LL
Loveli Lessons
Jun 26, 2026
I have been a Gold's Gym member since 2014 and have always appreciated the gym culture and environment. I even worked for Gold's Gym in the past. After moving back to Virginia from Los Angeles, I rejoined because of the positive experiences I had over the years. Unfortunately, my experience at the White Oak location completely undermined that loyalty.
I rarely visit the White Oak location because it is far from my home, but due to recent health issues affecting my normal routine, I stopped by to work out. I pay for a membership that allows access to multiple locations, so I expected the same level of service and account visibility that exists throughout the Gold's Gym network.
When I arrived, I was stopped at the front desk and informed that my account was seven days past due and that I would not be allowed to work out. What made this especially frustrating was that I had participated in a referral promotion months ago and had repeatedly been told my free month would be applied. First, I was told it would be applied in April. Then I was told May. When May arrived, I was told it would be June, so I continued making payments in good faith.
My membership payment is due on the 19th, and I had visited the gym several times recently, including just a few days earlier. At no point did anyone inform me there was an issue with my account. Given the repeated promises regarding the referral credit, I reasonably believed June was the month that would be covered.
The billing confusion was frustrating enough, but the most disappointing part of this experience was the attitude and lack of professionalism displayed by the manager, Kelly. Instead of approaching the situation with understanding and customer service, I felt as though I was being treated like someone attempting to avoid paying, despite having a long history of maintaining my membership and making regular payments for years.
Only after I contacted the billing manager at the Willow Lawn location and had them explain the situation was I finally allowed to work out. Even then, the interaction felt reluctant rather than solution-oriented.
Rules are important, but so is customer service. Long-term members should not be made to feel embarrassed or accused because of a billing discrepancy that appears to stem from inconsistent communication regarding a promotion. A manager's role is to resolve issues, not escalate them through attitude and assumptions.
After more than a decade of supporting this company, I left feeling disrespected, frustrated, and disappointed. Gold's Gym should take a serious look at how customer concerns are handled at this location, because loyalty means very little when customers are treated this way.