Fitness First Shepherd’s Bush: We don’t want low-class Hammersmith types

Mouldy changing rooms

“Fabio doesn’t know anything” snarled Violet, Fitness First Shepherd’s Bush ‘Member Services Manager’ this morning, as she dismissed her colleague as “he’s just sales” for having dared to agree that I could transfer my home membership to the W12 branch yesterday.

As regular readers will know I have been going to Fitness First Shepherd’s Bush for a long time (in fact over a decade) and during that time I, along with other members who have also been there for years, have regularly complained about the mouldy showers, the cleaners who have punch-ups in the middle of the gym and the fact that the weights area never gets tidied away.

But in recent months we’ve all been quite happy – the gym has had a lick of paint and there genuinely seems to have been improvements. But now we know why. Yesterday morning I saw the ominous notice entitled “Fantastic News” which informed members that the club was now being designated a “platinum” club. In laymans terms this ‘fantastic’ news meant that if you wanted to keep going there you had to stump up a lot more money and transfer your home club to Shepherd’s Bush.

On Sunday I expressed my disappointment to Fabio, the manager on duty for the day, saying that it was a shame when those of us who had put up with the shoddy were now being cleared away once the gym appeared to be getting its act together. He agreed, and in view of the fact I have been a member for so long agreed to transfer it.

First thing in the morning - find your weights in this mess

 But it appears it’s not to be – and a trainer I spoke to this morning after receiving Violet’s narrow-eyed tongue lashing, revealed what this was really about. He’d also complained because by forcing people out trainers like him, who pay the club a monthly fee, will lose clients. The answer he received from the club's management revealed a lot – he was told that Fitness First want Shepherd’s Bush to have a “higher class of member”, and they’d specifically referred to the Hammersmith club as having a “lower class” who they wanted to stop coming.

As I was leaving our friend Violet simply said "if you don't like it complain to Head Office" - I have to say when they employ people like her, and take decisions like this, what on earth would be the point?

So there we have it folks – you put up with rubbish service for a decade, loyally stay put, and then when Fitness First decide you are too ‘lower class’, you’re shown the door. As I said a long time ago, it’s Fitness First, Service Last.

Now then, anyone got a recommendation for gyms in Shepherd's Bush?