Cross Gates Family Fitness — Local services in Slidell

I signed up for a year's membership. I didn't use it much, but honestly, that's on me - discipline and all that :)

The times I did, I found the facilities excellent.

It's when my year-long membership expired that my experience became an unhappy one.

I discovered through bank statements that I was still being charged a monthly fee, even after the year-long term expired.

When I called into the Ponchartrain facility, I learned that my membership had been converted to a month-to-month version once it expired.

I had no idea that was how the system worked - and while I can see that perhaps I should have reviewed my contract in more detail, I would just have appreciated a call or email letting me know - or better yet, asking me if I wanted to do that at all.

I asked on that first phone call to cancel this month-to-month membership. Instead of letting me cancel over the phone like, oh, any other service business in the world because it's 2025, I was told I had to fill out a form that would be emailed to me.

I did not get an email with the form.

A week or so later, I was shopping next door so I went into the facility on Ponchartrain, where I had originally signed up.

There, I asked an attendant at the front desk how to cancel that month-to-month membership. They took some action on a computer, and then told me the cancellation had been submitted and that someone from the gym would call me within the next couple of days about it.

Again, the fact I couldn't cancel IN PERSON, at the facility I originally signed up at, was pretty surprising - but I thanked them and went on my way.

I did not get a call from the gym.

Today, 10 days later, I got an email that said they were charging me for yet another month of service.

I called in yet again, and was told that an email had been sent to me after I visited the gym in person - no phone call; just an email. I was told that they would send the email again, with a link to the form - and that once the form was filled out, they would refund me the two months of charges.

I finally got the needed form in an email a few minutes ago and filled it out. Hopefully the membership will now be cancelled, and the refunds will come through.

Quite apart from how poorly this cancellation process was handled, I'm left with one central confusion and upset:

Why would you make it difficult in ANY WAY to cancel a service like this? If your clients love you and the service you provide, congratulations and well done - you'll enjoy repeat business and referrals. If your clients aren't happy with paying for your service - for reasons related to your company or (in my case) just plain failure to take advantage of what you provide, why would you want to collect money from them, and make it difficult to end off on the arrangement?

I am really disappointed, and hope you'll reconsider how you handle ending off with clients. You can do better than...

So I had a not so pleasant exchange with a cross gates family fitness front desk member at the pontchatrain location which severed my 4 year relationship with ‘em forever as in membership canceled. Let me elaborate, yesterday, as always, I’m at the gym early in the morning. I was finishing up at the Step-Mill and this trainer (JoJo) and another woman were being ‘Chatty Cathy’ nonstop for 20 min. I mean, gimme a break, if it’s in the weight room area, at least, I can walk away to another machine but I’m on a step-mill for 30min so was kinda stuck. After I was done with my workout, I said to ‘em, hey, do you gals realize that there are people trying to intensely working out around you and maybe tone it down a bit? Anyway, this morning when I went back to the gym, I saw Darlene at the front desk (I think, she’s the director of daycare but was filling in for someone who’s out on vacation). I mentioned yesterday’s incident and asked if I sign could be posted for people to be quiet or at least, not have a nonstop conversation while working out just like we’ve ‘etiquette to follow’ sign in the weight area. Darlene’s response, nope, it’s a gym and people are gonna talk. Ok, you totally missed the point and it was one of the trainers (JoJo) who should have known better but never mind. Furthermore, Darlene tried to rationalize by saying that members are suppose to put their weights back but no one does. Well, who’s job is it to enforce it? Otherwise, it’s human nature and bad apples just like these 2 Chatty Cathy. I’m a member and here to workout in peace and quiet early in the morning. I’m not gonna be perturbed by someone who’s obviously not serious about their workouts (low resistance level while holding a conversation and since we only have 3 step-mill machines so you’re wasting your time and making others wait to use the machine ‘opportunity cost’). If Darlene would have heard herself (excuses) out loud, she would have been better off simply shutting up to avoid any further embarrassment. To make the long story short, I’m not going to patronize an establishment (Cross gates @pontchartrain) which employs incompetent and attitude prone staff (trainer, director) who don’t even know how to diffuse/ deescalate a situation. I am a platinum member who paid extra to use all 3 cross gates locations and with a family membership to boot (wife and a newborn for daycare) but cancelled it all because of rude and unprofessional staff. There are quite a few gym options in Slidell so moral of the story, be nice in the service industry or be gone. Irony is that cross gates has a sign outside in the plaza to attract new customers while they can’t even hold on to the existing ones....

Like most days when I walk in my CrossGates on Pontchatrain, I am greeted with a hello and a smile and today was no exception. Today I was struggling “did I really want to be there” but within moments of walking in the gym, Courtney and her bright smile and big personality made my difficult day, disappear. She shared a laugh with me, then wished me well and onto my workout.

So off I went to where I needed to be….Bootcamp but not just Bootcamp but Bootcamp with Henry or as some of us say, Bootcamping with the Best.

You see, I can say that!! To some, Henry is just a trainer but for me and so many others…. He’s our motivator, he’s our mentor. He’s the one that guides us but most importantly, he’s the trainer that has learned each of client’s personalities and strengths and to me, that is the definition of an excellent trainer.

Knowing our personalities has taught him when he can push a little harder or ask us if we are okay. He sees our struggles and reminds us that we will conquer that struggle and move on to another because that progress….. WOW the word progress!! I wish there was a picture right next to the definition of progress because, it would be a picture of myself and so many others of Henry’s clients but don’t take my word for it, walk in our Bootcamp class, we will tell you… We are bootcamping with the best, if you don’t know the answer, let me help you out…. That’s Henry on Pontchatrain!!

Now before I finish this survey. I can’t forget others, like Mariah always there with a smile and helpful as can be! Sadly, I wish I knew 3 of those gentlemen’s names that work that front desk because those 3 are always kind and give a smile. I really am disappointed that I don’t know their names and I should know their names because two of them have been there the longest….I guess that’s one of my disappointments, CrossGates tends to go through a lot of staff. Some are so good and then suddenly they are gone. Maybe they have moved on to other things and bettering themselves, for that I am happy for them but if they are leaving for other reasons..,..well you as a business, should be able to understand what I am saying.

Enough negative because if you ask me, CrossGates on Pontchatrain is exactly where I want to be, Sweating with Henry and the amazing clients that sweat with me on Tuesday and Thursday!! AB is thanking all at CrossGates on...