ComplaintsforThe Zone

• Initial Complaint

  04/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 1, 2024, I paid $47.95 to "The Zone" in St Joseph, IL. This payment was for one month of gym access. The Zone is run by a rather unintelligent and petulant little 23 year old body builder. There is never any adult around. On 4/15/24, I was working out on a bike machine while watching ******* on the *** TV on the wall. There were only two other customers within 30 feet of me, plus the 23 year old. The 23 year old was likely playing games on his computer, as he typically does. During my workout, the 23 year old asked me to turn the TV volume down. It was already set at a barely perceptible level, 30. I asked the two other gym users if they objected to the volume, and they each shook their heads. The 23 year old persisted, saying that HE could hear it and that it annoyed him. I explained that he is not a customer, and that he should learn to tolerate reasonable noises in the gym. I also pointed out that the loud heavy-metal music that he incessantly plays was likely much more offensive to the 40+ daytime crowd than a barely perceptible TV. He snottily retorted that I should wear headphones if I don't like his music. There is no written policy or sign stating that the supplied TV's cannot be used, and remotes are provided in the cup holder of virtually every machine. After this discussion, I told him that he either needs to tolerate the TV at volume setting 35 or I would cancel my membership effective end of the month. After a few minutes, the petulant little 23 year old said, OK, I'm voiding your keycard right now and here's a refund. He then handed me $18 in cash. I replied that he needed to furnish a refund of $24 to settle the matter, and he refused. I cancelled my membership 15 days prior to end of month and intended to run out the paid month of April. The 23 year old unilaterally accelerated my termination to halfway through the month, 4/15/24. I did not receive half of the services I paid for, I am entitled to 50% refund of my $47.95 pmt.

  Business response

  04/24/2024

  Response is in attachments.

  To whom it may concern:
  
  On the morning of April 15th around 12:15, I was cleaning the women's
  restroom. While I was cleaning I could hear the TV from the bathroom. I came
  out to see where it was coming from. I saw Mr. ******* watching “*******” on
  the TV right above our *** Trainer machine. I went over to Mr. *******
  politely and calmly and asked, “Could I please have you turn the TV down a
  bit?” He obliged and I went back to the women's bathroom to fnish cleaning.
  
  Around 30 seconds after returning to the women's bathroom I could still hear
  the TV. That is abnormally loud for one of our TVs to be set at. I came out of the
  bathroom, went up to a member, and asked, “Is that TV loud or is it just me?” I
  checked with another member because I had ear surgery 3 weeks prior and
  wasn't sure if it was my sensitive ears or the TV being too loud. Once the
  member stated that it was very loud for him I went up to Mr. ******* again.
  
  I went up and addressed Mr. ******* again in a light manner and asked,
  “Could I have you turn the TV down just a tad more?”Mr. ******* swiftly
  muted the TV and said in a loud voice, “Who am I bothering?” I explained that
  there were multiple members in the facility at that time and I was trying to
  accommodate them all by having him lower the TV volume. Then, Mr. *******
  shouted to the two members behind him, “Am I bothering you with the TV
  volume?” Both members (one an elderly lady) shook their heads and put their
  hands up to indicate they didn't want to be involved. I then asked Mr. *******
  to stop shouting and he responded with a few curse words directed toward me.
  It was extremely confrontational and inappropriate. Mr. ******* said, “Go
  away and let me watch my ****** show.” I walked away to allow him to calm
  down.
  
  As I was walking away Mr. ******* shouted, “Why don't you turn this ******
  music of, it sucks!” Again, I went over to Mr. ******* and asked him to please
  stop cursing in my gym and around the members. I said if he doesn’t like our
  music he is more than welcome to wear headphones. Then he told me I needed
  to, “turn this ****** music of, then I will turn my show down.” I said okay
  and went to my ofce where I started his refund and termination process. He
  came to the desk about 1-2 minutes later and said, “Here's the deal, you will
  either tolerate the TV at 35 or we will cancel my membership.” He also said
  that I needed to, “Grow the *** up”.
  
  As Mr. ******* was leaving, I caught him on the way out. I handed him $18 in
  cash and stated that his membership had been canceled, efective immediately.
  He proceeded to count the cash at the front desk and demanded that we owe
  him $6 more in compensation. Not understanding where he got the $6 more at
  the time, I said no and he called me a “****** twerp” and left abruptly. After
  learning that he was charged $47.95, we later mailed him the $6 cash
  compensation he was looking for.
  
  We terminated Mr. *******s membership because of his outburst in front of
  the other members, causing a scene, and for how he treated our staf in this
  encounter. He is not welcome back under any circumstance, as we do not
  tolerate that type of behavior. We hope this provides enough detail from our
  side of the story.
  
  General Manager
  The Zone Saint Joseph

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