Why do I Hate Personal Trainers? Special Report from an Investigator
First off; I don’t hate all personal trainers. Just 80% of them. If you’re a honest personal trainer and take offense to my statement, I apologize. I’ve been to over 10 health clubs at 2 major gyms, and when I see personal trainers interacting with clients, I feel like I’m watching an episode of elimi-date.
As a former undercover agent for one of the U.S.’s biggest health clubs, (I can not legally disclose the name) it was my job for 2 years to visit our facilities to monitor personal trainers. My primary responsibility was to pose as a new member, inquire about personal training memberships, note client and trainer interaction, and note personal training policy fullfillment. An overwhelming 65% of personal trainers attempted harrassment to get me into a training membership. Nearly 60% of trainers inappropriately touched clients. Nearly 40% of personal trainers made sexual inuendos to clients. Nearly 70% of personal trainers lied about the cancellation policy stating that “the contract could be cancelled at any time.” That was 100% false. Our contracts were 12-month legally binding agreements. Over 30% of personal trainers attempted to recruit new members by harrassing current gym members.
After each assignment, I would report to district and regional managers to give them my status reports. Each time nothing was done to reprimand the trainers. One day after two years, I was fed up, and blew my cover.
After an hour of denying a personal training membership at one of our flagship clubs, the trainer told me; “**** you then bitch. Get outta here if you’re going to waste my time.” I was about to kick his ass, but then I told him that I was an undercover investigator hired by the company to expose unscrupulous trainers like himself. His response was, “I don’t give a **** who you are. My G.M. will have my back. Besides, it’s my word vs. yours.”
After that comment, I stormed out and immediately went back to the office. I pulled up his employee account and noticed over 25 complaints on file dating back 3 years. I wondered why this idiot was still working there. I then called my superior and explained what happened. He gave me a bullshit corporate answer, basically letting me know that they don’t care about their members. After looking back on it, it seems as though the “task force” I was in, was set up purely for show. I don’t think they ever had intentions on reprimanding anyone as long as money was flowing through the company. They allowed the trainers to put people in slave-ass contracts with no cancellation period, and they couldn’t do anything about it. I later found out from a former co-worker, that all of the trainers I reported were skill employeed with the company. What a shame!
Now if you’re a personal trainer, you’re probably thinking… gyms pay horrible wages, so trainers have to hard-close, gyms demand that you hard-close, that’s just the nature of the business, or I don’t do that. None the less, I’m convinced that many trainers of large gyms are just ruthless. One thing I will say on the issue of “the hook-up,” is this… There is a lot of temptation in the field. You have desperate house wives coming in who don’t get any sex at home. You have horny men coming in who want a young woman to push up on, and everything else in-between. Last time I checked, there’s a time and place for that. It’s called a night club.
For those trainers who are committed to a smut-free work environment, I really applaud you. We need more people like you. I know that you really take your career’s seriously, and if you want to go places with you’re career, I suggest you begin at a smaller localized gym. If it’s money you’re worried about; get out there and hustle. Pass out business cards. Promote your self on bodyspace, promote yourself through google local, local.com, the yellow pages, apartments, and any place else you can get business. I guess there’s always going to be an 80/20 in life. For the personal trainers out there, please stick to the 20. If you know what I mean. Peace, Love, and Prosperity.
P.S. I will be writing about How to cancel gym memberships and personal training memberships soon. So be on the look out.
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