Crunch Fitness - Columbia MO — Attraction in Columbia

Edit 2/6/23: I'm bringing down yet another star because the cleaning issue hasn't been addressed in six weeks. I was told a GM would reach out to me and I have yet to be contacted, even though google reviews are being responded to every few days. I cannot get anyone on the phone, even though there is someone in the front every time I've been there. I would just end my membership but Crunch is really the only affordable option in town with on-site childcare. My questions are: when will the cleaning issues be fixed, and what steps are being taken to ensure consistent cleanliness? I have not had ONE visit to date where paper towels and spray are provided at every station or the floors are clean. The culture is to look the other way, and no members are cleaning because of this. It's really gross. What are next steps, Crunch?

EDITED 12/19/22: I have never in my life brought a previous positive review down. This club is dirty and has gotten progressively worse. There is major dust buildup under machines, the metal cable covers running along the cardio machines, and the steps in the group fitness room. They are constantly out of paper towels (like one random set of wet wipes sitting on top of one single dispenser for the entire gym) and have basically given up on spray so no one can wipe down machines. Trash needs emptied, the floors in the locker rooms are grimy. The walls in the stretch area need mopped and magic erased. I'm not sure what's going on, but these things need consistent attention, not just a "text if you see a problem." The standard for cleanliness is just not. As a mom of two small children (and just a human), I want to worry about my workout, not more grime. I'm generally in the "nothing nice to say, move along" camp, but when there are two people shooting the breeze at the front, one person should cleaning, and if that's not their job, then outsource a service and staff someone to do this hourly. I'm leaving 2 stars for the group fitness and childcare. Fix these issues, folks.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Pros: only place in town with childcare that is centrally located and isn't prohibitively expensive. Membership tier with childcare includes group fitness. The instructors are truly great and seem to foster inclusivity of all body types by providing modifications, genuine encouragement, etc. I see people of all shapes and sizes regularly attending and I'd say 90% of the classes take place during hours when childcare is open, so they've got that piece right (except the group fitness room really does need a door to avoid sound bleed to nearby areas - they said that was coming and it hasn't been installed yet). The classes and childcare are the two main reasons I switched from another major chain gym and will be the reason I keep my membership. There's a ton of equipment available that I don't always see at other places - exercise balls, foam rollers, etc.

Not everyone wipes equipment down after themselves, but there are plenty of towel/spray stations so there's really no excuse. The stretching area that's tucked away in the back could really use mirrors. For some reason the large black mats there keep moving - sometimes they're pushed together, other times they're spaced apart (and they're not easy to move, so I don't get it). I prefer not to be on top of someone, so I just move my stretching to the group fitness room if there's not a class going on. It would be nice if staff checked on this area and agreed on a consistent setup since there's not really another designated...

Understand what you are getting into. Great gym, horrible staff, billing, and communication. When I first signed up, I informed them I would only be going there for about three months. Initially they tried to sell me the $10 subscription fee (the cheapest option). Upon doing my own research, I discovered you cannot pull out of this type of subscription unless you’re in it for a year (slightly annoyed they didn’t try to tell me that). After some thought I decided to just pay for the best subscription. My girlfriend visited often and I could get her in with guest benefits. Each month I was charged twice for this subscription. I would be charged an initial fee, a late fee, and then an extra fee even though it should have been charging my card automatically. After coming into address these concerns I’m only met with “I’ll let my manager know.” Or “I’ll leave a note.” These efforts will go no where. I still have yet to meet a manager. One worker eventually helped me informing me they didn’t want to refund me and told me they would give me the next two months free instead. After that I decided it was alright. I was only working out for three months anyway, so I’d cancel it after that. This was not the case. The worker had given my two months free in the summer! (It was winter at the time). So without even realizing, the next two months they double charged me twice, Continuing the same issue of late fees (even though it automatically charged me on time) I went back in to get it sorted out (again no manager to be found). They tried to give me two more free months. I told them I wanted refunds this time. Instead of refunding me they would just keep offering two more months (not sure if this is even legal). They said that in order to refund me they would “have to go through their boss and send it to headquarters” whatever that means. Either way, I pushed through and insisted I be refunded. They left a note for their manager and that was the last I have heard of it. For the past two months I have called and emailed three different people that have not responded in order to just cancel my subscription. I believe this place can be better. Great gym, great idea but terrible staff, communication,...

I originally had the most expensive membership at Crunch, but decided to downgrade as I didn't need all the amenities that came with the top membership. I asked to do the $10 membership but was told that for that I would have to sign a separate contract and pay extra, so I downgraded to the $16 membership. After a few weeks, I was still charged $35. After calling multiple times before someone actually answered the phone, I was told my downgrade never actually went through, so they had to do it again. It would have been nice if they double checked the first time when I was actually there in person. I then decided to cancel, and went in to do so. No one was available to help me and I was told to write my name down and check "cancel" and they would take care of it. A few weeks later I received an email saying that because I had just signed up I can't cancel yet and need to wait 60 days. I signed up originally before the club even opened and when I downgraded, no one told me it was basically a new contract. The lack of communication from employees on membership rules and whatnot is mind blowing. I've called multiple times trying to get someone to answer so I can speak to the manager, and when someone finally did answer, they said the manager is in a meeting but knows I'm on the phone and she will be with me in just a minute. It's currently been 10 minutes and I'm still waiting.

In addition, I took a spin class and the instructor was bad-mouthing the manager and other employees to the members in the class. If that doesn't look bad, I don't know what does.

Lastly, no one ever answers the phone. Save yourself time, money, and the headache and just go to...