You may be wondering who the desperate ones are , right?
Well , we will get to that very soon.Today i want to share with you an incident that took place this afternoon at my centre.Actually it is the same type of incident that took place several months back at my centre too.Actually not only at my centre but also several other centres around the Ulu Klang vicinity.
Here's what went down.A couple of sales personnel working for a door to door sales company walked into my gym and tried to sell or give me and my gym members a package offer to train at CALIFORNIA FITNESS CENTRE(CF). Yup , the same ones that are operating all over town now on such large scale.
Here was this short and chubby girl accompanied by skinny goofy looking boy trying to convince ME to go to CF????? I mean c'mon la...if you wanna impress me then send someone like one of the IFBB pro's and not something looking like those two clowns!
I'm not sure if CF knows that these sales personnel are actually approaching other gyms to do their sales work or not BUT it sure as hell pisses me off at what's happening!I bet they do tho!
Of course i gave the sales guys a good piece of my mind and told them to get the f*%k outta my gym!
It turns out that these sales team also did the same thing to several other gyms around this area.I found this out when i called the other gym operators to ask if they too experienced the same thing.Their answer was YES! From CALIFORNIA FITNESS, AND FITNESS FIRST too. They too gave the sales guys a piece of their mind.
So,now that these big players are going to such extent to reel in customers , can we do the same?Can we walk into any of their outlets and try to pull customers over to our gyms? To think that such mega chains would stoop so low and behave in a very unprofessional and unethical manner could only mean that they are probably facing a major crisis.
I mean c'mon...i do my fair share of marketing too but i definitely don't stoop this low by trying to pull clients from other gyms around here...and mind you ,within a 5km radius, I have 8....YES! 8 GYMS and we never have any problems.In fact we compliment each other even though we are all separate owners.
Take a look back in time for a second.We used to have the big boys operating such as Clark Hatch , Fitness International and The Sweat Club.Where are they today? OK maybe Clark Hatch is still around but they have downsized tremendously over the years.Fitness International and Sweat Club sold out.Then the new era of fitness centres dawned...the days of Fitness First , California Fitness followed by all the other big boys flooding our market.
Why am i telling you all this? Well , looking back at how the market trend flows , eventually they will all cave in! That's right! They will eventually go bust or downscale.AND it's waiting to happen...sooner than expected too.Just look at how desperate they are, their mode of marketing just to stay competitive.Are they afraid of the smaller gym operators? I would like to think so! Coz' WE HAVE BEEN AROUND way before they made their presence felt and WE PLAN ON STAYING on , even after they have all vanished.Yes , it may be about making a buck or two when you run a business , but us smaller gym operators run it because of PASSION! YES,PASSION, the love for this industry and helping people achieve their goals and dreams.
So , with the support we get from everyone , I'm certain we will be here for a long,long time to come.Besides , we don't charge axtras for coaching and consultations and do not have contracts etc to bind you down against your free will heheheheee! Support your local gyms!! YOU gain , WE gain..either way WE ALL WIN!
PEACE OUT!
8 comments:
California Fitness and Fitness First are what I consider as 'pussy gyms'. You have all these pretty guys with gloves thinking that they are great iron pumpers but actually bunch of wimps. If they got balls, come and train with me hard core at Ultimate Gym. I am an oldie (46 years) but I will take any of these pussies anytime.
Hey Terry.... u should have offered Cubby & Goofy some gym time & personal training so they can look better on their job..
Then, ask them how much commision you will get if u convered your members to their gym... i would like to hear the response from them... can publish it to the media!
stupid cunts!!..
Hahahahaaa...dc,by the time i gave them some tongue lashing,they scooted off in a real hurry.BUT surprisingly,I saw them again today at the main entrance on the ground floor of my premises.Must have been hoping one of my gym members would come and they could stop him before he goes up to the gym.Dirty cunts.They saw me...made like didn't see,did a 180 and split faster than you can say JACK!!!
Mr. Terry. So you have encountered modern day 'marketing' eh? LOL...I had a good laugh at your narration. Well, honestly, they (CF, FF etc) offer something that you don't. They offer GAYA. And let's face it. A large majority of people go to the gym for GAYA first and fitness second. You offer the real deal. Nobody wants that these days. Unless it comes with a big spoonful of sugar:-) But then there will always be a place for operations like Ultimate while the other flers come up with bigger and bigger carrots.
Sorry, I have not been to Ultimate. I have been in SG for work. Am back for a couple of days. Going back there tomorrow for a month or so. So while I am there it is back to the aunties' gym in the community centre:-(
most of my friends say they signed up for FF or CF just to 'cuci mata'...wink wink
Pat..i agree about the GAYA bit..so true.Pity they go to these places for the wrong reasons.Shooting more i see..well nemind,have to cari makan first hehee somemore damn fuel price hike and soon to go up again lpus TNB now says Aug gonna hike up rates.Mati man!Anyway see you when you get back.
Anon: - True that..cuci mata and workout eyeballs in the end still looks the same as in day one they joined the gym lol!!!
CF guys are hunting around KLCC too. I was eating with my friend then they conveniently sit down and explain to us about their 29.90 monthly fees offer and this being their last day super special offer just for us. Come on!
I tried to hint them to go away...i am trying to get some food...but no...they just go on and on and on....
But Patrick, for a guy, without some muscle mass won't be so gaya in a gym la, trust me.
Anyway this kind of marketing is disrespectful. Waste of time. Few years ago, I've had free access to a CH but somehow normally worked out in another independant gym. Love the stain of iron dust on my palms.
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