A few months ago when I started working in PJ, I had a strong urge to go to the gym. My body is really out of shape (was it ever in shape anyway?) and I really had to do something about it. I must have looked like I am a couple of months pregnant with my belly sticking out. I need a solution quick before my “water breaks”.
The True Fitness center at Jaya 33 Petaling Jaya is nearby where I work and the place looked really amazing from the outside. I was very much tempted to have a peak at the inside. One day after work, I drop by the fitness centre to have a look at their facilities and what packages they have to offer. The place is truly amazing. They even have an open air swimming pool on the forth floor. There is also a spa there. However, Homo sapiens with scrotums are not allowed in it. Damn it.
After the tour, I sat down together with the counselor and discussed about the packages. I was offered quite an affordable deal but I still wasn’t sure if I really needed/wanted it. I do not want to tie myself down with a contract and end up not fully utilizing the gym. I told him I will think about it and left.
A few weeks later, I was fortunate enough to be able to get my hands on a coupon with a 1 month “free” full-membership access trial. I bought it from a friend for RM30. I wonder why they call it FREE. KNN.
Moving on…
I packed my bag and headed to the gym happily knowing that I will be able to try it out for one month before signing anything. Little did I know what was waiting for me.
I was served by a different counselor this time. After showing me around the fitness centre (again — it is their procedure), I told her I did not want to sign up yet and wanted to try it out for a month before deciding. She excused herself and went into the office, only to return with a more senior employee. That was when I started feeling extremely uncomfortable — very much like having something stuck up in my arse.
This guy was very pushy. “Shooting” me with all the sales talk he must have learnt from the “Sales Talk Boot Camp”. Even after 10 to 15 minutes of saying NO, I was still getting no where with my membership trial. It felt very much like being cheated into thinking I was getting a free shag but only to be told to sign a commitment letter while having to pay for the service monthly. Well, at least I am guaranteed of several humping sessions per week for the next 12 months, right? F…
After deep consideration between tearing the free 1 month True Fitness membership coupon and signing up for a 12 months package, I decided on the latter. I really needed and wanted to workout. The bitterness I felt was simply due to how I was coaxed into signing up.
After getting home, I didn’t feel any better after finding out numerous complaints about True Fitness over the Internet. I felt miserable. I then called one of my best butt friends whom have been a gym-goer for the past 3 years or so. I told him about my experience at True Fitness and this was (more or less) what he said.
The tactics used by the sales people is common. They will try their best to push their customers to sign up. Since you had a 1 month free pass, they will be multiple times more pushy on you.
The tsunami feeling I had in me suddenly disappeared. I was enlightened. “No wonder that fella was so damn blardy pushy lah!”, I told him. After that conversation, I no longer have the bitterness I had earlier on.
It is now over one and a half months since I started working out at True Fitness. I have to say that apart from not being able to save a little more each month, I have no regrets in joining this fitness centre. There aren’t any hard feelings between me and the “pushy guy”. In fact, he is a pretty nice guy whom I have had a few good chats with in the past few weeks. I even thanked him for being pushy on me.
I wouldn’t completely write off the complaints targeted at True Fitness though. When there is smoke, there must be fire. To be fair to them, I am sure other fitness centers such as Fitness First, California Fitness etc do have their critics and complaints as well.
Some of the things I learnt from this experience include, read and understand the damn contract before signing it, never tell them that you have a credit card (if you do not want to sign up) and just be thick skin and tell them straight in the face that you are just there for the free trial, nothing more.
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