I left a reputable gym where I had been a member for 10 years with no problems to join Goodlife since it was closer to my work and home. After several months of working out a male member began circling me while I exercised, would exercise right next to me, walk slowly by me staring at me intently, etc. I was completely unnerved. When I entered Goodlife one lunch hour he suddenly appeared in front of me entering the building ahead of me, and then blocked my way through the swinging gate. The final straw was when he followed me out the parking lot. I went to the young inexperienced staff at the front and told her what was happening to me. Another member overheard me describe my stalker and said that her and others had been harassed by this man too. The staff member would not come with me so I could identify this person to her. The manager was out of the building and I instructed the front desk girl to have the manager call me. I waited ALL AFTERNOON, no phone call. Finally, I called back and was told she was "in a meeting". I said if the situation wasn't dealt with, I would have my husband come to the gym with me to protect me. Upon this threat, I did receive a phone call from the manager, who advised me to point this man out next time I was in the gym. Why would she not have had her staff point him out to her?? Why victimize me again and put me in an awkward position. The next day he was not there and I was instructed by the manger that we would wait until the next time I worked out to identify him. At this point, I was extremely frustrated because the staff now knew exactly who he was and I felt they had the responsiblity to point him out to the manager. At this point, my husband was so concerned for my safety he waited in the parking lot while I exercised. The next time I exercised (Monday of the following week) I walked in and spotted him right away. Doing as the manager instructed me to do, I went to the front to get her. She was with a client (busy ripping off another unsuspecting member to be, I suppose) so I didn't want to interrupt. I informed the desk clerk of the situation and he said he would relay the message to her right away. I was shaking so badly I couldn't even exercise knowing this man was nearby. I just wanted to leave but was determined to see the situation through. After 35 minutes I went to the front again, and was told that the manager had left for lunch!!! I was very upset and berated the staff for not telling her I was waiting to point this man out to her. I asked for someone else in charge and, of course, there was nobody. I went to change into my street clothes and upon exiting the change room, I spotted the manager, who had been summoned back by her staff, looking for me. At this point, I was angry, frightened and frustrated. The manager sat me down in the public area and advised me the problem had been dealt with. I was shocked and asked how she could have dealt with it when she had been waiting for me to point him out to her. She said she had a staff member do it and she had talked to him. She then said she had spoken to him on the Friday previously. I was stunned and asked at what point would she have told me this?? Why would she have waited all weekend, plus have me walk back into the gym knowing that he was exercising there at the same time?? Why wouldn't she have come to talk to me BEFORE she left for lunch?? She said she was going to call me "LATER". I asked her what the outcome was and she said she couldn't say. I asked if he was going to continue to be a member and she said "ABSOLUTELY". (No, I am not making this up. In this day and age with zero tolerance on harrassment this actually occurred just 30 days ago). I terminated my membership within several hours. Goodlife continued to take a payment out of my acount and today, I spoke to someone at corporate HO to tell them to return the money to me, as I was no longer a member. He was very abrasive and kept saying I had "signed a contract" and that I had to wait 30 days for my membership to expire. When I told him I had been harassed and forced to leave the gym, because of the utter inexperience of the manager, he put me on hold for 18 minutes. When he came back on the line, he confirmed that I had emailed corporate head office twice about the harassment problem (I never did receive a response from anyone at their head office on the harassment issue. Maybe 'cause I hadn't been raped yet???) and he then said I was no longer welcome at any Goodlife Fitness Centre nor was I to communicate with them, and that they would do the same. It is beyond belief that any company would handle something like sexual harassment in such an insensitve way. I have worked out for 20 years successfully in other gyms with no problems. I would never recommend Goodlife to anybody! I am now happily back working out at Shapes, (yes, on the co-ed side occasionally) with no problems. It will just be a matter of time before the manager of this location runs this facility into the ground.
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