Very disappointing experience at this location.
To start, the equipment is quite outdated, although I initially overlooked that because of the convenient location and proximity to my home.
On Saturday, I invited my sister to join me for a class. She is already a member at the DC location, and we were both able to sign up for the class through the app without any issues. Because of this, it was surprising when we arrived and, after scanning her membership card, she was stopped at the front desk and told—rather rudely—that she was on a “lower tier” membership and would need to upgrade if she wanted to visit this location again.
We explained that we were unaware of this restriction, particularly because the app had allowed her to register for the class without any indication that her membership level would prevent her from attending. Instead of calmly explaining the policy, the employee continued to raise his voice and repeatedly stated that she was “still below.”
When we expressed that we did not appreciate the way he communicated it to her, his response was completely inappropriate and caught both of us off guard. He said, “Is it because you think I’m white? Because I’m not, I’m Hispanic.”
I am still unsure where that comment came from or why race was brought into the conversation at all. Regardless, the interaction was extremely uncomfortable, unnecessary, and unprofessional. There are appropriate ways to communicate membership policies and address misunderstandings with customers, and this was not one of them.
The entire experience demonstrated a serious lack of professionalism and customer service. I hope management addresses how situations like this are handled in the future, because customers should not be made to feel uncomfortable or disrespected simply for asking a reasonable question about their membership.