Planet Fitness — Local services in Martinsville

I will be honest in saying that I looked forward to Planet Fitness' opening in Martinsville for MONTHS! And I was so happy when they opened. Going back years and years I had been a PF client in various locations in Indianapolis and Bloomington. Never had any issues. And then came the few weeks that I was a member at the Martinsville location.

It started with an early morning workout when the club was essentially empty. I'll admit that when I get into the zone in a good cardio workout a coping mechanism I use to power through is listening to music - and sometimes I sing along. Maybe I'm a little louder than I think I am. That morning not one but TWO employees interrupted me and told me to be quiet. I was definitely taken back. Again this is not a new habit for me- never had been a problem at any other location.

A week or so later in the evening similar thing happened. Oops. I quieted down.

This weekend, I was sweating to Beyoncé's new album on the elliptical machine and got a little into it. Some young kid named AJ who works there came up to me and very rudely told me I needed to be quiet. It really hit me the wrong way, and at worst I was snarky when I pointed out that another guest was singing and added that it didn't really bother me though.

A few moments later I was on a weight machine, counting my reps- again as a coping mechanism to push through - and AJ came over and told me I was "grunting" - that I had to leave "our club" and that my membership was being terminated.

Never once had I ever been talked to about "grunting" but apparently it was documented on my account. One would think that if one were being documented for violating a rule that could get you kicked out permanently, the staff would tell you in plain English that you were in danger of that happening. Nope. Not at Planet Fitness - Martinsville.

Terrible customer service. One gets the impression that the staff there is on a witch hunt to drive customers away. The staff is young and needs training on how to better talk with customers. I have worked in customer service and retail and I have had to handle some very rude and angry folks. My behavior, while grumpy, was nowhere near anything like some of the worst stuff I've dealt with before.

I talked on the phone with the manager Cain Corbin the following morning, and while he was gracious enough to offer me a refund for my July dues, I did not find him to be very helpful. I hope he learns to do better. I would think that one would try one's best to keep customers and make things work, but that's not what he or he regional Manager Tyler Cox have in mind.

The new PF in Martinsville is shiny and new, sure, but as the saying goes, "Not all the glitters is gold." If you're thinking of jointing a fitness center in Martinsville, don't be fooled by the shiny new machines. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Support a locally owned gym or even the YMCA that have been serving our community long before PF decided that expanding into smaller markets like our town...

The gym is clean and attractive, the amenities are amazing, and the low monthly membership cost makes joining a no-brainer. But what I think really makes PF Martinsville a wonderful and welcoming place is the employees. Every employee I have interacted with has been kind and wonderfully helpful.

Yesterday I mentioned to an employee that the wide range of equipment was a bit overwhelming to me. The employee showed me how to access equipment tutorials by scanning QR codes on the machines, showed me where to find specific machine tutorials in the app, and even offered to demonstrate how to use any machine I still had questions about. They were so very helpful and ended the conversation by saying that I would catch on quickly and be a pro with the machines in no time. Some gyms I've been to in the past have definitely felt less welcoming and more judgmental - like you should be a pro before you even come. The PF employees, though, have been unfailingly welcoming, encouraging, and incredibly helpful.

PF Martinsville is a lovely facility with a wonderful and welcoming atmosphere that is created by the...

The best gym in town. I've tried them all (won't mention them here). This gym is cleaner, friendlier, and has about anything you would need to get in great shape. It's also way nicer than the other local PF locations near here (Plainfield and Bloomington). I've used PFs across Indiana; this is by far the best one. I've been coming since last October 4-6x per week (with some days being 2x per day). I look forward to going every day that I can.

Shoutouts to the staff who are always friendly. I don't remember all of their names, but everyone is so nice. Gabe. Hankins. Ethan. Everyone is great!

I do wish it was 24 hours, or at least later on Saturdays and Sundays. When you're a busy parent but still want to workout on the weekends, evenings are often it. Other than...