Bally Total Fitness Reviews

Pros

If you work very hard you will do well. Too many trainers expect to get clients by doing minimum effort.

Gym membership.

Cons

There are a lot if bad trainers at Bally's which reflects badly on the good ones.

Gym management can be pretty bad, but it depends on what gym you are at.

When you don't make your numbers you are told to improve or are fired. If you make your numbers you are told to improve. Sooner or later everyone burns out. This goes up to corporate so you see regional managers as stressed out as gym managers.

Advice to Senior Management

Better quality control.

Pros

Good commission compared to other companies
Good place to work
Good hours
Good managers (generally)
Free Membership
a lot of say.

Cons

Very pressuring
If you dont do good you will get the "talk"
The training is very boring and not needed

Advice to Senior Management

Make sure the managers are good with their employees, it makes all the differance. Praise when employees makes sales.

Pros

Free membership for all employees

Cons

The exercise equipment was poorly maintained, class sizes were encouraged to reach sizes that challenged safety codes, very limited continuing education offered, microphones and stereos were usually broken, pay checks were regularly inaccurate and the hiring process was unnecessarily slow.

Advice to Senior Management

Take care of your group instructors as group classes are what retain members. A happy member is a member who will recommend the gym to their friends. NOT a cheated member.

Pros

You get a free gym membership!

Cons

Short shifts, doesn't close until late.

Advice to Senior Management

BE nicer, cooler, and better to employees

Pros

Depending on the location, the equipment is in good condition. Management makes sure the equipment does not stay broken for an extended period of time. etc.

Cons

The pay is too low if you are depending on this job for income. A certified trainer can clean up in the right location.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay more that minimum wage. Be better that 24 hr fitness.

Pros

Well if you know how to sell effectively and your lazy .. its the greatest place to be there.. you get base pay and commision... you spend hours not really doing anything but youhave to act like your workin... i was the best sales person at my location and i barely did any work.. SWEET

you also have access to the facility... i lost 40 lbs bc of ballys.. cant complain

Cons

your just as good as your last sale.... if your gym is having a bad day ... steer clear and make sure your bein seen doing work......members dont really show respect but then again you can threaten to revoke their memberships in which i used that technique and i always get an apology ..lol

Advice to Senior Management

Make sure your on top of your game... if your a great sales person .. role play with your employees so that they can carry the club..

Pros

Pay VERY good compared to the industry; generally had a good work life balance; decent benefits for the industry; was given a lot of independence to improve my club.

Cons

Company HAS NOT leanred from their past mistakes, company needs to either reduce or eliminate the contracts. Customer service extremely poor on a national level. Need to lose the mentality that they can "sell" their way to financial success. Too much focus on getting people to sign on the dotted line and not enough attention paid to facility upkeep (maintenance & janitorial) or customer service. Not sure they can survive long enough to stay in business

Advice to Senior Management

Eliminate almost all of your regional and district managers; they have an archaic way of thinking that will doom the company to failure. Reduce your sales force and change the focus of club staff to improving customer service. Bring in GM's with an Operations or Customer service background. Most clubs (except for new clubs) should only have 1 or 2 sales people; place the savings into your customer service and facilities management budgets. Realize that you can't remain competitive with the mind set that is currently in place in the company. Develop your personal training teams.

Pros

Complete access to the gym's equipment and facilities

Cons

The overall pay and compensation system is absurd as well as the time that it takes to receive a single commissioned check once your a new employee.

Advice to Senior Management

For your new hires to learn you first have to let them try.

Pros

the time flexibility and everyday is never the same. you have the freedom to set your own hours and work as much and as long as you want. The pay is pretty decent as long as there is a constant supply of clients to train. you don't have to wear suits and a ties everyday to work. workout attire and tennis shoes is all you need. you meet all sorts of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. there is always something to talk about at ballys because everyday holds a different surprise. never a dull moment working at bally

Cons

bally does not we well at assisting trainers. the patrons are absolutely crazy and are very demanding and complains just about everything.

Advice to Senior Management

focus on the employees and provide more training

Pros

The pay is good if you like highly competitive sales. They offer hourly plus commission which is good also.

Cons

The managers are awful. You can get demoted as easily as you can get promoted. Yelling is a way of life for managers. They do not care about anything else but the number. You sign people up on memberships that are way too expensive and they are committed to 3 year contracts

Advice to Senior Management

Relax! Maybe we don't do well sometimes because you treat us like we're worthless.