I just joined Gold’s Gym. I paid the “enrollment fee” of $59 and then came home, thought about checking to see what the hours were, and found out there is a “$0 enrolllment” fee in effect now. My salesperson, “Matt,” said he “lowered” the fee from $59 to $29, but still, it pisses me off. Matt was great. Friendly, personable, relaxed and very, very good at what he does. And up until I found out he charged me the fee without telling me there was a “$0″ enrollment special (I asked about specials) I felt pretty good about Gold’s.

Now I don’t. From here on out I will probably NOT buy any extra services, because, well, I’ll feel like I’m being cheated, taken advantage of or lied to. Now, I know every business has to make money, but in the days of the internet, it’s easier than ever to find out how you missed out on a deal. I specifically asked about deals and specials and mentioned that C’Ville didn’t have an enrollment fee. So I’m disappointed. He might have made $29, but he’s lost so much more. I’ve been cheated right off the bat. So, I’ll warn other people to check the website and to push for the details and prices. No one likes to feel cheated. Should I have negotiated better? Why should I have to? Isn’t being honest and asking honest questions enough? Apparently not.

Businesses, just be upfront with your costs, your boundaries, your specials. Don’t wring a few extra bucks out of someone to make money in the short run, then cost yourself hundreds or thousands of dollars in the long run. Building loyalty is based on trust on putting your customer’s best interests FIRST. Now there’s an adversarial relationship - I feel like the ground rules have been established - Gold’s will try to get the most $$$ out of me that they can. So I don’t feel compelled so much to refer people because I don’t want others to be treated like this and get pissed at me.

Do you hate it when a company - and health clubs are notorious for doing this - think more about your money than you? I sure do.