Sunday, September 14, 2008
Professional Fitness – Avoid
If you are thinking of signing up with a personal trainer, you should know that Professional Fitness may be an easy option, as they might have a presence in your gym, but ultimately, as I will explain, the only fitness that is really important to them is that of their bank balance. You, the customer, are of no real consequence to them other than as a source of income. This is how I reached my conclusion.
I signed up for 2 sessions a month on an annual contract, at a cost of $80 per month. It seemed reasonable at the time, but for half hour sessions, it isn’t.
I had a trainer who seemed decent. He was certainly a nice enough guy. But people complained about his aggressive tactics in signing up new customers, and he was let go after I’d had 3 or 4 sessions.
I really liked the next guy who trained me. He was much better than the first one and I felt physically stronger. But after a few sessions with him, he had a dispute with the company over hours – they wanted him to work longer hours, but it was a second job for him and he was happy to keep the arrangement he’d had for a couple of years. But they made things difficult for him, so he left.
Onto number three. This guy had been with the company for as long as I had been at the gym. He was the only one who had lasted the 5 or 6 months, so I chose him rather than the person who called me at home, didn’t understand a word I said, and then got threatening when my vocal expression showed that I was clearly upset that I had been called at home by someone who couldn’t understand a word I said. No, I didn’t want that guy as my personal trainer..
Guy number three was very good – the best of the bunch. After I got back from Boston, I had a couple of sessions a week, as I hadn’t used any while there or on the East Brunswick assignment which preceded it. And he was helping – enough that when he told me about a special ’20 for 20’ deal, where if I paid up front, I could get 20 sessions for $400, I signed up. But I still wanted more.
So I signed up with a private person at the gym who goes by the name of Franco. I always saw the condition of the people he trained, and it was much better than the people trained by personal fitness. The only reason I didn’t sign up with him sooner is that if you see the guy, you know he is at the top of his field, so I thought he would be really expensive. But he sells 3, hour long sessions, for $100, or 10 for $300.
For 3 weeks, I saw Franco once and the other guy twice and the results were the best yet. Then Professional Fitness ‘suspended’ trainer #3 without warning. I found out when I went for my session. I hadn’t started using the sessions from the 20 for 20 deal yet, as I was still playing catch-up on the original contract. So I wrote to them at the beginning of August, cancelling the auto-renew on the original contract that I was supposed to know about because everyone reads small print and companies such as this one always tell you stuff like that, and requesting my money back from the as yet unstarted contract. .
I have been having two sessions a week with Franco ever since. Damn! What a difference! I’m in the best shape of my life! I’ve got muscles! Big ones! Even new ones! Yes, my tummy is being a bit stubborn, but it has got smaller and is quite firm.
Last week, I saw a charge for $80 from Professional Fitness against my bank account! So I called them. No apology offered, but they will refund that money. However, they could only refund the $400 if I had cancelled within 3 days of signing the contract or on medical grounds. Forget that they have basically fired 3 trainers already and I have no confidence that they will not do so again. Forget that none of the people who currently work there are as good as the last of their employees who trained me; and sure as hell none of them are a patch on Franco. Forget that I only signed the contract because of the last trainer they had me working out with. It is not their policy to refund money. So I eat $400 or I train with an inferior trainer perhaps once a week.
Since that phone call, I have heard from the other trainer. 6 weeks on, he’s still suspended and they are threatening to fire him if he keeps calling to find out when his 30 day suspension will end. They have informed him that he will have to go to a different location. So screw all the people who signed up with him. We don’t count.
Anyone who might have read this to the end, who is actually considering personal training, forget about this lot and find someone who works for him or herself and who looks the part. Check out their other clients. Talk with them. You might be surprised about the price and you will probably be happy with the results.
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I signed up for 2 sessions a month on an annual contract, at a cost of $80 per month. It seemed reasonable at the time, but for half hour sessions, it isn’t.
I had a trainer who seemed decent. He was certainly a nice enough guy. But people complained about his aggressive tactics in signing up new customers, and he was let go after I’d had 3 or 4 sessions.
I really liked the next guy who trained me. He was much better than the first one and I felt physically stronger. But after a few sessions with him, he had a dispute with the company over hours – they wanted him to work longer hours, but it was a second job for him and he was happy to keep the arrangement he’d had for a couple of years. But they made things difficult for him, so he left.
Onto number three. This guy had been with the company for as long as I had been at the gym. He was the only one who had lasted the 5 or 6 months, so I chose him rather than the person who called me at home, didn’t understand a word I said, and then got threatening when my vocal expression showed that I was clearly upset that I had been called at home by someone who couldn’t understand a word I said. No, I didn’t want that guy as my personal trainer..
Guy number three was very good – the best of the bunch. After I got back from Boston, I had a couple of sessions a week, as I hadn’t used any while there or on the East Brunswick assignment which preceded it. And he was helping – enough that when he told me about a special ’20 for 20’ deal, where if I paid up front, I could get 20 sessions for $400, I signed up. But I still wanted more.
So I signed up with a private person at the gym who goes by the name of Franco. I always saw the condition of the people he trained, and it was much better than the people trained by personal fitness. The only reason I didn’t sign up with him sooner is that if you see the guy, you know he is at the top of his field, so I thought he would be really expensive. But he sells 3, hour long sessions, for $100, or 10 for $300.
For 3 weeks, I saw Franco once and the other guy twice and the results were the best yet. Then Professional Fitness ‘suspended’ trainer #3 without warning. I found out when I went for my session. I hadn’t started using the sessions from the 20 for 20 deal yet, as I was still playing catch-up on the original contract. So I wrote to them at the beginning of August, cancelling the auto-renew on the original contract that I was supposed to know about because everyone reads small print and companies such as this one always tell you stuff like that, and requesting my money back from the as yet unstarted contract. .
I have been having two sessions a week with Franco ever since. Damn! What a difference! I’m in the best shape of my life! I’ve got muscles! Big ones! Even new ones! Yes, my tummy is being a bit stubborn, but it has got smaller and is quite firm.
Last week, I saw a charge for $80 from Professional Fitness against my bank account! So I called them. No apology offered, but they will refund that money. However, they could only refund the $400 if I had cancelled within 3 days of signing the contract or on medical grounds. Forget that they have basically fired 3 trainers already and I have no confidence that they will not do so again. Forget that none of the people who currently work there are as good as the last of their employees who trained me; and sure as hell none of them are a patch on Franco. Forget that I only signed the contract because of the last trainer they had me working out with. It is not their policy to refund money. So I eat $400 or I train with an inferior trainer perhaps once a week.
Since that phone call, I have heard from the other trainer. 6 weeks on, he’s still suspended and they are threatening to fire him if he keeps calling to find out when his 30 day suspension will end. They have informed him that he will have to go to a different location. So screw all the people who signed up with him. We don’t count.
Anyone who might have read this to the end, who is actually considering personal training, forget about this lot and find someone who works for him or herself and who looks the part. Check out their other clients. Talk with them. You might be surprised about the price and you will probably be happy with the results.
