Tuesday, October 03, 2006
PR Can't Spin Gym's Service
If you join Bally's Total Fitness, the only thing guaranteed to get lighter is your wallet. The company is starting an integrated online, TV and print campaign (per Brandweek) that shows how one happy customer (maybe THE happy customer) has dropped 30 pounds by working out at Bally's.But Bally's continues to have a poor (a generous adjective) record on trapping customers into long-term contracts. Bally's has been successfully sued by the Attorney General of New York and several other states for using deceptive practices in cornering new customers. Gym members have no recourse but to keep paying or have Bally's harass you by phone or damage your credit rating, and I have personal experience to verify that they only care about money.
According to the Miami Herald, Bally's is still up to their dirty tricks. The bad word of mouth will overcome any PR campaign. Bally's is not alone -- many gym companies are notorious for locking in people and forcing them to pay dues even if they are disabled, out of the country, or pregnant.
Just like when you go to jail, when you sign up for a gym you are forced to hand over your wallet and sentenced to months of hell. If a customer-friendly gym ever launched, they'd clean up.
Posted By John Gartner at 01:33 PM
Permanent Link: PR Can't Spin Gym's Service
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