Customer Service = Lots of Happy Customers

So I've got a really simple mathematical equation for all of you today:

Customer service = Lots of Happy Customers

Sounds really simple eh?

Apparently, it isn't always so simple.  But from my experience, I think that most businesses are catching on to this very basic concept. Customer service used to be seen as a bonus feature, a frill, a perk offered to get customers to try out your product or service. Then, once you got the sale, it was quickly forgotten and customer service became a minor player.

But not anymore.

Customers; the consumer, has become media and marketing savvy. Customers are starting to recognize that they can get the exact same product from several different stores/suppliers/providers. That leaves customers wondering where to decide to spend their money. The one thing that most often sways consumers is CUSTOMER SERVICE. A friendly smile, a helpful suggestion, even something as simple as, " let me hold that shopping bag for you while you check out our merchandise". Customer service isn't JUST about being friendly and approachable, its about starting and building relationships with customers. 

Building relationships starts off with simple greetings, recognition and whenever possible, call the customer by their first name. This makes the customer feel remembered and they are more inclined to return to the store. As the relationship continues customers will often share small details of their personal lives with you such as; "I'm going to watch my sons soccer game tonight". Next time you see them, you can ask how the game was.

Seems simple doesn't it??

It is. And it goes a long way to building a good customer. 

Why do companies/businesses want to "build"  their customers??

Simple. "Building" a good relationship with your customers is the start of a business relationship whereby you provide the service and/or products that your customers want most and in return the customer provides you with their loyalty to your store/service. Its about forming friendships with your customers. People are more likely to do business with  people that they know or are familiar with,  even if it is just a casual acquaintance type relationship (it is still a relationship). 

Relationships require mutual respect to be successful. Giving and receiving mutual respect means that when there are misunderstandings down the road (and there will be, because no one is happy 100% of the time) they will be resolved in a friendly co-operative manner which will benefit both the consumer and the business. 

Still need further proof?? Check out FaceBook. If you have an account there, you will certainly be familiar with the friends listings and the various possible categories within the friends listings. It is impossible to be true friends with everyone you might have listed in your friends listing. BUT; its very likely many of those are acquaintances (a person known to you, but usually not a close friend). There is certainly nothing wrong with having many acquaintances.

The concept of building relationships with your customers is not new. Its a very old way of doing business and dealing with people that is finally coming back into the frontal consciousness of business and consumers. Personally, I think that its the best way to do business, either as a business owner or a consumer. Its about time we went back to having conversations with each other; even if it is just about the weather, or the Blue Jays or the Flyers!!

until next time...don't sweat the small stuff!!  

Today's Workout: Update April 2012

As you know, I've been following a nutrition plan for the past two weeks along with personal training sessions AND I have my own workout routine that I go through in between my PT sessions. Right now, I go to the gym at least 6 times per week for at least 1 hour each visit. This gives me 6 hours of vigorous to moderate physical exercise each week.

I'm still using the schedule I set out for myself and listed in a previous post:

My exercise schedule is:

Monday: 1hr personal training session

Tuesdays: 1hr cardio

Wednesday: 1hr personal training session

Thursdays: 1hr cardio

Friday: 1hr boxing

Saturday: 1hr cardio/weights

Sunday: 1hr cardio/weights

This week I did change it up a wee bit. Tuesday and Thursday I added some weight training and a few strength training exercise that my PT had shown to me. Today I did NOT go to boxing. I was actually more in the mood for a good cardio session, so I spent 40 mins on the treadmill. According to the readouts on these machines, my ideal target heart rate for a cardio workout is 140. I have previously been able to read that target using a level 3 elevation and a 3.8 speed. Unfortunately that formula no longer works for me!!! Now I have to set the treadmill at level 4 elevation and 4.2-4.4 speed in order to reach my target heart rate of 140.  Thing is; already I can see myself getting used to this increase and eventually will have to increase it again. The biggest problem will be that due to my knees not being able to handle me running on them for any extended period; I don't know how fast I can walk nor at what elevation I can handle before my knees start to complain.  BUT, I'm not there yet, so I should not worry about something that hasn't happened yet. We shall cross that trainer when we get to it. *groan*

Looking at my calendar now, I have 6 weeks left before my self-imposed deadline arrives for my Belly Fat Challenge. Honestly, I think I'm doing fairly well. No, I'm not ready to take another picture to post here. The first one was hard enough for me to find the courage to post it, lol.  I'd like to give myself at least one more week, then post a picture to show you the progress I've made.

If you've been following me, you will have noted by now that losing body fat; whether it be belly, butt, arms or legs, is a very long and challenging process to undertake. It takes REAL work to change your health. Ever watch that TV show; The biggest loser?  Have you ever noticed how much those people sweat?  How hard they work?? The diet they eat???  It takes alot of commitment, determination and a "never give up" attitude to reach the goal to being health. Not only that; it requires commitment, determination and a "never give up" attitude to STAY HEALTHY.  If you learn nothing else from eating healthy and adopting a regular exercise routine; learn that its not a temporary act. To stay healthy you have to keep up the new way of eating and the exercise routine. Essentially, you change your lifestyle.  Sounds scary??  Too hard???  I thought so too. But once you adopt a new routine and way of eating, it becomes a part of your regular everyday life. I don't even think about it as something separate from the rest of my daily routine. Its like brushing my hair or getting dressed. Its just normal now.   

until next time...don't sweat the small stuff

My New Gym: Revealed

I promised you that I would reveal the name of the gym that I joined recently. I promised I would reveal the name by the end of this month. So far, I've been keeping my promises, and I intend to continue to do so in the name of fitness.

BUT before I name names first I should explain some of my findings during my journey to finding my new gym.

As you know, I investigated several local gyms over the past two months. These included past versions of Premier Fitness, GoodLife Fitness, Phoenix Fitness in Stoney Creek and Phoenix Fitness in Ancaster, Century Fitness Upper James and Century Fitness Upper Wentworth. I did not visit Curves for Women. I start my investigations by checking out the company online and Curves did not appeal to what I was looking for in a gym. Not to say that they likely do appeal to some women who are looking for a gym.

Overall, I found most of the gyms offered pretty much the same sort of programs and equipment. All of them had the standard gym equipment; treadmills, ellipticals etc. All of them had a studio space which offered group classes. All of them had shower facilities (although some of the facilities were more modern and high-end looking than others). All of them had a service desk at the front door where you were greeted by customer service staff.

My choice ultimately came down to the things I wanted most in my gym:

(see my post from March 26th for the full article)

1) CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN facilities

2) Fully operational equipment and changeroom facilities

3) Open early or 24 hours

4) Nice, clean, quiet boxing studio

5) Quiet area with padded floor for cool-down stretching

6) Staff available in the main gym to assist with questions about equipment, exercises etc

7) Comfortable facility temperature and ventilation system

One very very important item that I failed to list is EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I need to mention this because ultimately that was the key element that convinced me to sign up for the gym I am at now.

The gym I am at now offers all of the things listed in my list at two locations in the Hamilton area. I can choose to go to either gym anytime I wish. One of the gyms offers the boxing studio area along with group and individual classes. This same location is open 24 hrs. The gym I signed with has excellent customer service and is located a bit closer to my home.

Thank you Century Fitness.

I am quite happy with my choice so far. And I'm glad that this establishment survived the corporate troubles of Premier. From what I have seen, the members are quite happy at this gym and are very supportive and loyal. The staff are excellent which for me makes all the difference.

until next time; don't sweat the small stuff

Quit Smoking Update: 5 Weeks

Yep, I did it. 5 weeks no cigarettes, no nicotine. Done, fini.
Easy???  Heck NO!

And you don't even know the half of it!!! My personal life has taken a major tumble in the past 9 months. Most people would definitely not even consider quitting smoking. My own doctor was shocked that I did it. My timing was certainly not good, and I put alot of extra stresses on myself; both physically and psychologically. But I would still encourage anyone anytime anywhere to quit smoking. The final act is liberating. No longer am I a slave to nicotine. Constantly buying cigarettes, making sure I have a lighter, making sure I have them with me................like some kind of ...............addict!!!

I still very occasionally think about smoking. But the thoughts are fewer, last mere seconds and are farther between each other.

I think that the saving grace for me was sticking to a daily exercise program and adding a nutritional plan. These two things help to re-balance things for me physically and psychologically.

Please, if you are considering quitting but need that extra push, just drop me a line or post a comment here and I will respond.

Nutrition Plan: Update

I finally have an update for you on the nutrition plan I have been following. Its been going very well. I am finding that the meals are actually quite tasty even if they are incredibly simple. Some of the combinations seem a bit unconventional, but once you try it you discover although it seems a bit weird, it actually tastes pretty good. Such as the combo of canned tuna with a sweet potato.

I think the trick is being able to stick to the plan. Just like any plan, of course!!

So I typed out the first days' meal offerings for your reading amusement:

As you see, and as I noted previously, the focus of this nutrition plan is on protein, low fat, low carbs and metabolism boosting foods.

I've already discovered ways of making the grocery list easier on your wallet. The yogurt can be found at any grocery store; BUT it is almost half the price at discount department stores who also now offer grocery shopping. One store in particular, which is found all across Canada and the US also has the best price on the liquid egg whites. Almonds I found for $3 in a large container at my No Name brand grocery store. The chicken is the most expensive item on the list, however if you are saavy, you can save on this too. I have a farmers market type-grocer in my city that offers amazing deals on meats. I tend to stock up when I visit there.

Another thing to keep in mind is look for items that are low in fat. The Greek yogurt has 18 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving; most other yogurts offer 4 or 8 grams. This is available in regular fat and 0% fat. Always get 0%. I also opted for the plainer flavours, vanilla or honey as the calorie count was lower.

For the almonds, always buy raw almonds. They are lower in calories and higher in protein.

The tuna should always be packed in water. Does anyone still buy it in oil?? Tuna is relatively cheap and can often be found really cheap when its on sale. Stock up.

Something else I should note. Today I ran out of sweet potatoes. So instead of having the 1/2 sweet potato with my tuna, I substituted 1/2 cup of lentils. The lentils were the canned kind. I did not compare the nutritional data before deciding on the substitution. Lets check now to see how I did:

1/2 cup Lentils (canned)

calories - 115

fat - .5 grams

carbs - 20 grams

fibre - 8 grams

sugars - 2 grams

protein - 9 grams

1/2 sweet potato

calories - 103

fat - 0 grams

carbs - 24 grams

fibre - 4 grams

sugars - 7 grams

protein - 2 grams

hmm.......well, not a perfect substitute but not a terrible one. Lentils have more fibre, less sugar and more protein. I suppose overall its not a bad choice. Which is great, because for some reason I have several cans of these in my pantry.  I used this web site to check the nutritional values: Nutritional values Checker

I think the point of this nutritional plan is to eventually teach me how to make better food choices and establishing new and better habits by eating smaller meals more frequently through the day. For some odd reason, we in North America have adapted the habit of having our largest and heaviest meal in the evening. Which, as you can imagine, is probably not the best idea. This give our body little time to digest and even less time to burn off all the mindless calories we consumed at such an ungodly hour. LOL!!

Anyway, change is good. Embrace it. Well, at least try it!!!!!!!!

always remember, don't sweat the small stuff!!!

Belly Fat Challenge: Progress Report

I am happy to report that there has been progress!!! Yessssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afterall, that is the whole point, isn't it??

My size 7 jeans now fit me again, like they did before I quit smoking. Actually, they fit me a bit better as they are not quite as snug around the belly. I believe the reason for this progress is the addition of my personal training sessions into my workout routines AND the nutrition plan.

I know, you're thinking; "but she's only been on the nutrition plan for a week".......true, but I already feel really good. Having 5 small meals approximately 3 hours at each interval (starting at around 7am or whenever I get my lazy butt out of bed!) seems to be helping to regulate my blood sugar and has pretty much eliminated that woozy feeling I was getting periodically since I've quit smoking.

I believe when I started this quest, I set my birthday June 7th as the target date. That date was for both losing my belly fat and quitting smoking. And since I have quit smoking now all I need to focus on is getting fit.  All??? 

Agreed, its not easy to stick to a nutrition plan either. (just like it wasn't easy to quit smoking) And its not easy to get to the gym on a regular basis; okay I'm lying about this one but that's because I'm a weirdo and I love to workout. So I suppose its not easy for the average person to get to the gym everyday. BUT, this one small indication of progress has spurred me to continue the challenge.  

A reader commented on my last post asking me to share the nutrition plan. As you know, I've taken on the self directed task of reviewing fitness solutions for you, the reader. Therefore; until I can be certain that this nutrition plan is indeed working well and will continue to work for two more weeks, I will not reveal the plan.

Please note; I am not a nutritionist, doctor, therapist or expert of any kind in fitness whatsoever. I'm just an average normal mid 40's woman who is reviewing various fitness solutions and posting my personal experiences and opinions here for you to read. Which means that just because this plan is working for me, does not necessarily mean that it works for you.

BUT! If indeed you decide to take on the challenge yourself, AND you do indeed find that it is working for you then FANTASTIC!!!! Please let me and your fellow readers know about your progress by posting your comments here on my blog.

Until then; don't sweat the small stuff!!

Nutrition Plan Day One

So I got my nutrition plan from my gym yesterday afternoon. The counsellor read it through with me, asked if I had any questions and off I went to the grocery store. I also picked up a bottle of whey protein to use in the protein shakes.

The nutrition plan consists of 3 days of meals, that I am to rotate. There are 5 meals per day. The idea being to keep my metabolism working to use energy. Prior to this, I ate sporadically through the day. Most days my first meal was around 1pm. Apparently that way of eating is bad, because your body will store every bit of energy you put in, because it doesn't know when the next round of energy will be put in.

The 5 meals are small and around 400 calories each, give or take. The emphasis seems to be on protein; low or zero fat, almost no carbs (except oatmeal and sweet potatoes). One thing I forgot to ask was what beverages I can have. Likely the answer will be water, but I will confirm next time I see her. Prior to this nutrition plan I almost never drank pop or carbonated beverages of any kind (maybe once or twice a year). I don't drink alcohol, I never drink milk (it bugs my stomach). Mostly I drink watered-down juices, water and water with a low calorie (no more than 10 per 500ml) flavoured sweetener. I also like tea, green tea and coffee. My coffee consumption has greatly reduced since I quit smoking, now I might have one or two a week in the morning. Most often now I drink green tea in the morning.    

I am to follow this plan for three weeks, then go back in for likely another menu plan, to change up things a bit. It is a bit tough to follow, I do feel hungry at times, but as I just quit smoking only a short time ago, my will-power is still very strong so I feel I will be able to stay the course.

Today I also went for a boxing class. The class was an hour long and most of it consisted of conditioning exercises. I plan on attending every Friday now, as part of my weekly routine.

So right now, my exercise schedule is:

Monday: 1hr personal training session

Tuesdays: 1hr cardio

Wednesday: 1hr personal training session

Thursdays: 1hr cardio

Friday: 1hr boxing

Saturday: 1hr cardio/weights

Sunday: 1hr cardio/weights

I will probably NOT go to the gym occasionally, likely on a weekend here and there. Sometimes as we all know, life gets super busy and schedules and routines have to be flexible and adjust to needs.

While my goal is to lose my belly fat, I know that there will be other benefits along the way to reaching this goal. My overall health will improve, my eating habits will improve, my energy will increase, my ability to sleep will improve, concentration will improve and more.

As always, I will post my progress here. I do plan to post another photo, at least once there is some noticeable improvements to my belly fat.

Until then, don't sweat the small stuff!

Todays Workout and Other Musings

Over the holiday weekend I managed to get to the gym everyday except Friday. I had planned to be there Friday, but things didn't pan out exactly as "planned". I was successful however, at avoiding the Easter Bunny and the basket-full of sweets and chocolate. Yes, I like chocolate, not as much as other things, but I do like chocolate.

My recovery from my personal training session on Thursday lasted until Saturday. Yesterday I was back with my trainer. This time I wasn't as sore afterwards and today I did a cardio session on the elliptical and felt fine. I did notice some muscle on my butt and upper legs that I didn't notice before. Its great when you see progress. That's why I wanted to start personal training sessions again, for the extra push and the expertise that a trainer can give to your workout. It is pricey, but its worth the extra $$. Besides, I'm saving $90-120 per month since I quit smoking, so spending a little bit on a personal trainer is a much better way to spend my money and  my time. 

I have to admit though, my timing is not the best. Deciding to burn my belly fat and then two weeks later deciding to quit smoking.........well, they both sort of cancel each other out. What I mean is, its a well known fact that when you quit smoking, your metabolism slows and takes time to recover and re-learn to burn fat and sugar on its own (without the drug assistance of nicotine) So, when I quit smoking, I made my belly fat challenge nearly impossible to achieve in the time-frame I had originally given myself. However, being determined, single-minded and deadly-focused on the goal(s); I am still looking to the goal of losing my belly-fat. It may take me a few weeks longer than originally anticipated, but now with the extra help of a personal trainer, it is once again an achievable goal.

If my BF is reading this, he will likely agree that I tend to take on everything all at once. Its got to be annoying for those who know me. LOL The annoying part comes in when I become overtired and over-stressed and those around me are left to manage the fall-out. I don't know that I can just focus on one thing at a time. Seems a bit dull to me. LOL

Anyway; I committed to achieving the belly fat burn and to quitting smoking; so I'm sticking with both. And thus far, I have not "cheated" in my smoking. I have not used any nicotine products whatsoever for almost 4 weeks now. I still can't believe I did it. I have to say again, it has NOT been easy. I STILL get cravings!! I had a MAJOR craving episode just last week. I think it was precipitated by a stress event. However, I have noticed an improvement in being an ex-smoker. The times when I think about cigarettes and smoking are much less and far between now. I have gone full days without a single thought about smoking. That would be progress!

Thursday this week, I will get my nutrition plan from my gym. What, you say?? I signed on to a gym??? Yes, I did. I cut short my investigations into gyms and I have a new gym. I am NOT going to reveal the gym, just yet. I will blog about my investigations into other gyms first. In the meantime, I will continue to post my workouts, PT session updates and other such goodies in addition to the information I received during my hunt for a new gym.

Until next time; don't sweat the small stuff!!

My Challenges - Updates and Tabulations

So by now, if you read this blog on a regular basis, you have noticed that I have begun a number of challenges in the past month. This seems to be something I do to myself all the time in everything I do. Annoying? Possibly, at least to those to who know me personally.

The first challenge was this blog and my commitment to posting on a regular basis. If I had to critique this challenge, I'd say thus far I've managed to meet the initial requirements and I have posted regular.

The other challenges, in no particular order, include; The Belly Fat Challenge, The Quit Smoking Challenge, and The Find a New Gym Challenge.

The Quit Smoking Challenge:

Although I have actually and successfully managed to quit smoking and have stayed quit now for three weeks, the challenge itself never really ends. Its on-going. I do feel however, that I have accomplished something that for many is very difficult. So I am happy and proud and I am determined to continue my life as an ex-smoker.

The Find a New Gym Challenge:

I promised an update on this one next week, and I will deliver!!

The Belly Fat Challenge:

The latest development in this challenge is that I have signed up for more personal training sessions to assist me with this challenge. Did I cheat by doing this?? I don't think so. As I've stated many times, I'm not a professional fitness expert of any kind at this moment in time. Therefore; the logical thing to do to achieve success in my Belly Fat Challenge, is to seek out the expertise and help from professionals.

My first personal training session was yesterday. I have to say, I was very surprised. As you know, I go to the gym every day for about 40 mins each visit. So I did not expect to have alot of difficulty during the PT session. Well, I was wrong!!! Part way thru by body was screaming at me!!! LOL!! And ALL last night............AND ALL morning long today!!!! So it seems I am NOT in as good a shape as I thought. My trainer said I need to build some muscle. So for 60 minutes, we built muscle.

I will be heading to the gym in an hour or so today. Even though I am having extreme difficulty walking normally!! HA!! I plan on spending some time on the elliptical and then the treadmill. My focus today will be on cardio, so I will be keeping my heart rate in the 140 range.

My next PT session is on Monday. Seems like a long ways away from today. And even though I am in pain, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my PT session. I am definitely looking forward to Monday.

Wishing you all a fantastic holiday weekend!!

Until next time, don't sweat the small stuff

 

New Gym Challenge - Update

Today for my workout I went back to a familiar stomping ground. After writing and reading an re-reading my post from yesterday and the previous day, I decided that I just did not feel comfortable at Phoenix Fitness. Its hard to say why. Maybe its because I am used to a much larger facility. It could be that I was simply uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. Or it could be the lack of experience with the older weight machines they provided.

Most likely its a combination of a few things. I was a bit taken back by the higher membership fees. While they did provide pricing right up front from the very start, it also seemed that there was no wiggle room, no negotiation on the fees and the services. I did express that I wanted some personal training sessions. I was told these were available for a range of $65-75 per session. I was not offered a membership price that included sessions. These were simply an add-on.

Another thing that caused me to question the club, happened on the weekend. One location told me that all three locations offered the same deals and that once you were a member you could access any location any time. Another location told me they were not aware of a weekly trial pass that the other location was offering and she did not want to honor the pass. She said, well I see that you will be upset if I don't honor the pass so I will let it go this time. Hmmmph!

For this one small reason, I implore my readers to be certain to always try out a gym for a week BEFORE signing anything!!!!! You cannot possibly make a decision based on one visit at one location. Take the time to check out all the locations included in your membership. ASK for what you WANT!!

If you want personal training sessions, ask for them. The gym should then offer you at least an introductory deal including personal training. That's the same for anything else you might want such as daycare, multiple locations, group classes, nutrition coaching, specialized training or workouts (boxing, MMA, Nia etc)

IF YOU DON'T ASK, YOU WON'T GET IT!!

Simple!

So bottom line now for me, I have crossed off Phoenix from my list of possible gyms.

I shall keep you posted on my next trial.

until then, don't sweat the small stuff!! 

This Months Quest is.......join a new gym!!

Yep, it's time. Time for me to find and join a new gym. My current membership is due in June, which technically is still a couple months away. The problem is my current membership is with a gym that no longer exists!!!! I have a ghost membership!!

I have been going to gyms here in Hamilton but lately they have been giving me a hard time at the door. Very frustrating AND disappointing since I've been a loyal member for 2 years. I think that rather than harassing members such as myself in the situation that I am in, perhaps offering to setup a time to sit down with a sales staff member and re-visit and renegotiate a new gym membership term would actually be a more pleasing and desireable solution to the situation. If this had been offered to me hassle-free from the start, I probably would not have even looked at other gyms. But it wasn't, so I am looking at two or more other gyms before I make my final decision.

There are a few articles and recent news items out there which highlight various gym members in similar situations; this one is about members who sought refunds from PF locations that closed

I also found this internet notice that is quite interesting:

"Dear Premier Fitness Member,

You may have received a letter from Premier Fitness informing you of the closure of the fitness club and suggesting that you seek a refund from “Physiomed”.

Premier Fitness was not sold to “Physiomed” and “Physiomed” did not walk away from the transaction. The entity that was to acquire certain assets from Premier Fitness intended to close the transaction but was not able to do so because Premier Fitness did not deliver on its obligations in connection with the proposed transaction.

After the transaction was entered into but before the intended closing, there was to be a transition period. During this transition period all funds received for membership or fitness services in the Premier Fitness Club were deposited in Premier’s bank accounts. Therefore, it is Premier and not “Physiomed” that received and benefited from these funds and thus it is Premier who should be approached for any refund. Furthermore, the clinics that are situated inside the Premier Fitness Clubs are “Physiomed Health Clinics” and were not parties to the proposed transaction. They were never intended to, nor did they ever, receive any of the membership dues or payments for fitness services from Premier Fitness. Again, these all went to Premier Fitness.

To contact Premier Fitness regarding a refund or any other matter, please call 905.602.9912.

Thank you!"

I also found this notice which has alot of detail regarding the change in ownership and subsequent closure of the Premier Fitness brand. I have a link to the posting but I have also copied it below in case the link becomes inactive in the near future:

"

Dear members of the former Premier Fitness

---

Setting the Record Straight – Securing your Fitness Future!

On December 12th, 2011 an agreement was made to sell the Premier Fitness clubs to Physiomed. Physiomed Fitness and Physiomed Health is an organization of chiropractors who run clinics throughout Ontario and over the past 18 years have been tenants within many Premier Fitness club facilities. DSM Leasing, the main lender to Premier Fitness, was required to transfer the business assets to Physiomed and entered into an agreement that simultaneously gave possession and control to Physiomed pending the completion of the documentation to implement the sale. Physiomed, as confirmed by court records, thereafter operated the facilities for its own account and undertook to pay all expenses from December 12, 2011 onward.
Physiomed had done 7 months of due diligence and negotiations CLICK HERE TO VIEW before taking over Premier Fitness.
On December 12, 2011 they took over all Premier Fitness bank accounts and all signing authorities. From December 12th onward membership fees, personal training payments etc were 100% in the sole control of and for the benefit of Physiomed Fitness CLICK HERE TO VIEW SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. Premier Fitness as a business no longer operated after December 12th, 2011. As part of the purchase price, Physiomed assumed Premier's debt obligations to their main lender DSM Leasing and CRA which included significant disputed amounts which were under appeal. Therefore the DSM Leasing debt became the obligation of Physiomed CEO Dr. Scott Wilson, DC, his holding company - Physiomed Health Holdings Inc. (as evidenced by a General Security Agreement signed by Dr. Wilson and the registration by DSM Leasing against Dr. Wilson and his holding company Physiomed Health Holdings Inc. for $33 million dollars) and the individual chiropractors who became the owners of each former Premier Fitness location. Furthermore, each Physiomed Chiropractor signed their closing documents which were delivered by Physiomed to DSM's office in early January to complete the transaction. These documents were all part of the court submissions supporting the opposition to the receivership.
On December 21st and 22nd, 2011 over a 1000 former Premier Fitness staff attended a Phyisomed Fitness introduction/launch presentation conference at a Mississauga movie theatre where the CEO of Physiomed, Dr. Scott Wilson, DC, unveiled the plans for the new company. Shortly thereafter all staff were given new Physiomed employment contracts and Physiomed uniforms. CLICK HERE TO VIEW
As a member you will recall that, on or about December 23rd, 2011 a letter from Dr. Scott Wilson, DC was distributed to members at all clubs informing them of the acquisition of your club by Physiomed Fitness. CLICK HERE TO VIEW
Between December 24, 2011 and January 1st, 2012 all Premier Fitness signs came down and all clubs were rebranded by Physiomed with Physiomed Fitness signs across Ontario.CLICK HERE TO VIEW EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR PICTURES Physiomed spent over $300,000 for the replacing of Premier signs with Physiomed signs and another $50,000 to replace all interior club signs to Physiomed.
In the latter part of December the Premier Fitness website was taken down by Physiomed and redirected to the new Physiomed Fitness website which listed all the club locations as Physiomed Fitness locations. As part of their January promotion Physiomed launched their "30 Free" campaign CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROMO and sold all memberships on Physiomed Fitness membership contracts CLICK HERE TO VIEW. All sales, memberships, personal training, nutrition, guest fees, etc went into either Physiomed Health accounts CLICK HERE TO VIEW or the former Premier Fitness account now controlled solely by Physiomed for their benefit and which it was using on an interim basis while setting up its own new banking arrangements.
From the information received from the club managers, the Physiomed January advertising promotion was extremely weak in part due to the flyer not listing locations and containing a marketing call centre phone number that often went unanswered or to voicemail. The sales resulting from the Physiomed Fitness campaign in January were approximately 50% less than any other January in each of the clubs histories. From the start of January until mid February Physiomed, held 1pm daily conference calls with all Physiomed Fitness club managers for the purpose of reviewing sales results . All Physiomed Fitness clubs were totally under the management and control of Physiomed's Head Office at 80 Bloor Street West, Suite 1300, Toronto. CLICK HERE
Physiomed's lack of sales placed pressure on their ability to cover operating overhead, the cost of which they were fully aware of prior to the purchase of the business. Their reduced cash flow prompted Physiomed to approach the secured lender DSM Leasing for the purpose of borrowing additional funds to pay their bills. DSM Leasing refused to grant Physiomed any further financing.
Physiomed and DSM then decided that they could solve their problems by changing the original deal that they had made with each other and with Premier. To do this they took the position that the "Physiomed Fitness transaction had never closed" and decided that the former guarantees from the Premier Fitness operating companies could be called upon, thereafter allowing DSM Leasing to put most of the former Premier companies into receivership. This was done for the following purposes:

1. Once DSM had a court appointed receiver they could shut down less profitable locations without consequences.
2. By putting Premier Fitness in receivership DSM and Physiomed would blame the failure on Premier and thus preserve the Physiomed name allowing Physiomed to continue to operate the remaining locations.
3. They could potentially avoid paying terminated employees from any closed down locations their earned vacation pays and severance pays.
4. They could renege on the deal made with the former owners for future obligations owed to them with respect to the sale of the business to Physiomed.

While the orchestration of the receivership was in fact a way for DSM Leasing and Physiomed to continue their control of the business and potentially avoid paying unsecured stake holders, landlords, suppliers, members and employees of closed clubs, the position taken in DSM's court material related to the receivership claimed the real reason for the receivership was simply to conclude the Physiomed deal as originally negotiated which they took the position had not technically closed.
The former owners fought the receivership and their lawyer argued that the receivership was, rather, a scheme to achieve the purposes set out above.
The Honourable Justice Spence appointed a receiver but severely limited its powers by in essence allowing the Receiver to preserve and protect the assets so that the deal could close as bargained. Specifically, no clubs could be closed or sold for 30 days, thus giving DSM the opportunity to close the deal with Physiomed. BDO was appointed by the court as Receiver.
During the week of February 13th BDO, the court appointed receiver, and DSM proposed to return to court immediately for the purpose of asking the court for permission to close down approximately 12 clubs. The former owners again fought this. At the same time DSM decide to refuse to fund the receivership any further which in turn forced the Receiver (BDO) to go back to court on February 17th, where they advised the court that after their review of the business and what they had learned over the 9 day receivership that the clubs should be returned to the former owners' control.
On February 17th, 2012 the court also ordered a 7 day Stay of Proceedings to facilitate for an orderly transition as the former owners took back control of the clubs.
What was learned was startling! Although Physiomed had been in total control of the business for almost two full months (prior to the appointment of the Receiver) in the best sales season and had had control of all the money coming in, there were nevertheless hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid obligations including payroll.
From February 17th at approximately 5pm onward the former owners took back control of the facilities and started paying all employees from that point going forward. They began the painful process of negotiating with landlords to get the unpaid rents settled. In some cases the landlords were terrific in working toward a positive outcome and others were unreasonable.
In many locations long time club managers stepped up and invested their personal fund and have taken ownership of their clubs.

Club Closures:

With some landlords being unwilling to negotiate a feasible repayment plan of Physiomed's past due rents there was no choice but to close some locations. In these cases the members memberships are being honoured at nearby locations or arrangements were made with other local clubs who agreed to honour the memberships. In the case of facilities where there was no other clubs near by to accommodate members the operators have had staff on site giving members refunds for fees they had paid for prepaid time after which the club would be closed.
The facility operators would like to thank the dedicated and loyal members and staff who have so patiently stood by them during this most unusual and difficult time. Their commitment to you has never changed and they will continue to serve you for many years to come.
Please visit your club for any questions regarding your membership.
For customer service for the following locations please email: customerservice@healthholdings.ca

• Highbury Road, London
• Bunting Road, St. Catharines
• Milton
• Meadowvale Town Centre, Mississauga
• Oshawa
• Kingston "

For my own personal decision on where I will be sending my money and spending my time, I have decided to try out Century Fitness, Phoenix Fitness, GoodLife Fitness and Curves for Women.

This week, I have a trial for Phoenix. I have been at the gym three times now for workout sessions. Two in Ancaster and one in Stoney Creek. I got my temp card on Saturday in Stoney Creek. Yesterday I went to Ancaster and got a run-around upon entry because they were unfamiliar with the trial card and its terms. I was told in Stoney Creek I could use the card at any of the three locations for a 7 day hassel-free period. I'm concerned that the policies seem to be different between locations. I would expect that policies, fees and other such things would be the same regardless of the location.

I was also a bit disappointed yesterday as the treadmill I choose in Ancaster was not operating correctly. The heart-rate monitor wasn't working. Phoenix gyms are much smaller than the "big box stores" of the gym world. I don't really mind this at all. I am disappointed in the selection of weight machines. Most of the equipment is free-weight benches great for bulking up. Not so good for us women who want to tone not bulk. I found only one ab machine. I've also noticed for the most part, only men are using the weight machines. Women come in, use the treadmills or elipticals, attend a class then leave. The guys seem to stay longer. The membership cost at this gym is considerably more than their competitors. I don't see any added value which justifies the cost difference. And I was sooooo hoping that this was going to be the gym for me.

While I have not made my final decision, Phoenix will have to offer me comparable pricing to their competitors for me to consider signing on with them as a full time member.