Kosher Gym sold to a [gentile]!

PIP

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 5:29 pm

Did ya hear? Kosher Gym sold to some [gentile] franchise! They say now it'll be like any other gym besides for the separate rooms for men and ladies. I wonder what the staff is going to be like? I'm glad I wasn't renewing my membership! (It's not like I went in the past 6 months while I actually HAVE my membership! Wink

)

flowerpower

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 8:11 pm

I guess they weren't doing too well. Maybe it will be even better, ya neve know.

Chocoholic

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 8:18 pm

If it keeps being seperate, I don't really see the problem. But then again, I am not heimish.

amother

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 8:51 pm

I dont think it will really make that much of a diffrence to the people doing exercise..

I go to the kosher gym because I want a seperate gym everything else I really dont care about...

tovasmom

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 9:18 pm

It seemed to me that they bit off more than they could chew with the new building construction and the pool idea. the construction took longer than it was supposed to and as with most projects of this type, there probably were cost overruns. The pool (which was supposed to open months ago) has still not opened according to dh. In this type of situation it is not unexpected that the club would be sold. I used to be a member but I was so disgusted by the way that was handled with the reduced hours last summer I did not renew my membership. As I recall, though, in the ladies gym there was a pretty heimishe crowd which worked out in skirts and were pretty vehement regarding not wanting any inappropriate music there. I even remember one petition geared to one instructor who brought what was termed to be inappropriate music for a class. The changes promised in the e-mail which went to the membership (non-jewish ownership, inappropriate music and dress) will not play well with the core audience.

Cdlf

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 9:34 pm

But maybe the staff will be nicer!! If anybody ever had a complaint there you'll know exactly what I mean!!!

PIP

Mon, Jul 14 2008, 10:00 pm

difr, don't even go there!!!!!! I still have a headache!!
They weren't doing well since they opened up.
Such a shame though, I wish they were able to make their whole Mega fitness gym, it sounded soo nice!!
A lot of people dropped out when they went to the new gym. The other gym was soo much nicer!
What if the some of the new workers are men? They won't make an announcement before he comes in, I'll tell ya that! not to mention the music will probably be gross, and there wont be anymore Torah Tapes to listen to!

amother

Tue, Jul 15 2008, 11:37 pm

Anyone going into business would do well to study their downfall. They were so arrogant and ignored their core clientele. Everyone wanted a good deal, but people would have been willing to pay a reasonable price for reasonable service. Like someone else said I didn't renew becausxe of the way they handled the move and I'm so happy that I didnt

Someone else pleaseeeee open.

Twizzlers

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 12:47 pm

as per the email I got this morning:

"As you probably know by know the gym is in the process of a change of ownership. We have received many emails, noted "blogs" and posters being hung with incite the public with inaccurate information.

We want to share with you our perspective, responsibility and response to the public outrage about the gym being sold to a corporate entity.

IWe want to start by explaining to you that owning this gym has been very challenging. An environment exists at the gym where "members feels as if they own the gym and does as they please", making management and enforcing policies extremely difficult. Then when we do enforce things we become the "bad guys".

Over the past 5 years we have poured over four million dollars into the gym in order to improve it, and give members what they want, from a small gym with shared hours for men and women that had a bunch of old and broken equipment to what it is now, where each gym has full time hours and is twice as large as the old one.

Regardless, most of our members has continually complained, whether we've had 3 simultaneous front desk receptionists to greet them, full time courtesy floor trainers, full day babysitting, marble clad locker rooms, expensively finished workout areas, and top of the line equipment. And certainly, everyone wants a lower price and constantly bargains over everything.

We have really had enough dealing with our thousands of members "AKA owners" who no matter what we do are unhappy, be it too hot or too cold, gym being too big or two small, music to loud or too low, TV's on or TV's off, the list doesn't end.

What has really "broken the camels back" is in taking our members to Bais Din over issues that we have determined are actions and violations of the agreement they signed, which have caused us significant monetary damages.

Instead of going to Bais Din in order to determine the truth, they have decided to launch a campaign against the gym that we are extorting money from them - calling us crooks and all kinds of other derogatory names - before going to Bais Din.

We challenge any of these people who have received these hasmonah's, and who claim we are wrong and extorting them, to go to Bais Din and see who's wrong before slandering the gym and its principals. If the gym loses in Bais Din as they are so confident, then the gym will be responsible for all their legal and bais din fees, and then if they want to make public the ruling of the Bais Din, that's fine too.

In fact if we are happy publicize any case that goes to Bais Din in the media at our expense. Whether we win or lose!

Once we determined that we wanted to relieve ourselves of the gym, we looked for a fitting company to acquire the gym. Our primary concern was a company that would operate the gym as a men's and women's only club, as that is primary what sets us apart from other gyms.

We are currently in the final stages of a deal with a national fitness chain to acquire the gym, who will maintain the gym as a separate club.

I understand that many of you are "outraged" at the "chillul HaShem" we are creating by selling to a corporate entity. Below you will find a detailed list of concerns that I have addressed.

After conversations with our Rabbinical Advisory Board, and out of our deep respect for those of you who want to maintain the gym in a manner that will benefit the community, and keep the gym at a high standard of Yidishkeit, we are putting our sale on temporarily hold for a 2 week period. This period will allow a buyer or group of buyers the chance to consider the possibility of acquiring the gym instead.

We are not looking to "let anyone down" by our sale, rather, it as become too much for us to deal with anymore. Certainly a frum ownership would be a better service to the community.

If you are serious about exploring this possibility, please send an email within the next 7 days to Susan Kaefer at susank@kgfit.com. Please do not send emails with any other issues as she will ignore them. There is a department that already handles that."

and just as an added peice of info, I spoke to a staff member today who said that the jewish babysitter will probably stay - and not be replaced by a [gentile].

PIP

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 1:17 pm

Funny, I didn't get any email.

The fact that they feel they need to defend themselves just shows how unprofessional they are. Blame the customers for their selling? Come on! Don't advertise a gorgeous Mega Fitness Gym w\ a spa, and juice bar, a pool, and salon and then come up w\ a warehouse w\ a bunch of machines. Ridiculous!
Every business has their annoying customers, that's part of business! Deal with it! You think companies just shut down because of some annoying customers? Please! They had no money because everyone who saw the disgusting "Mega Fitness Gym" left and canceled their membership!
Asking for better deals? Did ya ever hear of bargaining? Grow up every business has customers who try that. If ya don't want to discount, Don't discount! And don't go saying I'll give you a great deal blah blah and make it sound so cheap until you look at your credit card and they're charging away even though you paid in full!!! They weren't honest, weren't accommodating, the only thing I liked about the gym were the sweet babysitters!

Maybe this new place will make it nice like it SHOULD'VE been! and maybe they'll actually have half decent customer service!
Now don't get me wrong I am by far the most unpickiest person there is. I go exercise, and come home. But the way they act is by far terrible! do they really think people will say Oh yeah KG you're right, now that you put it that way? After this email? Too many cooks spoil the broth. Stop trying so hard it's not helping!

octopus

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 2:24 pm

I once was a member of the kosher gym. And yes prettyinpink, I agree that an email like that is totally unprofessional. I found that they made mistakes charging my credit card, and they were not accomodating. When an instructor did not show up, they found no replacement, but cancelled the class! When I inquired at the front desk, they were like, "oh, well, the instructor said last class, that she wasn't going to be here this week." Well... you're assuming that I was there last week too, and I was not! and if a class is cancelled- how about email me? or at least put a sign up on the main floor that it is cancelled, so that I don't end up waiting 15 minutes and then realize!
The trainer that was supposed to give me the "oreintation" made me feel like a fat blob, even though I just had a baby 7 weeks ago. Plus I had to come in twice for the orientation, b/c the first time the trainer didn't show up! so call me, for goodness sakes, so that I don't have to leave my newborn child unnecessarily!
I thought I was treated shabbily, and that they just took my money every month.
And those annoying pre-recorded calls I kept on getting "this is avi from the kosher gym.." telling me about the great deals I can get- hello! I paid already! I got a crummy deal- why are you telling me that I was a fool and couldve gotten a better one???!!!

faigie

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 7:07 pm

reality check.
they bit off more then they could chew.
they just didnt have the capital to turn that warehouse into ahuge complex with a pool.
I was sick of paying xtra high dues,, when lucille roberts had far better prices.
they shoulda stayed on coney.

red sea

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 9:58 pm

faige, perfectly said, they shoulda made no changes, everyone was pretty happy on coney.

octopus

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 9:59 pm

isn't it weird that they made, at first, such a big deal that they were going to have two separate buildings for men and women, and then they go make a mega gym for both???
It makes me think that they knew they were going to sell.....

creativemommyto3

Wed, Jul 16 2008, 11:48 pm

I don't think that the email was unprofessional at all.

Is it possible that the complaints that were made were not made in a very nice way?

To me from that email it would seem that these ppl worked very hard to make the gym a really nice place and all they got was nasty complaints.

IMHO, it looks like they felt like they were dealing with a bunch of spoiled ppl.

red sea

Thu, Jul 17 2008, 8:06 am

creativemommyto3 wrote:

It could be some individuals werent nice, sure, but they were not dealing with a bunch of spoiled people. They were dealing with a bunch of really unhappy consumers. They bought a nice gym that everyone was pretty happy with and took away almost everything that made people like it. Imho, the people managing it must've had insufficient gym experience.

PIP

Thu, Jul 17 2008, 1:17 pm

creativemommyto3 wrote:

You've never been there have you? They were sneaky right from the start which CAUSED the complaints!
They moved from Coney because it was costing them 25,000 a month and the couldn't afford it. They offered so much and didn't have the means to pay for it, so instead of dealing with it the right way, they scammed everyone and charged the CC to get more money hoping no one would notice. Then when people complain they blame the customers Rolling Eyes

Pathetic.

creativemommyto3

Thu, Jul 17 2008, 1:22 pm

I was never there .. now that I know the story it make sense what you are saying,,but if someone would read that email they would think the same as me.

PIP

Thu, Jul 17 2008, 1:46 pm

That is what they're trying to do, they know it'll end up on blogs and such so they're trying to make themselves look better. It didn't work though- You gotta see all the comments people make about them. There is NOT ONE nice comment!!! It's so sad, for both sides.

bubby

Thu, Jul 17 2008, 3:21 pm

DH & I had a summer membership a few years back. As is always the case with me, I quit going a few weeks later, but DH stayed & enjoyed it very much.

Reading the posts brought back some memories..cancelled classes, unhelpful receptionist, & constant "Hi, this is Avi from the Kosher Gym" phone messages.

I didn't know they were selling, though. But I am surprised at this very blunt & unprofessional email. It's quite true, in the service industry there are always dissatisfied clients, & when they're frum Jews... Rolling Eyes

There is a need in the community for totally separate gyms, staffed accordingly. This blob should have stuck with it. Where's my chocolate???