there?  Well the answer is simply that, after the first two years of high rates, I've now settled down to a paltry $17 a month forever.  Regardless of how shitty the staff is, that's an unbeatable price these days.  I'm just wondering how much longer I can put up with the shitty staff before I decide that, even at that low price, I should go elsewhere.

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!!!!!!
AND ITS EXACTLY THE SAME REASON WHY I KEEP ON GOING THERE----ITS CHEAP AFTER BEING A MEMEBR FOR 2 FUKKING YEARS

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A very interesting thread.  I recently evaluated a number of fitness options in the downtown area.  I must say that, superficially at least, Fitness World was impressive.  But, after reading this thread, and talking with some associates who are members of FW, I became more wary of signing on the dotted line.  What finally did it for me to go elswhere was the way the tried to sell me a membership reminded me of the techniques used by car salespersons. I was not impressed.   I ended up saying, "Thanks, but no thanks," to FW.

don't forget a business is a business.  true the staff aren't paid enough there but that doesn't make them evil people.  they are a product of their circumstances.  I have been to FWs that have awesome staff that didn't try and "SELL" me anything and were just plain helpful and caring, but I have also met staff that really could not care less.  I think you're going to find that at any large company you work for.  I used to work for the city and because you can't get fired (just mess up badly) they staff there REALLY didn't care what they said or did.  it was terrible working there so I left.  Ask yourself what you want from a gym? 
*equipment?  then FW is great for that
*extended hours of operartion?  FW is good for that
*many locations to work out at?  FW is good for that
*socialization?  sure you can meet people at eh FW meat market sections but i would suggest a dating coach in that case
*people to help you at the drop of a hat? maybe fork out the $$ for a private studio then
*a place where everyone shouts your name as you walk in? try a SMALL gym

it comes down to this: do you want to get in shape or not?  If you do and don't care about the extra annoyances that people whine about, then get the membership at FW and save your money in the long run. 
if your life is full of inconsistencies (depends on your job etc) and is a whiner and bitches about everything (not saying you do that but we all know people like that), then no matter where you go, you'll never be happy with the gym you sign up at.

oh, and read what you sign.  you have 10 days by law to cancel.  i can't get over how people sign things without reading them.  what's up with that.

Ron Zalko Fitness Offer

http://www.canadarun...ries.com/svhm/. Click here to find out more about Ron Zalko Total Body Fitness & Yoga http://www.ronzalko.com/ www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/zalko.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages

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It's really funny how many people bash on gyms of all names. Either the ownership is bad (Ron Zalko is a coke fiend example, Fit City's owner is an ass example) or the staff is bad and the atmosphere is brutal. Fitness world is a great place to go if you are truly interested in working out. Slap the headphones in, turn the volume up, do your workout and get the hell out of there. I go to the Poco location and have been going for the last 4 years. The staff there is extremely friendly, more than willing to help out with any questions I have, and there is an abundance of fine equipment for me to work with. Sure it gets busy at peak hours, but thats just like every other business. I just don't go at 5-8 when everyone else and their mothers are going. I think that $22 per month is a great deal for all the use I get out of my membership.

I went to Fitness World today and they quoted me $42 a month for 24 months on a contract that you can't get out of.  Equipment is ok.  I then went to ron zalko - $31 a month, no contract - hot guys! I went to Kits workout - too small. Hmmmm....choices.

My daughter joined Fit World..and after a few months she had to come and help me for awhile because I have health proplems. She sent them gas reciepts to prove she drove up here, but they deemed her request for cancellation invalid. In the letter they sent her (to my address), they state that she has to send them one of the following for further consideration, 1. Drivers licence-front and back showing the address change done after ( which is underlined), signing your agreement. 2. Rentel agreement, showing new address. 3. Stamped, Postal change of address not the card form, (this is underlined too). from the Postal Service. 4. Copy of one way (again this under lined), airline ticket and 5. Sworn notarized cancellation letter inticating your new, current address is permanent. Now if they needed prove that she moved here, why did they send her a letter to this address????? Seems to me if you don't use a service anymore, you shouldn't have to pay for it. No wounder the owners of Fit World are rich, they in the bussiness of ripping off people.

Ron Zalko Fitness Offer

http://www.canadarun...ries.com/svhm/. Click here to find out more about Ron Zalko Total Body Fitness & Yoga http://www.ronzalko.com/ www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/zalko.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages

Enough with the Zalko spam..it just makes people not want to go to your gay gym.  You can't counterbalance all the problems and complaints with cut and past spam!

Ron Zalko Fitness Offer

http://www.canadarun...ries.com/svhm/. Click here to find out more about Ron Zalko Total Body Fitness & Yoga http://www.ronzalko.com/ www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/zalko.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages

Who is the hottest staff @ the Fitness World on howe and davie? and who is the rudest?

Lex, you a girl or a guy?

Rudest - the Chinese guy. He never says a word.

Hottest? None really. The staff is rather average.

check out the Y like you said.  most of them have had a make over recently and have the most up to date equipment.  also the Y by my house lets you pay a discounted rate if you dont make a lot of money.

Fitness World is awesome, lots of locations and affiliates when you travel. The staff are basically just self centered salesman but come on most are just kids. Who cares anyway you should be there to sweat your butt off and disregard the rest of the crap. Your membership fees drop after a couple of years I'm down to $20.00 a month and use it all the time. Not as many posers and roid monkeys either. Most of them are in World's Gym and Gold's Gym.
good luck!

to Lex

Posted - 10/22/2006 12:56:28 AM Rudest - the Chinese guy. He never says a word. Hottest? None really. The staff is rather average.

Yeah, I can't agree more on the rudest.  That Chinese guy just totally ignore you.  He smokes cigarettes too - kind of paradoxical ain't it?  As for the hottest, I agree too.  Nobody there sticks out as being that hot.

Who cares if the staff ignores you? Do you need help getting on that exercise bike? 

"They don't seem to care about their clients after they've signed them up."

"Yeah, I agree 100% on the staff at FW ignoring you.  No you don't want to talk the hind legs off them.  But geez, it is so damned annoying when you walk past them at the front desk and they don't even bother to make eye contact."


LMAO! BoooFricken Hooo! Them greeting and talking to you will magically help you shed pounds? You need advice and help, google is much better than any so called personal trainer.

Posted - 10/20/2006 12:11:02 PM

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Ron Zalko Fitness Offer

http://www.canadarun...ries.com/svhm/. Click here to find out more about Ron Zalko Total Body Fitness & Yoga http://www.ronzalko.com/ www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/zalko.htm - 2k - Cached - Similar pages

BUMP FOR RON ZALKO! This fitness center should save up and buy some real advertising.

The Commentary

One morning in June, on Joy’s Journal, the name of yours truly was dropped alongside, fitness guru Ron Zalko, the amazingly rich Joe Segal and the debonair ... www.thecommentary.ca/archives/19991004.html - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

I am a former employee of fitness world and:
1. you don't get a discount if you clean the machines they are actual staff members that get paid to do it
2. you can only get out of paying if you move somewhere where they don't have an affiliated club
3. they will try to sell you THE ZONE, Personal Training, Aerobics classes, or any other big promotion

Join a community centre its cheaper, hassle free and no contract.

I'm afraid I've never been impressed with FW.  And oh yeah.....I also saw that Chinese guy smoking on the street.  What a joke!  Does he have any fitness credentials or is he just a salesperson wearing a tracksuit?  I never really see him training anybody - just showing walk-ins around the facility and then trying to rob them blind.

Talking about Fitness World alwyas leaves a sour taste in my mouth.  Why do they have to do all that pushy sales shit up front.  Every time I see those deadheads trying to sell FW memberships  to unsuspecting customers, I want to shout out, "Leave now before they get a hold of you!!"

OMG!!!!icon/icon_smile_shock.gif  Word is that true, by you can get out of paying if you move somewhere  where they dont have a affilated club? 

 My plan is starting to be real because I have a friend who will help me write a one-way flight ticket out of town (for a small fee) 

Word.... do you know the names of the Fitness World Affilates so I dont get the wrong location to falsely move in. You will be my friend if you help me with this  icon/246.gif

I originally signed up at Fitness World in Surrey back in '94, wow that was like 12 years ago!  There was alot of pressure to sign up and I did sign up without checking out the other gyms.  After one year I got pretty sick and stopped paying my fees for three months but they kept billing me, I was advised by a lawyer to pay the $100 balance and take them to court.  The matter was settled in one of those small rooms at the Surrey Courthouse, Fitness World  said that even though I was very weak I could still use the hot tub and other facilities at the gym but I still won and got my $100, winning felt really good, it was an awesome feeling sticking it to those snobby bitches at head office on East Whally Ring Road (I believe I was paying about $33 per month for a period of maybye 24 months after which the rate dropped (this was a long time ago)

After I fully recovered from my illness I checked out the gyms in the Langley area where I had lived and none of them had that same atmosphere as fitness world, I'm a sucker for loud music, neon lights, mirrors and half decent looking snobby staff (they're kind of cool in their own insecure way). Fitness World finally opened a gym in Langley and I got the "pay a $100 signup fee and then it's $19 per month rate" (cancel any time) but I could only use the gym in Langley and not other gyms.  I went to Langley for a few years but I must say it seemed to have a much more boring interior than the other locations.

After I got married I started going to "Fitness Unlimited" in Richmond which like many other gyms I have been to just depressed me so my wife and I paid a very insane sign up fee of several hundred dollars and to get the rate of $19 and $21 per month for each of us at the Fitness World Kingsway Location.

I LIKES...
-  I hit the gym on a daily basis so I like the fact that my membership allows me to go to  
different fitness world locations for a change of scenery, on the weekends I use the  
Cambie/12th location. 
-  I like the fact that they leave me alone, I just want to go in and do my work out, I do not like to get familiar with the staff and those of you who want to go to a Fitness World locations where they say hello and good bye, go to the Kingsway location, I swear the last time my wife and I left the gym there were like 4 or 5 staff members saying goodbye at the same time...I guess they are just being nice.
-  I like neon lights, mirrors, loud music, it seems more fun, makes me want to work out.

I HATE'S:

I hate the fact that most people who sign up for gym memberships rarely ever go.  It doesn't matter what kind of 'special rate' or good deal you got, because if you don't stick with the program then it doesn't matter cause your body is the biggest loser in all of this, even bigger loser than the slimy salesmen in track suits conveniently located at all 12 Fitness World locations across the lowermainland.

Hope this helps you.

I agree that FW has staff who are totally indifferent about their clients.  In the 5 years that I had my membership, I think I can count on both hands the times that someone actually greeted you nicely when you went.  I was in between the Bby and City Centre locations so it wasn't that convenient either.  Parking sucked at both locations.  In Bby, there would never be a parking spot at all, the gym was old, and the wait for a machine was a pain.  Glad I gave it up and saved my $17 a month.

  I am a current member at RON ZALKO FITNESS  a touch of class
 

I have been going there you 3 years now. Not bad, staff is cool and equipment is pretty good.  For the price, locations and hours of operation it is worth it.  Lots of cardio equipment. I work out at the Howe and Davie club.

I LIKE THE CHILDMINDING STAFF IN THE KITS. FITNESS WORLD.THEY ARE GREAT.....
ANYONE AGREES??

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Everytime (EVERTIME) someone seeks advise about some private gym, someone says this. Is this actually true? For a one-off drop in, sure. But an actual membership--really? In Surrey, I would have to pay around 40 bucks per month. Burnaby is the same.

As for "hassle free", I doubt that. Less equipment and you have to deal with teenagers.

Defacto

Posted - 10/22/2006 10:07:40 AM to Lex Posted - 10/22/2006 12:56:28 AM Rudest - the Chinese guy. He never says a word. Hottest? None really. The staff is rather average. Yeah, I can't agree more on the rudest.  That Chinese guy just totally ignore you.  He smokes cigarettes too - kind of paradoxical ain't it?  As for the hottest, I agree too.  Nobody there sticks out as being that hot.

Count me in as agreeing on both counts.  The first time I saw that guy smoking, I had to take a second look because I just couldn't believe it.  Yeah, what a paradox!

 

Fitness world SUCKS!!!! .They talk sweet to you went they want get you, and then if you want out of the 2YEARS contract, they treat you really BAD. You have to pay 25 fees for cancellation. They need a month notice. You have to prove that you are moving to a city with no Fitness World, etc is a real headache to do that. If you ask the waive any of this fees they wont do it. So read the contract really careful before u sing it.

you think FW is a reasonable price?  I think that 2 year contract that you can't get out of for $1000 overall is OVERPRICED.  They might have 2 good locations but the rest are crap.
	fitness world: 2 yr suk in membership...blows Neon Lighting..Annoying Substandard Cardio Equipment.. Shitty Locations..No parking available.. How does this chump show stay in biz????

Fitness world is really generic.  basically its geared towards ppl w/ no knowledge of fitness or understanding of what better options are available.