Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › RANT: West Seattle Health Club
- This topic has 23 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by WestSeaJW.
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February 24, 2016 at 12:52 pm #834977
Schmitz Park DadParticipantI am a long-time member of this club and recently received an offer to receive 2 months free if I prepaid for 10 months. This sounded like a good deal, so I contacted the club to take them up on the offer and pay for the 10 months via my credit card. They said I need to come in and cannot do this over the phone (disappointing). OK, so I drove to the club to pay for something I could easily pay for over the phone. When I arrived, I was then told I had to fill out a new application, even though I am an existing member (complete waste of time).
After filling out the new application, I was then told I need to pay a new $100 “maintenance” fee (huh?). I explained that I already paid the maintenance fee for the year and had no interest in paying two $100 maintenance fees in less than one year. They explained that I need to pay the new $100 maintenance fee since I was getting a new membership (huh?). I explained that the only reason I was getting a new membership is because they were making me get a new membership. They said, sorry if you want to take advantage of our “great” offer, you need to become a new member and pay the second $100 maintenance fee in less than one year (seriously?). I explained that paying an additional $100 maintenance fee negates the benefit of two months free. They said, sorry that is our policy.
This is either the worst promotion ever, or a very sketchy and deceitful promotion. I wrote a letter to West Seattle Health Club management expressing my disappointment, which they have completely ignored.
Shame on you West Seattle Health Club. After all the members have been through over the recent past, one would think you could treat your members a little better. I am currently looking into a membership at the new LA Fitness health club in West Seattle.
February 24, 2016 at 1:03 pm #834978
CMPParticipantWas there any fine print about the offer being for new members only? If not, that would be irritating. Anyway, kudos to you for sticking with that place, I quit years ago.
February 24, 2016 at 1:24 pm #834979
JTBParticipantIt’s really disappointing to hear about this as the club has made such good progress in getting the physical operation up to speed.
When I received an email about a membership deal I thought it was a bit odd they were sending something to a current member that seemed targeted to new ones. I see why they wanted you to come in and sign new paperwork rather than take care of it over the phone—-it really wasn’t a benefit for current members.
My sense is there are some things that take place there from time to time that aren’t the result of a deliberate attempt to deceive or misrepresent as much as a stemming from a well-intended but limited management team, if “team” is even the right word.February 24, 2016 at 3:53 pm #835001
Schmitz Park DadParticipantWhat’s even more humorous, or sad, it that the first letter I wrote was sent back to me “return to sender” as if they saw it was a letter to management and did not want to deal with a complaint.
February 24, 2016 at 4:37 pm #835005
blblParticipantIt was obviously a new membership aimed at new members. The fact they were honoring it at all for you is above reasonable. I quit the last club after the drama and sued the prior owner so I am skeptical at best, but I love the West Seattle Health Club. The pool area sparkles, there’s a beautiful new steamroom, they bought a swimsuit spinner, they just opened a juice bar, the kids club is clean and great, the equipment is abundant and clean, and I love every staff person there. Plus, I’m paying less than I was at Anytime Fitness.
February 24, 2016 at 7:47 pm #835012
birdrescuerParticipantI love the club for all the reasons listed above. I have found the staff fun, helpful and very kind. This sounds like a “perfect storm” type of situation. Perhaps a new person????
If there is a problem I suggest you talk directly to the manager. She is very accessible and very lovely.February 25, 2016 at 1:06 pm #835077
Schmitz Park DadParticipantThey emailed the offer to me via the email address that I provided for my membership, so it is not “obviously” aimed at new members. The offer was also posted in areas of the club where only existing members would see it. And it is not “above reasonable” that they are offering this to existing members as there is really no savings when they try to screw existing members for additional maintenance fees already paid.
It looks like a ploy to get cash up front from members for the year. Hopefully this facility is not having financial troubles again.
February 26, 2016 at 12:42 pm #835165
Schmitz Park DadParticipantJust received an email stating that dues are increasing 5%. Definitely time to look for a new club.
February 26, 2016 at 2:37 pm #835182
JTBParticipantI’m fine with a monthly increase of $2.50 per month. They clearly are implying the increase it to help with increasing wages for the employees, so I certainly hope that is the case.
Otherwise, I agree the “deal” for paying an annual fee was handled awkwardly. Still, I’m happy with the improvements and continuing expansion of services.
March 11, 2016 at 12:22 pm #836783
westseattlehcParticipantTo Mr. Dickinson (Schmitz Park Dad). First of all we never received your letters. The mail service has been an issue for well over as year, with mail being returned to senders, as yours was. We’ve tried to resolve this to no avail and in fact I’ve had to have our suppliers and even utilities mail to my home address.
I’m disappointed in Mr Dickinson’s methods and mode of complaining. In my opinion there are two types of people in this world – Fireman or arsonists. If you felt strongly enough about it and you didn’t get a response from a letter or it was returned rather than assume the worst and take your comments to a blog wouldn’t it make sense to actually call the club and ask for someone that could address your concerns. It would appear that Mr. Dickinson is more of an arsonist than a fireman. In fact, we respond to every comment we get and I personally have my business card at the front desk so anyone can contact me directly. We pride ourselves on transparent communication and run an ethical straight up business. I understand that the members have had poor management of the club in the past but just assuming we are the same is not fair. We aren’t and have proven this by turning the club around as we have this past year.
To answer his concerns directly: We do not take payment information over the phone at the front desk for obvious reasons. Membership contracts require a signature to be binding, even of its a renewal – that’s State law. Inconvenient yes but its a safety measure for the customers as well as the business. Secondly, regarding the enhancement fee – that is paid by every member every year and those fees go directly back into the clubs facility – and I mean every penny. This is not an annual fee that most other clubs charge which is just another profit center and goes into their pockets. These are funds that are earmarked for fitness equipment, facility upgrades, additional amenities that members request. This fee is paid up front when someone purchases a year paid-in-full as Mr. Dickinson was attempting to do, or at the time of a membership renewal. Monthly members pay this either in May or November depending on when they joined. Mr. Dickinson paid his enhancement fee in either of those months for the 2015 calendar year. When he was switching to a year paid in-full for 2016 he would have had to pay the fee upfront for the year.
My point being that if you have an issue rather than being an arsonist and just complaining to anyone that will listen if you actually want resolution why not be a fireman and reach out for resolution by someone that can help?
March 11, 2016 at 12:43 pm #836785
Schmitz Park DadParticipantWhat Mr. Lear does not seem to realize is that I wrote three letters to him, and the only response I ever received was a phone call from Mr. Lear today yelling at me for making a post on the West Seattle blog about my experience at West Seattle Health Club. I had put the phone on speaker so my wife could hear the call, as it was a very disturbing. Not once during the call did Mr. Lear attempt to discuss any of the concerns I raised in the most recent 2-page letter I took time to write to him. Very sad and disturbing behavior.
March 11, 2016 at 1:26 pm #836794
westseattlehcParticipantthat’s ridiculous! I’ve ONLY RECIVED THIS MOST RECENT LETTER. Furthermore I didn’t yell but I certainly called you out for not being a man enough to come in and try to get answers to your questions. Just complaining rather than seeking resolution – that’s disappointing.
March 11, 2016 at 1:59 pm #836797
shed22ParticipantNever will I do business with West Seattle Health Club after reading the health club’s official response here. It’s alarming that any business would respond to a customer complaint by complaining about the customer. Instead of being disappointed, you should be ashamed and embarrassed.
March 11, 2016 at 4:11 pm #836807
KK50ParticipantWow, wow, wow!!
The response from WS Health club is beyond aggressive and unprofessional.
I would absolutely NEVER recommend them to anyone.March 11, 2016 at 5:29 pm #836809
JTBParticipantIt seems to me that Schmitz Park Dad had no interest in working out a resolution with WSHC by the time he posted his rant. He was done with the club. So it therefore seems Mr. Lear should have realized he was only adding fuel to the fire with his response, that there was no useful point in trying to admonish Schmitz Park Dad.
Otherwise, it was good to have some clarification about the rationale for the maintenance fee. My sense is there would have been room to negotiate some pro rata credit for whatever portion of the prior maintenance fee would have been in effect at the time a new agreement was issued. But that would have required a different tact by everyone.
I think that given the steady work Mr. Lear and his team have done to restore the West Seattle Health Club to very good operational condition following the terrible mess left by Sam Adams, it’s not hard to understand why he would be so put off by reading the rant here. That’s not to excuse the choice to add fuel to the already burning fire as much as to say I can understand it.
Again, it’s always sad to see people opt for conflict when the opportunities for resolution seem so obvious.
- This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by JTB.
March 12, 2016 at 9:23 am #836865
aaParticipantI am one of the many ex AllStar members who long for days gone by. This new owner, Mr Angry Namecaller should have known better. I imagine he has worked hard and spent a lot of money . I went in a few months ago to check on improvements as I have done occasionally through the years and what I found in the locker room was the same but worse from time-black mold on the shower benches, the smell combo of bleach and mildew, and my personal pet peeve is a corner of the wall that has a hole from broken sheetrock that has been there for 10 years!! I didn’t even bother looking at the rest of the gym. Done for me. Hope the owner finds a way to reduce stress, exercise maybe?
March 16, 2016 at 7:31 am #837340
GreystreetParticipantSchmitz Park Dad, I’m not sure what I would be more upset about–the fact that the Club Mgr used your name in the reply or his utterly unprofessional response. I am sorry you experienced this behavior. I left when it was still AllStar and joined the YMCA, a much more reputable establishment albeit crowded at times but it’s reno is beginning this spring at the West Seattle Location. That property is toxic and it seems as though the toxins are beginning to infiltrate the honest business practices of the current administration. Godspeed fellow WS’er.
March 19, 2016 at 10:13 am #837722
jissyParticipantWOW, Mr. Lear needs some serious Customer Service classes via Business 101.
March 19, 2016 at 11:07 am #837723
JTBParticipantAs a member of All Star Fitness then West Seattle Athletic Club and now West Seattle Health Club, I’m hard pressed to appreciate why people are so eager to jump all over the current operation. Dredging up problems from All Star, even before the Sam Adams fiasco, seems irrelevant to what is going on now.
Yeah, Schmitz Park Dad was put off by the clumsy marketing effort behind the one year membership offer and rather than recognize it as obviously not appropriate for current members as did I and a number of other commenters, he lost, in my opinion, the opportunity to negotiate a deal and posted his rant here instead. Mr. Lear became angry with the public ire and expressed his own irritation in a way that wasn’t well considered. Not a wise decision and an indication of someone not accustomed to handling public communications which, surprise, surprise, a community forum is.
Nevertheless, the club has been restored to the kind of operating condition it has long needed, new equipment has been acquired, new staff is in place, the sauna and steam room have been refinished, and the swimmers I talk with all comment on the good quality of the pool. I listened in on a conversation with the inspector for King County Health Department last week as she reviewed her findings on the pool with a maintenance manager, so I know the water quality is up to standard. I simply think referring to issues that are many months and even many years old for heaven’s sake seems pointless at best. The most frequent comments I hear from other members is how pleased they are that this club has regained the operational condition that had been lost.
Otherwise some members like to read in the sauna and complain about others chatting, and at least one member is put off by kids yelling in the pool on weekends. I suppose it’s debatable as to whether a sauna is a library or a social setting or if kids should be seen and not heard as they splash in a pool. But I find it enjoyable that a local business has begun to regain some of the standing it should have as part of the community and I encourage anyone with questions or doubts to check it out for themselves rather than rely on comments that are woefully out of date.
March 25, 2016 at 4:06 am #838385
WestSeattleLAfitnessGMParticipantFrankly, not to kick a dog while they’re down (but I am in sales) So not to seem smarmy. However, I would absolutely never call out a member publically. It’s very unprofessional, obviously, the new owners aren’t the old ones. I am shocked that you would comment this way. When you clearly had the members information to contact them versues publically grandstanding. This was all for show, as is what I’m stating. I just have a little more humanity.
FYI… Plot twist… I am the General Manager of LA Fitness. Feel free to call the club and ask for Stephen (myself) , Zach, Jason or Christopher, all managers listed in the club that are happy help with anything.
March 25, 2016 at 9:39 pm #838479
WSG12ParticipantWow. I was considering joining this health club with friends of mine, but after reading through this thread, this is certainly not going to happen.
I doubt behaving in such a way publicly will attract any new comers.March 26, 2016 at 6:37 pm #838560
birdrescuerParticipantOne person had a bad experience. That’s it. MANY of us are very happy with the club. The people are fun and pleasant and very helpful. The energy at the club is up beat and warm and friendly. Don’t take one person’s rant and assume there is not another side. Come to the club and check it out. Puleez, let’s end this rant.
March 30, 2016 at 2:49 am #838810
Junction JoeParticipantThe club itself is fine. Although I am not thrilled with their raising annual dues over double the cost of inflation.
What struck me most after reading through this thread is the owner’s response……calling the member names then questioning his manhood. I have never seen quite a response from a business. It seems the owner could benefit from both management and anger management training.
April 29, 2016 at 2:40 pm #842081
WestSeaJWParticipantWOW. The more I look online, the more reports I see of the VP of this club’s rudeness and poor customer service. I’ve definitely got my own story to add. Details to follow. Because I’m “man enough” to be honest (very female biologically).
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