Gym fees? Why are they NEVER made public?

[Dicky DQ]

Okay, if that be the case, fine then. So then change the website to show fees per region. I mean, how much difference could there be with regards to the fees based on location, really?

 

If it is left up to the franchise, then that only tells me about the level of greed and exploitation in this industry. Kind of like they know people will always have fitness issues, so now that somehow justifies getting ripped off?

 

If that is the case, then I will duly build myself a gym in my garage!

If that is the way you feel then go for it. However, I also have a business that apparently sells a generic product. Unfortunately not, you may think that generic pricing applies but they do and they don't, so I get why they do not publish e.g:

 

1. Which club/flavour of the same club.

2. Do you want to be a member of just one venue, multiple venues, multiple flavours of the same club?

3. Which loyalty program are you on, which level etc.

4. Who do you know etc.

 

These are just 4, OK 3, variables and there is no way (With respect) that Joe Bloggs is going to get a handle on this. Which means they could loose prospective membership by publishing pricing.

 

Finally when they have you on the phone their aim is to Upsell, Upsell, Upsell. 

 

If you really wanted to join the gym, why not call them (and if you don't want to be bugged give then an incorrect tel number) Very easy, no stress afterwards. Easy.

 

PS. I have no affiliation to Gym's but suffer from similar misconceptions from my prospective customers. I put a price up and state T's & C's apply and how long is a piece of string etc. 

 

Another example is insurance, why don't they publish these prices ...... Hmmmm Similar issue.

[clyde79]

Public swimming pool in the middle of a Gauteng winter? I don't think so.

 

The Linden public pool is heated (when they have electricity), so winter swimming is no problem.

And in my opinion the facilities, while a little old, are pretty good.

I think a season pass is about R240 and a single entry R12.

[Stretch]

If that is the way you feel then go for it. However, I also have a business that apparently sells a generic product. Unfortunately not, you may think that generic pricing applies but they do and they don't, so I get why they do not publish e.g:

 

1. Which club/flavour of the same club.

2. Do you want to be a member of just one venue, multiple venues, multiple flavours of the same club?

3. Which loyalty program are you on, which level etc.

4. Who do you know etc.

 

These are just 4, OK 3, variables and there is no way (With respect) that Joe Bloggs is going to get a handle on this. Which means they could loose prospective membership by publishing pricing.

 

Finally when they have you on the phone their aim is to Upsell, Upsell, Upsell.

 

If you really wanted to join the gym, why not call them (and if you don't want to be bugged give then an incorrect tel number) Very easy, no stress afterwards. Easy.

 

PS. I have no affiliation to Gym's but suffer from similar misconceptions from my prospective customers. I put a price up and state T's & C's apply and how long is a piece of string etc.

 

Another example is insurance, why don't they publish these prices ...... Hmmmm Similar issue.

I disagree with you here... Medical Insurance advertise prices...well..good ones anyway...any first world country eliminates the need to speak to someone as much as possible....a basic wizard interface with questions could easily direct you to the pricing you need to see....if I can't see the price I will invariably go buy from someone else....I don't need to have someone explain stuff to me as I am quite capable off finding out myself.

[BigDL]

I'm not on Discovery medical aid (on my wife's company medical aid) and would only like a gym for the swimming in the heated pool. But signing up for a membership where I have access to a lot of things I don't want and will not use, isn't worth it for me. Anybody heard of a swim-only type plan somewhere in Gauteng?

Wahoo In Sunninghill. Best pools in the country

[Dicky DQ]

I disagree with you here... Medical Insurance advertise prices...well..good ones anyway...any first world country eliminates the need to speak to someone as much as possible....a basic wizard interface with questions could easily direct you to the pricing you need to see....if I can't see the price I will invariably go buy from someone else....I don't need to have someone explain stuff to me as I am quite capable off finding out myself.

Possibly, but where is the up-sell opportunity? and you could do it through you wealth manager/health service provider wtc. So still no real reason to display prices.

 

Just saying.

 

We are with Discovery and did everything though them, until our first visit to the gym.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I disagree with you here... Medical Insurance advertise prices...well..good ones anyway...any first world country eliminates the need to speak to someone as much as possible....a basic wizard interface with questions could easily direct you to the pricing you need to see....if I can't see the price I will invariably go buy from someone else....I don't need to have someone explain stuff to me as I am quite capable off finding out myself.

Yep. The only time pricing is sensitive is in the case of life and / or home  contents and car insurance. Everything else should be easily reachable.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Possibly, but where is the up-sell opportunity? and you could do it through you wealth manager/health service provider wtc. So still no real reason to display prices.

 

Just saying.

 

We are with Discovery and did everything though them, until our first visit to the gym.

There should never be any such thing. I' not a salesman by any stretch of the imagination, and have often given up huge sums of commission that I could have received by "selling up" or replacing just to tell the client that we'll just take what they have at the moment and amend it to suit their needs. Case in point - we make a habit of taking over from other brokers who have ignored their clients vitality statuses and, instead of getting them to take a new OM / Liberty / Brightrock etc policy, we pay for their fitness assessments and such out of our own pockets. That costs us money, but you know what? 3 to 4 years down the line when another broker tries to replace the policy that we helped turn around, what do they tell them to do?

 

Bugger off.

 

Yes, I could have been financially well off. But it's not right, if you don't do it in the interests of the client. Up-Selling is not the right way to gain client retention

[marko35s]

For us here in the cheap seats the local public swimming pool isn't in my municipality and is too chilly for my liking in winter before work

If you have a risk policy with Momentum or Old Mutual they have cheap gym type schemes too, outside of the Obvious Vitality and Liberty stuff people have mentioned.

Not saying go and get a risk cover policy just for this but if you do happen to have something with one of the four you have options.

[lefthecountry]

Guessing it's a South African thing. In Europe every single gym has their rates on the website. And bigger gyms with more locations always have one standard fee for all of them (also it always means you have access to any of those gyms, doesn't matter in which city you go).

[SwissVan]

Guessing it's a South African thing. In Europe every single gym has their rates on the website. And bigger gyms with more locations always have one standard fee for all of them (also it always means you have access to any of those gyms, doesn't matter in which city you go).

 

Yep what he said, well here in Lala land anyway.

 

Big difference tho (here in Lala land...) is you don't get any kind medical aid / health club cross over benefits as a package deal like in SA and has been discussed in the previous posts..... there is FA benefit from a medical insurance perspective if you are an active gym member / fitness freak who logs training miles etc....

[Blue Angel]

I'm not on Discovery medical aid (on my wife's company medical aid) and would only like a gym for the swimming in the heated pool. But signing up for a membership where I have access to a lot of things I don't want and will not use, isn't worth it for me. Anybody heard of a swim-only type plan somewhere in Gauteng?

Wahoo Aquatic Centre in Sunninghill, off Maxwell Drive. Great swim facility

[Stretch]

Possibly, but where is the up-sell opportunity? and you could do it through you wealth manager/health service provider wtc. So still no real reason to display prices.

 

Just saying.

 

We are with Discovery and did everything though them, until our first visit to the gym.

 

ja...i just dont get sell up opportunity with regards to a gym..... it has services ...you choose which services you want and pay accordingly..why do you need someone to talk you through this...by this being the primary method of sale it is essentially advertising that they are devious.......kind of like ....we not gonna tell you the price so that we can get someone to pretend to be a health expert to try and convince you that you need something more than you actually do because we want more money from you....that's selling a lie and not providing a service...and why I cant stand big national gym franchises

[Grebel]

I have heard, from the owner of a big gym, that the guys who owned Sharper Image re-opened as the franchise holders of Planet Fitness.

True story. Unfortunately the 2 year contract to Sharper Image that lasted just over a month wasn't valid at Planet Fitness...

[CogitoErgoSum]

Sorry, didn't read all replies (its a bitch on tapatalk...) Anyway, if you know your way around weight/resistance training, do it at home or a friends place. I worked in the industry, both commercial gyms and private - bunch of idiots. I train at home