Jackie Skelly .... leaving Jackie Skelly !!!

Gunsfortoys

AARRRGH wrote: »

What horrific business practices - getting people to honour the contract they signed?

I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy for people who are too thick to read contracts before they sign them.

Since there is no personal abuse allowed on here im going to maintain my composure as much as I can.

I signed up to jackie skellys having READ the contract and was happy to pay them. However while still paying them for the 12 months honouring my contract here are the business practices I bitched about before being accused of being thick by what is no doubt pure ignorance.

1/ Signed the contract after much pressure was put on, I was in the managers office for about an hour and believe me having done sales most of my life, everything he tried to get me to do was plan badgering and bordering on customer abuse. However I still didnt sign and left somewhat annoyed at how much they tried to pressurise me into signing. That not withstanding I needed a gym so I signed a 12 month contract and was happy to forego a complaint about the manager.

2/ The gym conditions, which at the time I was told were the best, were bordering on plain filthy. Showers never worked properly, there were no decent weight areas, half the bike, treadmill and rowing machines were out of order. The staff were absolute idiots of the highest order, I spoke to EVERY ONE of them and it was the same "sorry about that we will get it rectified" low and behold the problems were still there

3/ Having read the contract and being reassured by the manager I was put down as a monthly paying customer, boy was I shocked when I seen 3 MONTHS taken out of my account at once, it actually took me about 2 months to get this rectified after many hours in the managers office. By this time I was still honouring my contract.

4/ 10 months in after biding my time to cancel, I cancelled my contract with them by way of letter. They took 2 months out of my account and I thought thank god im out of that nightmare. Boy was I wrong. Just to be safe I cancelled my direct debit. BUT they took another 2 months out of my credit card. I rang them(got hung up on about times) and they said they never recieved the letter. I sent another one. I cancelled my credit card. Now Im getting debt collecter letters through the door.

So there you have it. I hope the ****ers go down the ****ing toilet.

AARRRGH

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

1/ Signed the contract after much pressure was put on, I was in the managers office for about an hour and believe me having done sales most of my life, everything he tried to get me to do was plan badgering and bordering on customer abuse. However I still didnt sign and left somewhat annoyed at how much they tried to pressurise me into signing. That not withstanding I needed a gym so I signed a 12 month contract and was happy to forego a complaint about the manager.

Irrelevant, you chose to sign the contract. You admit this yourself. You even went back to them after they had "abused" you and signed the contract.

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

2/ The gym conditions, which at the time I was told were the best, were bordering on plain filthy. Showers never worked properly, there were no decent weight areas, half the bike, treadmill and rowing machines were out of order. The staff were absolute idiots of the highest order, I spoke to EVERY ONE of them and it was the same "sorry about that we will get it rectified" low and behold the problems were still there

I was a member of their Clarendon Street gym and it was excellent. I can't comment on their other gyms as I don't know what they're like.

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

3/ Having read the contract and being reassured by the manager I was put down as a monthly paying customer, boy was I shocked when I seen 3 MONTHS taken out of my account at once, it actually took me about 2 months to get this rectified after many hours in the managers office. By this time I was still honouring my contract.

4/ 10 months in after biding my time to cancel, I cancelled my contract with them by way of letter. They took 2 months out of my account and I thought thank god im out of that nightmare. Boy was I wrong. Just to be safe I cancelled my direct debit. BUT they took another 2 months out of my credit card. I rang them(got hung up on about times) and they said they never recieved the letter. I sent another one. I cancelled my credit card. Now Im getting debt collecter letters through the door.

I don't believe you.

For example, when you got three months taken out of your account at once, by any chance had you failed to pay the previous three months fee?

And when they took the extra payments out of your account, was this money you owed them?

Strange how in my 8 years with them I never had a single problem, and I am a fussy customer.

turbot

I've been a member of Jackie Skelly's since a month after they opened in Ballsbridge. I've only ever gone to the Ballsbridge gym.

I can't comment on other Jackie Skelly gyms or the conditions people experience.

While there are aspects I'd like to see improved, overall Jackie Skellys in Ballsbridge is a good gym, with nice staff and a good atmosphere.

AARRRGH

turbot wrote: »

I've been a member of Jackie Skelly's since a month after they opened in Ballsbridge. I've only ever gone to the Ballsbridge gym.

I can't comment on other Jackie Skelly gyms or the conditions people experience.

While there are aspects I'd like to see improved, overall Jackie Skellys in Ballsbridge is a good gym, with nice staff and a good atmosphere.

Actually I've been a member of that gym for a year too. Forgot!

Yeah, overall it's grand, but it could do with a much bigger weights area.

scrib

i like it there too.

Lucloufur

Hmmmm I'd love to know what club that person joined, as all members are toured the gym prior to signing & all contracts are signed in the reception/waiting area...in 4 years of working for them I NEVER once saw a manager bring a potential client in to 'badger & abuse' a potential member!

It clearly states, and I would know, if you post in a letter of cancellation & do not hear from the admin team after 10 days, call them to ensure receipt of this cancellation...it always amazed me how many letters got 'lost' :pac:in the post but when I'd ask for original to be emailed so I could look at propeties to see when generated, this couldn't be done!! Amazing!!

I've one thing to day to you & that's move on, stop your anger, you are probably most angry at yourself for not following the procedure correctly!!

Gunsfortoys

AARRRGH wrote: »

I don't believe you.

For example, when you got three months taken out of your account at once, by any chance had you failed to pay the previous three months fee?

And when they took the extra payments out of your account, was this money you owed them?

Read the post properly, I honoured my contract meaning that yes I did pay it and yes on time, if you had read my post properly I stated that they took 3 months out as my FIRST payment, this was a mistake they admitted themselves. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. I owed them NOTHING, I cancelled and they continued to charge me AFTER the 12 months, is this not bad business practice? Oh and try cancelling your account then come back to me with your "jackie skellys is great" bul****.

Also I am perfectly aware I signed a contract despite the pressure I was put under as I said in my previous post but I what I was sold was not what I signed up for. Therefore Jackie skellys didnt honour THEIR side of the contract. I couldnt care less whether you are a fussy customer or that maybe you work for them the fact is that was my experience. Also I go to the gym regularly so it was a hellish 12 months.

It was Swords JS.

Cerocco

Lucloufur wrote: »

I aologise for my spelling errors on the above post but using my iPhone & couldn't correct them!

All I have to say is it is a very sad day for me, for my friends who still work for Jackie Skeely Fitness, for other companies who supply them & most of all for Mark Tooke & Jackie Skelly herself...I am so sorry this has happened.

To all you negative AHs.....get a life! Get a heart & get a conscience!!

I just want to add my bit here, I was a member of the JSF Gym in swords for 3 years. I got insensed after a friend who joined a year after me got a better renewal deal €100 less for 1 year renewal. I phoned to challenge this (I'm a sales person so know how to deal with customers and also how to drive a hard bargan) I dealt with a very stroppy customer services manager who told me if I wasn't happy I didn't have to stay with the gym. I wrote a strongly worded letter to the gym manager and met him in person to discuss. It turned out that he had hired this manager from a gym he had previously managed so my complaint ment nothing.

I'm sorry for the staff that my loose their jobs with this new aquisition but from my experience customer satisfaction was not at the forefront and when you are dealing with the public it is they who pay your wages


PS. Just becuse Jackie Skelly is a cancer survivor should I forget how dreadfully I was treated by her mgt staff, I'm happy she has survived I just wish my father was as fortunate. RIP. ( Do you feel sorry for me now) Peoples medical conditions shouldn't be brought into this discussion as I hope i proved by my last remark

IM0

I was a member in the greystones one which is closing down about 3-4 years ago for 1 winter training, I know what some mean about it being crappy cancellation 'agreements' just cause you knew what you were getting into it doesnt make it right for them to do it that way! - Ryanair anyone?

To balance this it was a nice gym, big, airy, spacious [and a nice supply of fit wimenz ] and was well maintained and great equipment [was pretty new when I was there] I never got a chance to use the showers [I would ride my bike the looong way to the gym and back home afterward so never bothered as it was all a training ride]

Like anything know what you are getting into and accept the consequences [begrudgingly] :pac:

I can see why It went though, shoreline is just up the road, and there is another shoreline in bray so its days were numbered out here!

AARRRGH

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

Read the post properly

I did read it properly. I just happen to believe you are lying.

Gunsfortoys

AARRRGH wrote: »

I did read it properly. I just happen to believe you are lying.

I happen to believe you are working for the shower of ****.

drogsnookerclub

What a hateful shower, so glad to see the back of them :cool:

I signed a contract with the Drogheda one before it was built,happened to move house shortly after so i went back to the trailer that they were using to for sales at the time and explained that id like to cancel it as there was a closer gym to my new house. Now i know i signed a contract but i was willing to see if they'd give me a break, something which you'd expect from any other gym at least. The woman said it was fine and that she'd sort it out. Few months later i noticed they were taking money from my account.

The thing that annoyed me most was that i wouldve used the feckin thing had i known they weren't gonna let me cancel it! i rang the bank and canceled the direct debit(lesson learned!), the letters and phone calls from some absolute bizatch stopped after a few months

AARRRGH

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

I happen to believe you are working for the shower of ****.

I don't work for them. I'm just telling it as I see it - no problems in 8 years as a member, and seeing constant bitching from people who don't understand the concept of a contract or personal responsibility.

Gunsfortoys

AARRRGH wrote: »

I don't work for them. I'm just telling it as I see it - no problems in 8 years as a member, and seeing constant bitching from people who don't understand the concept of a contract or personal responsibility.

It sound like you are reading what you want to read from my posts, so im just going to leave this arguement here and just say ignorance is bliss.

AARRRGH

Gunsfortoys wrote: »

It sound like you are reading what you want to read from my posts, so im just going to leave this arguement here and just say ignorance is bliss.

You see, I worked in credit control for about 12 months. I know people are utter liars when it comes to money. They will say anything to try to shrug their responsibility for debts they owe. It is always someone elses fault. Basically, a lot of people are big babies who can't handle responsibility.

MagicMarker

AARRRGH wrote: »

I did read it properly. I just happen to believe you are lying.

Why? Maybe you're lying?

AARRRGH

MagicMarker wrote: »

Why? Maybe you're lying?

I believe he's lying because this is boards.ie and half the people here are crazy.

PS We have nearly the same amount of posts. Woe is we!

Fratton Fred

I was a member of Greystones for well over a year. When I joined I was told they didn't take laser, so I had to use a credit card for the first payment, but not to worry, they would use Direct Debit after that, what a mug I was, they set up a direct debit on my credit card which is very hard to cancel.

When I left, I filled in the form at Greystones to give two months notice (about 14 months into my 12 month contract) and low and behold, three months later they are still debiting money as they haven't received anything from me etc etc.

I wrote again, but they would only use the form and that was another two months etc.

In the end I sent a recorded delivery letter to Greystones, Dundalk and the registered office in Dublin, with a copy to my CC company.

I really feel for the staff at Greystones as they were terrific, but as for the admin staff, if you repay the €375 you owe me I might have some sympathy, otherwise, tough, karma's a bitch.

PJT

All refunds are approved by senior management, all the admin staff can do is fill out a request form on your behalf - good luck with that, you wont get a penny back unless you have a copy of your cancellation form or something.

It's not the admin staff's fault that the management won't send a cheque to you.

Fratton Fred

PJT wrote: »

All refunds are approved by senior management, all the admin staff can do is fill out a request form on your behalf - good luck with that, you wont get a penny back unless you have a copy of your cancellation form or something.

It's not the admin staff's fault that the management won't send a cheque to you.

Oh, I know. I spent three months listening to 1001 reasons why they can't do this and they can't do that.

The funny thing is, loads of people have had exactly the same experience so the only conclusion I can come to is that either the JS admin people are exceptionally careless and lose a huge number of cancellation forms, or there is something more sinister going on.

Seeing as a load of people tell the exact same story about joining (can't use the CC machine on the front desk as its broken, have to use the one in the office, so they can copy your card details) I personally think the company employed some sharp business practices.

PJT

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Oh, I know. I spent three months listening to 1001 reasons why they can't do this and they can't do that.

The funny thing is, loads of people have had exactly the same experience so the only conclusion I can come to is that either the JS admin people are exceptionally careless and lose a huge number of cancellation forms, or there is something more sinister going on.

Seeing as a load of people tell the exact same story about joining (can't use the CC machine on the front desk as its broken, have to use the one in the office, so they can copy your card details) I personally think the company employed some sharp business practices.

Well, if you filled out the form in Greystones then it's the staff there at fault, the admin staff can only process the cancellation forms that are given to them by the clubs. They scan and email them over, so we have it saved on the PC as well so we can refer back to if need be...so if it never reached the HO this is not the admin staff's fault, but the receptionist you handed it to.

Also, it doesnt matter what machine you use, the one at reception or the one in the office. All the card details will be on the slip that prints, so they'll have the details anyway.

Red Alert

Wow! So the reception desk computer, which knows all the membership details anyway, can't make a cancellation... it's certainly sounds like it's meant to be difficult for the customer to do! Or that the process is deliberately made over-complex. What's wrong with a "Cancel" button on the reception's computer KarenF? Wouldn't that make more sense? Surely the computer will decide whether the cancellation request is after the contracted 12-months and react accordingly. Anyway, on to the main point:

It's hard to know what to make of the company at all. I had never even heard of Jackie Skelly until I noticed that there was a gym in Nutgrove Retail Park and decided to check it out. I joined a few months later after my membership with Crunch in UCD expired.

The gym itself is fine, which is probably due to the fact that it's relatively new. I've written a review about it in the fitness forum. Machines are new and there are few breakdowns, changing rooms are clean, showers always work, plenty of ventilation and has good music on a decent sound system. There's very little wrong with it in that sense.

The staff are a mixed bunch - they've a very enthusiastic Duty Manager who interacts with customers and he makes a genuine effort to get to know members. Also they've a very friendly and helpful girl on Reception some days who'll get stuff sorted if you ask her. There was a really excellent instructor/manager there at the weekends until recently, and I made tons of progress with his help. However, from talking to staff it's clear that senior management put huge pressure on even the non-sales staff like instructors to sell ancillary stuff. Inevitably, customer service is not going to be the winner in that kind of environment.

Next up, sunbeds. Now leaving aside the general anti-sunbed argument, having these available in an unsupervised fashion as they are in JS is just an accident waiting to happen. Only a few weeks ago I saw a guy who should no way be going near a sunbed (fair skin, freckles and blonde hair) on his way in. But, selling them as a safe vitamin-D producer indiscriminately brings in plenty of money. Compared to other gyms I've visited, sunbeds are much more heavily marketed in JS than anywhere else.

When stuff does break, there doesn't seem to be a rush to fix it. The Jacuzzi has never worked properly. The sound system's music player was broken for over a month before anything was done about it, and they said they weren't allowed play CD's or iPod's. There's a hand-dryer out of action for over 3 months by now. Quite clear that there's a systemic problem in arranging maintenance.

So on the whole, there's a couple of really good people I'd be sorry to see lose their jobs because they genuinely try to help members. On the whole though, senior management have really given the company a dreadful reputation through bad staff management, poor attention to maintenance schedules, over-regulation and setting sales targets for non-sales staff. I hope Energie will keep the good things and good people, and toss the bad things and bad staff.

Sam Vimes

AARRRGH wrote: »

I don't believe you.

For example, when you got three months taken out of your account at once, by any chance had you failed to pay the previous three months fee?

And when they took the extra payments out of your account, was this money you owed them?

Strange how in my 8 years with them I never had a single problem, and I am a fussy customer.

In fairness I've heard similar stories many many times. The problem isn't necessarily the gyms, it's when you try to leave, when they take an extra two months off you. He did the correct thing to avoid this charge by canceling in the 10th month but it look like they went ahead and took their extra 2 months anyway

Coriolanus

Really, all the proof anyone should need is a quick search of the Consumer Issues forum.
I'm not saying JS is even the worst at these practises but they did happen, to more than one person over the years, and trying to deny that is simple ostrich syndrome.