LA Fitness - if you say so (LA Fitness in general)

Member Name: haydn96

Product:	LA Fitness in general
Date:	26/09/08 (163 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Your health and fitness

Disadvantages: Management carparking staff need I say more

Well LA fitness first came to Sale in south Manchester a number of years ago and took the place albeit in the same buiding as the old Liberty's night club and the even older Odeon cinema. It is therefore a pretty large building and impressive once your inside with the circle from the cinema still being in place and therefore when you are up there, which is where the spinning bikes and therefore the spinning sessions are at the moment you have some sort of view so to speak. The classes I found usually were well filled although not full during the day but at night they were packed and booking is advisabe. The quality of the various sessions generally seems to differ dependant on the particular instructer taking the class. Some instructers are a lot more interested in helping the clients get healthier and fitter (oh isnt that what they are supposed to do) and others just seem to go through the motions with little or no motivation towards the customer. A little off putting to say the least.

The car park was aways packed and not very easy to park in in a number or the spaces due to the lay out. The barrier of the car park is frequently getting jammed meaning that it also out of action frequently and as a result free car parking becomes available for the town's shoppers, no other free carparking in the area being available. The car park is difficult to get into and out of due to there being a rather narrow entrance and the exit being on a one way street which people try to cut down the wrong way to save the extra 1/2 mile by having to travel around town to enter it from the right direction. To ensure that shoppers do not use the car park an £80 car parking fine was brought in. However on more than one occassion when staff did not take my details down correctly when I entered the gym I even as a member had a letter informing me of an £80 fine. Although this was quickly dropped as soon as I approached them it was none the less an inconvenience and an embrarrasment. The car park also lacks security although does have very limited CCTV coverage, and cars suffer repeated break ins and damage.

I found the membership was seriously overpriced right down to the children of members swimming in a pool the size of a puddle to the creche, the towels, bags and drinks, the clothing and other equipement etc. Similar membership in other local gyms could be found at half the price.

The facilties were spacious although due to the lighting seemed a little dim, there are no windows in the buiding to speak of. The changing rooms generally clean although not really spoltless as you would expect in a gym. The receptionists generally didnt have a clue about fitness or reception duties for that matter and you are frequently left waiting going cold after a fitness session whilst they finish chatting on the phone to collect your membership card.

The towels on offer free with the LA wide membership are generally soft although the white has now turned to grey.

At weekends the staff with the keys seem to generally be late and the building never seems to be open at 7 like it should be because of this....surely the building should be open and up and running for the weekend opening time of 7 not the staff arriveing at 7.30 to open up.

I also found that they are very lax at sorting out any problems you might have, changing direct debit details being one issue I personally have had a problem with creating a missed payment through no fault of my own I might add, thus creating a suspended membership due to late payment and subsequently a call from a debt collector...all within 7 days of the payment being missed...and I reiterate through no fault of my own. Again highly inconvenient and embarrassing. Considering how expensive the monthly fees are they do nothing to ensure that you recieve a qualtiy service. Generally gym ettiquette is kept to but not always.. customers are suppose to spend a short time on a particular piece of equipment and then move on. This does not always happen and making the fact known regarding frequent perpatrators does not seem to make any difference.

Membership seems to vary and dependant who you speak to the same membership seems to vary by up to £30 per month. Starting at around £35 and going up to £65 and varying for no reason at all. Special deals can occasionally be had by spkeaking to the right member of staff although the availablily of deas seems to be dependant upon the need to meet targets. The staff who do personal training seem to offer personal training in your own home as an optional extra although this seems to be a means of making money on the side rather than reporting it to the tax man..my opinion nothing more.

The range of equipment is good and varied as is the gener

The staff were always neatly dressed and all areas seemed faritly tidy although not particularly clean

An expensive waste of money if you ask me

Summary: not the best by far