LA Fitness — Local services in Mountain Park

Just a quick edit as an observation: notice how the owner NEVER responds to the negative reviews on here, only the positive. Typically means that they are paying or nudging those reviewers to leave those reviews to boost the gym’s overall rating, without putting in the work to actually improve the quality of the gym. Really sad. FC across the street sends out member surveys every month for member feedback and actually responds to feedback- something that I never saw this gym do in the two years I was there.

I was a member here for 2 years, and didn’t leave a review for a very long time. There were days I would give this gym 4 stars, and there were days I would give it 1 star. Let’s go over the why:

Pros: No one can deny that this gym has a ton of equipment, tons of free weights, and lots of amenities, especially the pool. The cleaning staff is always walking around and cleaning, and is really the only portion of staff that makes an attempt to look busy.

Cons: Lots of equipment, but they are old, falling apart, and often remain broken for weeks, sometimes months. Lots of free weights, but they are NEVER organized. Staff outright refuses to address this problem, even after speaking with multiple managers and corporate staff. You will spend an extra half an hour trying to find your dumbbells, as they will never be put back in their proper place (if at all), and there are way too many weights for you to have to sift through to find the one you’re looking for. The pool was broken at least once a month, sometimes for several weeks at a time. There was a shooting a couple years back that staff/management said they were working toward preventing, yet none of the rules they enacted to do so have ever been enforced. As far as the staff: if it’s not the cleaning staff, they will sit on their phone/computer for hours and will not acknowledge you or any concerns you have. I’ve informed staff on duty that the bathrooms are out of soap and toilet paper, and they simply continue to sit on their phone and will inform the cleaning staff so that they can get to eventually. You’ll also never see the same staff there for more than a couple of months- I’ve never seen such a high turnover from any business. I later found out by talking to corporate that if a complaint is made against the staff, they resort to just laying off the whole staff and hiring new workers. News flash: that’s not the best way to run your business. I’ve seen those same former staff members go to gyms in the area (PF, Fitness Connection, Crunch), and they are so much nicer and actually do their jobs happily. Finally, the locker rooms at this facility boast lockers that are dated and falling apart, and the bathrooms and showers are covered in mold.

Overall: I really encourage members here to look elsewhere, and see what they’re missing out on. I just looked at this club’s rates, and they have skyrocketed up from what they used to be- they went from $30/month to $40-45 a month! Let’s put this into perspective: if you want a clean gym that has none of the cons I listed above, go to the Planet Fitness across the street- they are $10/month. If you need free weights and can’t do PF, go to Fitness Connection across the street- brand new gym with brand new equipment, also $10/month. You need a pool or cycling classes? There’s a YMCA 10 minutes down the road. I have been to really nice LA Fitnesses, and it’s really depressing that they can’t even attempt at keeping standards across all locations, including this location. I would love to see improvement from this location and have given countless feedback to staff members and corporate employees to do so. However, after two years of trying (and many years before that of the same issues I listed, based on other reviews I see on here), it seems like they have no interest in improving this location, as well as many others in the...

I've gone to this location since it was built and LA Fitness since it first arrived in Atlanta 25 years ago. This location is at its worst and that is due, most likely, to the management. Last time I came to this location I was almost hit in the face with a dumbbell when I walked into the sauna, because more and more frequently guys are working out in the sauna, which is not what the sauna is designed for and cannot accommodate safely people exercising in a small, congested room. I told management about that as I left the club and recommended putting a sign on the door saying not to work out in their. I avoid this club at all costs, but I was on this side of town today, so I went in again. I walked into a lukewarm sauna, packed to the gills, with gangster rap music being played like we're in jail cell and guys are in there working out. As an older man and an extreme minority in the neighborhood, and the fact that I came in there to relax and sweat out some stress, I didn't feel comfortable trying to regulate the sauna, TODAY, but I do quite frequently. I should not have to regulate the sauna or any other part of the club, because that is what management is paid to do. This is the second time I spoke to the manager about working out in the sauna, and I don't know what this guy is doing in his nightlife, but talking to him is like talking to a lava lamp. When you speak to him the words do not register, as if he doesn't see any issue with what I'm telling him. He doesn't see issue with old men having to sit in there because they're old and not built to deal with Hooligans they have to sit in there and suffer through gangster rap music blaring and guys doing workouts in a 10 by 12 room with 10 men in that room. Maybe if he was more concerned with the fact that it's his building and he is the one that's responsible for making it honorable, and not being covered in tattoos and tight pants to come in there and look pretty for somebody, I don't know who, the patrons to the club we have a better experience. I came to this guy last time with the issue, which concerned safety and health, and the condition has worsened, so now I'm going to explore other avenues about rectifying the situation, since when I address this gentleman with the issue of safety in fairness, all he's trying to do, it seems, is find issue with me. I may be a minority, but I'm from georgia, unlike this guy, and I attended Elementary Middle School and High School right down the street from this club. And the guy covered in tattoos, I think he's Puerto rican, which is not a big deal, but he is not from Georgia and he's trying to make me feel like a foreigner in a club that I've been coming to since it was built. He told me I don't have to come back to this club. Instead of saying I will make the sauna and the club a safe and fair place, he told me not to come back to his Club, in essence, saying if that's what you desire I cannot provide safety and fairness, that is not my style. He's basically saying, from my interaction with him, that I come in here to wear tight pants and be covered in tattoos, not to make the building I'm responsible for safe...

I know that companies will stick up for their employees but they should also be mindful of hiring Competent and Customer Service oriented individuals especially if they place them in an "managerial" title. I suggest sending Natalie to training for Customer Service or maybe on the system again since it was hard for her to pull up my information.

The appalling customer service and horrific management at clubs can cost clubs of customers. While I understand her sticking by her stance to not scan him in using his cell phone, her approached was unacceptable as an employee and representative of the club. Her reasoning was irrational and rude. What this tells me is that we don't care about you, your needs, and we don't think it's important enough to find a better solution and you're just a number. And I'm pretty sure losing 3 customers is not a big deal, there are people joining daily, but that does make a difference especially when part of Marketing for a company is spreading the good word and I have nothing but bad things to say about this L.A. Fitness. Quality customer service was a major issue here.

After getting home I called and spoke to another manager at another location and after explaining the story to him, he read the notes she wrote on my file, he stated that yes, that's not a reason to revoke someone's membership and sounds like she was in her feelings. For years, I've enjoyed coming here but this has let me down. I cannot stress enough that LA Fitness should consider sending her to school or she needs to take a break because she seemed very worked up and unhappy with her work. And yes, leaving yesterday my son was very upset and felt like he was discriminated especially by a black woman. I'm pretty sure if it was a white teenager she would have scanned him in and explained to him that that is no longer accepted and he would have to download the app etc. This would have been the "best" possible solution especially if his picture was on file.

If all 3 of our memberships are revoked, I would like (1) all three first and last month refund for service, (2) enrollment fees refunded for all 3 accounts, and (3) gas money for driving to this location and being...