Gold's Gym Sucks | TerrellT / Philen

Mr. Terrell Philen, CEO:

My name is Edward Aguirre and I would like to share my completely horrible, and absolutely unprofessional experience I had with one of your so-called managers at the local Gold’s Gym in Taylorsville, Utah. This gym has just barely opened and I was seriously considering getting a membership there since it is a short distance from my home. I went in on May 8th to inquire about the promotions available when I was led to a manager named Art. I was unable to get a last name since he did not even have the common courtesy to introduce himself. We got through talking about the ‘pennies for pounds’ special promotion and he told me it would come out to be $27 a month for 2 years and a $1.70 processing fee since I weigh 170 lbs. In the end, the price for a 2 year membership would be well over $600 so I decided it was a little out of my price range. I told him that I just wanted to come in and get some details about pricing and maybe take a tour, which he never even gave me or offered. After I told him it was kind of out of my price range, his attitude changed and I really felt like he didn’t care about me. From the beginning, I noticed his attitude was not professional at all. He asked me “what do I gotta do to get you signed up today?” I told him that I wanted to look at other gyms nearby and see what they had to offer. After that, his attitude got even more careless and rude. Bothered that I didn’t want to sign up at that very moment, he picked up the paper he had written out the plan and jotted notes down for me, and leaned over to throw it away. I quickly asked him if I could take it with me so I had something in writing and if I decided to come in, I would have something in reference to the conversation. He rudely said, “well that’s our promotion for now so you can take this other paper and if you decide you can bring that back,” and he threw the paper with all the notes away and gave me a blank paper with the promotion but no pricing or anything. I noticed his change of attitude so I politely said, “okay thank you very much,” and pushed the paper back towards him. I then got up and began to leave when I noticed 2 friends of mine who were working out about 10 feet from where Art and I had our conversation. I approached my friends and I then heard Art say, “hey, you gotta leave, you have to pay to get in here!” I didn’t want to cause a scene so I just began to leave the gym. He then walked next to me and said, “if you’re gonna be a dick, then you gotta leave!” I could not believe what he said to me. I work in customer service and for him to be a manager and speak to customers in that tone and with that language is completely inexcusable. I then proceeded out of the gym completely shocked as to what had happened. I then ended up visiting the Excel spa and fitness gym nearby and ended up filling out the paper work and getting a membership there for less than what Gold’s wanted and with the respect I think I deserve as a customer. I was so irate on how I was treated by Art that I returned to the Gold’s Gym just so I could show Art how he had lost another customer by the way he had treated me. As soon as he saw me he quickly told me to leave. I told him how unprofessional and rude he was and how he would continue to lose customers by his actions and unfriendly manner. He then told me to; “get the fuck out of here” I then looked over at the 3 workers at the front desk who witnessed him say that to me, and told them how they had a “great manager, one who was very professional for his position as a manager.” Meanwhile he kept yelling and swearing at me so I began swearing back telling him to, “go fuck himself” and how I would “love to speak to his superior just so I can tell him what kind of manager he was.” Another worker there then jumped in out of nowhere and told me once again to “get the fuck out of here” and he began threatening me as if he was going to physically harm me. I told him to “mind his god damn business.” This all occurred in front of other Gold’s Gym employees and customers coming in and out of the gym. Art then followed me out to the parking lot and once outside of the gym he kept yelling and swearing at me, all in front of people coming in and out of the gym. I finished off by telling Art to go “buy some rogaine,” and he shouted “come say that to my fucking face!” I asked him, “do you wanna fight me or something,” and then I told him “kicking your ass is not worth the time or jail to me” and “I’m am done with you and Gold’s Gym” and “fuck you and fuck Gold’s Gym!” He and the other worker there both went back inside and I left. I intend to follow up on this matter to the best of my abilities and I will be calling the corporate office as well as filing a complaint with the Attorney General and Better Business Bureau. I had heard about how terrible Gold’s Gym was with its customers and how they treated their customers badly, but I thought they were just rumors. Never did I ever think I would experience it for myself. The way I was treated is completely unacceptable and if Art’s supervisor were present at this altercation, he would definitely be terminated. Art does not belong at the manager position, where people skills, leadership, and experience are valuable to be a successful manager. I have and will continue to tell everyone I know about my experience and will definitely not recommend anyone to Gold’s Gym. I will be expecting a response and I want to say that I am not expecting or looking for anything other than that some sort of action will be taken on this matter. One unhappy guest of Gold’s Gym, Edward Aguirre