Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Bait & Switch Attempt @ Highlands Parkway 24-Hour Fitness!
I went to the 24-Hour Fitness Center at the intersection of Oakdale Road and Highland Parkway in Smyrna to check out a banner that read $99 membership.
Upon entering, I met a guy named Hampton who showed me the treadmills and various weight equipment. He mentioned that there would not be the wait to use equipment as experienced in most health clubs.
He also mentioned that they have 1/10th the membership of LA Fitness.
When we sat down to talk about the rates, there was the usual one-sided conversation about multi-year memberships.
No one at a health club that I have been to recently (LA Fitness, Bally's, and 24-Hour Fitness) will mention a month-to-month membership on their own.
I then mentioned that I am interested in a month-to-month membership at which the $99 membership was stated to be for members-only, but Hampton said he could work with me.
The rate somehow went to $134 versus $99. When I asked about the $35 increase, I was told that it was for the swipe card.
After shaking my head and expressing further hesitation, Hampton asked "How much were you looking to pay?"
To this question, I said immediately "Much lower than that. What happened to the $99? I was in here last week and there was no one behind the counter."
Hampton proceeding to tell me about the hours that the staff keeps. Upon hearing this, I mentioned that they could keep the key and I would come during the hours that the staff was present.
The staff's hours were basically the expected hours. The swipe card was good for the early birds and 3 a.m. crowd.
Hampton also blamed his company's marketing department for the misprint in the rate.
Needless to say, I was smelling a rat being rotisseried. The sinking feeling of an easy, guaranteed, no-lose proposition, business deal going south was in my stomach.
The $99 offer was mentioned as being applied to me as if I were a current member. I told Hampton that I do not want to get you in trouble about the rate. I just did not see the value for the $35 increase.
$134 for an 1-year membership is almost the start up costs for both LA Fitness and Bally's.
If someone was going to pay 24-Hour Fitness rate, then they might as well join either LA Fitness or Bally's and enjoy more amenities such as a pool, sauna, more weights, racquet ball, and basketball court in spite of having to pay more money each month.
Hampton said "If you're going to a club to socialize, then those places are good for you. If you want to get in and then get out, then we are the place (to join)".
But in my opinion the bait and switch technique no longer works in the age where a disappointed nonbuyer like myself can come home within 20 minutes of the incident happening and create a blog entry for anyone in the world to see (as well as residents, potential residents, and visitors of Mableton, Smyrna, Vinings, Whitefield Academy, and surrounding area within Cobb County).
After this third recent trip to check out the local health clubs, the health club sales people are drifting into the category with politicians, lawyers, used car salesmen, and con men.
This is sad because I often have to participate within a sales role as well.
I knew what the other clubs had to offer and I was going to join this one in spite of the equipment that the smaller health club did not have. But the last minute squeeze was not going to be easily digestible at all.
I remembered while being in the club that the outside banner would not have made sense to be visible for passersby just for members only, since it would have made more sense to have such a banner within the club for only members to see.
But the lack of members, unused equipment, and ongoing overhead costs did not seem to faze Hampton.
He let me walk out of the door over a $35 unjustifiable rate increase versus honoring the rate advertised over their entrance.
He asked me if I wanted them to stay in business (if I wanted to pay only $99). I had already mentioned to my wife last night that even the $99 rate could end up as a take-the-money-and-run situation where the club goes out of business with no recourse or a greater inconvienience to go to another location.
So all in all, I guess Hampton was really doing me a favor since this location clearly cannot remain in business for long with such business practices as I have experienced firsthand.
Here is a link that I found on the topic of joining a health club:
Clark Howard
Upon entering, I met a guy named Hampton who showed me the treadmills and various weight equipment. He mentioned that there would not be the wait to use equipment as experienced in most health clubs.
He also mentioned that they have 1/10th the membership of LA Fitness.
When we sat down to talk about the rates, there was the usual one-sided conversation about multi-year memberships.
No one at a health club that I have been to recently (LA Fitness, Bally's, and 24-Hour Fitness) will mention a month-to-month membership on their own.
I then mentioned that I am interested in a month-to-month membership at which the $99 membership was stated to be for members-only, but Hampton said he could work with me.
The rate somehow went to $134 versus $99. When I asked about the $35 increase, I was told that it was for the swipe card.
After shaking my head and expressing further hesitation, Hampton asked "How much were you looking to pay?"
To this question, I said immediately "Much lower than that. What happened to the $99? I was in here last week and there was no one behind the counter."
Hampton proceeding to tell me about the hours that the staff keeps. Upon hearing this, I mentioned that they could keep the key and I would come during the hours that the staff was present.
The staff's hours were basically the expected hours. The swipe card was good for the early birds and 3 a.m. crowd.
Hampton also blamed his company's marketing department for the misprint in the rate.
Needless to say, I was smelling a rat being rotisseried. The sinking feeling of an easy, guaranteed, no-lose proposition, business deal going south was in my stomach.
The $99 offer was mentioned as being applied to me as if I were a current member. I told Hampton that I do not want to get you in trouble about the rate. I just did not see the value for the $35 increase.
$134 for an 1-year membership is almost the start up costs for both LA Fitness and Bally's.
If someone was going to pay 24-Hour Fitness rate, then they might as well join either LA Fitness or Bally's and enjoy more amenities such as a pool, sauna, more weights, racquet ball, and basketball court in spite of having to pay more money each month.
Hampton said "If you're going to a club to socialize, then those places are good for you. If you want to get in and then get out, then we are the place (to join)".
But in my opinion the bait and switch technique no longer works in the age where a disappointed nonbuyer like myself can come home within 20 minutes of the incident happening and create a blog entry for anyone in the world to see (as well as residents, potential residents, and visitors of Mableton, Smyrna, Vinings, Whitefield Academy, and surrounding area within Cobb County).
After this third recent trip to check out the local health clubs, the health club sales people are drifting into the category with politicians, lawyers, used car salesmen, and con men.
This is sad because I often have to participate within a sales role as well.
I knew what the other clubs had to offer and I was going to join this one in spite of the equipment that the smaller health club did not have. But the last minute squeeze was not going to be easily digestible at all.
I remembered while being in the club that the outside banner would not have made sense to be visible for passersby just for members only, since it would have made more sense to have such a banner within the club for only members to see.
But the lack of members, unused equipment, and ongoing overhead costs did not seem to faze Hampton.
He let me walk out of the door over a $35 unjustifiable rate increase versus honoring the rate advertised over their entrance.
He asked me if I wanted them to stay in business (if I wanted to pay only $99). I had already mentioned to my wife last night that even the $99 rate could end up as a take-the-money-and-run situation where the club goes out of business with no recourse or a greater inconvienience to go to another location.
So all in all, I guess Hampton was really doing me a favor since this location clearly cannot remain in business for long with such business practices as I have experienced firsthand.
Here is a link that I found on the topic of joining a health club:
Clark Howard
