At The Gym: When I Went To Pay

[Richb2004v2]

After a six month lay off from my local gym I returned today to do a bit. I've been using this gym for about two years. The equipment is ok but everything else it terrible, including the staff. Anyway I went in and did an hour or so. There was no one else in the gym the whole time and the staff did not enter at all to say hello or see if I needed help, as usual. I did see them wandering around outside though and I'm sure they saw me.

After I'd finished I went to the reception desk to pay, as I figured they were obviously not going to come to me. As I walked to the desk I saw three instructors at the other side of the swimming pool. Once I got to the desk I realized they had disappeared. I stood there for five minutes and flicked through a few leaflets and paced around. In the end I realized that they were no going to materialize and I decided I was not searching the entire building for them so I left without paying. I would have done the same thing in any gym anywhere. If they mention it next time I am there I will pay, but if they do the same thing I will again leave without paying. Has anyone else experienced this reluctance to take payment?

[smokie36]

Sorry whassat? Buggeroff mate can't you see we're busy?

Sweet I reckon where do I sign up?

[surayu]

ah ahh what a story, no it never happen to me in Thailand, as yet, only in Cambodia i found people unwilling to get a payment, however every now and then i get service staff unwilling to provide any sort of service here, but not for taking payments, i guess that's still worth extending the little hand

[JohnnyFeelIt]

What gets on my nerves are 7/11's. There'll be 6 staff, 8 customers. Yet 5 staff members are stood around doing nothing while all 8 customers que for 1 till...

[Hardback]

You actually saw people form a queue?

[Skeetjones]

Cool story bro.

Be happy you used a gym free.

[samran]

hold on, i thought the running line on TV was that all Thai's were scammers and only viewed Farangs as walking ATM's.

You must be a troll

Either that, or you are just so hideous you made all the staff run away!! 55555

[jackr]

Either that, or you are just so hideous you made all the staff run away!! 55555

This is probably it. Are you big and loud with a hairy back and BO?

[Loz]

That's what happens when you clean the blood off your Machete at the payment counter. I am shocked you didn't know this. Next time I suggest just cleaning your Glock 17.

[scorecard]

Two points:

1. Maybe it's a place where only the assigned cashier is allowed to touch the money.

2. I can tell you for a fact that in most cases the 7/11 staff are workng to the strict procedures they have been taught. They learn quite a protocol of when to open and when to close cashier points, and all sorts of specific timings / situations when other duties have precedence. Not saying the protocol is right or wrong, but please don't be too harsh on the staff in the store.

Edited November 1, 2010 by scorecard

[Moonrakers]

2. I can tell you for a fact that in most cases the 7/11 staff are workng to the strict procedures they have been taught.

Standing around chatting? They soon forget that protocol after a "ahem" gentle reminder that you would quite like to actually be served.

[dmax]

say nothing

[JohnnyFeelIt]

2. I can tell you for a fact that in most cases the 7/11 staff are workng to the strict procedures they have been taught.

Standing around chatting? They soon forget that protocol after a "ahem" gentle reminder that you would quite like to actually be served.

You've got some cheek interupting their conversation! Or gettin the the way of 5 staff members watchin a toasty in the microwave..

[evanson]

2. I can tell you for a fact that in most cases the 7/11 staff are workng to the strict procedures they have been taught.

Standing around chatting? They soon forget that protocol after a "ahem" gentle reminder that you would quite like to actually be served.

Forget the 'gentle' ahem. Hello! works for me every time. And my fellow Thai customers are duly impressed. Don't listen to all this farang <deleted> about 'speaking in a soft, deferential tone'. Sometimes they just don't get it and need a reminder that they are paid to serve.

[scotinsiam]

What gets on my nerves are 7/11's. There'll be 6 staff, 8 customers. Yet 5 staff members are stood around doing nothing while all 8 customers que for 1 till...

I agree 100% - useless staff. I normally wait and then just before I get served - they open up the next till and start serving Thais who were behind me. TIT

[Richb2004v2]

I couldn't do an 'Ahem' as they had totally disappeared. They were there, then I looked up again and they'd gone! I've been going there about two years and I often have to catch them so that I can pay, but this was the first time they'd managed to allude me totally. I've never been in a gym with such incompetent and useless staff in all my life. To be honest after six months away from the place I was amazed that it hadn't shut down when I returned. Hopefully they won't want paying when I go on Thursday too.

[Thongkorn]

Maybe they want to practice kicking the sh.t out of somebody for not paying , So next time you go in be aware,. just joking,

[Richb2004v2]

It turns out that the reason they all ran away was because they didn't know how much to charge me. I went back yesterday and when I asked them they had to make a few phone calls to find out what to charge. It makes sense I guess.

[JohnnyFeelIt]

It turns out that the reason they all ran away was because they didn't know how much to charge me. I went back yesterday and when I asked them they had to make a few phone calls to find out what to charge. It makes sense I guess.

Yip, makes sense. You were asking for too much, how on earth should the staff be expected to know how much to charge you, some of whom no doubt have been working there for years.

Why don't u try asking them all what the name of the road/soi is where the gym they've been working at for years is located. If your very very lucky u might get a 'mai roo' before they all run away..

[ozzieovaseas]

It turns out that the reason they all ran away was because they didn't know how much to charge me. I went back yesterday and when I asked them they had to make a few phone calls to find out what to charge. It makes sense I guess.

Yip, makes sense. You were asking for too much, how on earth should the staff be expected to know how much to charge you, some of whom no doubt have been working there for years.

Why don't u try asking them all what the name of the road/soi is where the gym they've been working at for years is located. If your very very lucky u might get a 'mai roo' before they all run away..

:cheesy:

thats not as silly as it sounds

I was in a restaurant the other day and phoned a friend to come join me..I asked a guy (whom i know has been working there at least 2 years) what number soi it was..he had to walk outside and look out the door to the road sign...not 10 metres away

[Soutpeel]

I couldn't do an 'Ahem' as they had totally disappeared. They were there, then I looked up again and they'd gone! I've been going there about two years and I often have to catch them so that I can pay, but this was the first time they'd managed to allude me totally. I've never been in a gym with such incompetent and useless staff in all my life. To be honest after six months away from the place I was amazed that it hadn't shut down when I returned. Hopefully they won't want paying when I go on Thursday too.

Which gym in Ban Chang is it Rich ?.....If its the one I think it is...you are way out of line calling them incompetent, been using that gym since the first day it opened and absolutely no problems there, the staff are very good, maybe they just dont want to deal with a whinging old colonial farangs, if you have problems paying in future send a pm and will make sure you get "personal service" at all times, there are only 2 "girls" in there who deal with the cash and one is the owner, the trainers etc do not deal with cash....

[JohnnyFeelIt]

It turns out that the reason they all ran away was because they didn't know how much to charge me. I went back yesterday and when I asked them they had to make a few phone calls to find out what to charge. It makes sense I guess.

Yip, makes sense. You were asking for too much, how on earth should the staff be expected to know how much to charge you, some of whom no doubt have been working there for years.

Why don't u try asking them all what the name of the road/soi is where the gym they've been working at for years is located. If your very very lucky u might get a 'mai roo' before they all run away..

:cheesy:

thats not as silly as it sounds

I was in a restaurant the other day and phoned a friend to come join me..I asked a guy (whom i know has been working there at least 2 years) what number soi it was..he had to walk outside and look out the door to the road sign...not 10 metres away

Did he ask all the other staff before going to look? Top marks to the lad tho, theres not many who would think 'out of the box' and go look at the sign..

[Richb2004v2]

I couldn't do an 'Ahem' as they had totally disappeared. They were there, then I looked up again and they'd gone! I've been going there about two years and I often have to catch them so that I can pay, but this was the first time they'd managed to allude me totally. I've never been in a gym with such incompetent and useless staff in all my life. To be honest after six months away from the place I was amazed that it hadn't shut down when I returned. Hopefully they won't want paying when I go on Thursday too.

Which gym in Ban Chang is it Rich ?.....If its the one I think it is...you are way out of line calling them incompetent, been using that gym since the first day it opened and absolutely no problems there, the staff are very good, maybe they just dont want to deal with a whinging old colonial farangs, if you have problems paying in future send a pm and will make sure you get "personal service" at all times, there are only 2 "girls" in there who deal with the cash and one is the owner, the trainers etc do not deal with cash....

It the newish one along the road from the bar stip. All the staff are utterly useless as far as I am concerned. Some of them are more than useless they are actually dangerous. I've trained in dozens of gyms all over and never have I seen some of the practices they use. Maybe for setting someone off on the treadmill they are ok but anything to do with weights and they are clueless. I feel sorry for the female manager as she is a nice women, but not so much her husband, he's just a guy that's never worked out and decided to open a gym.

[dsprtliving]

What gets on my nerves are 7/11's. There'll be 6 staff, 8 customers. Yet 5 staff members are stood around doing nothing while all 8 customers que for 1 till...

I agree 100% - useless staff. I normally wait and then just before I get served - they open up the next till and start serving Thais who were behind me. TIT

and here i was thinking i was always being overly sensitive and paranoid when this happens to me in shops here....glad to hear it's not just me!

[mca]

Just read the thread title again and all I can say is OP, you're a poet and your momma know it!

[surayu]

It turns out that the reason they all ran away was because they didn't know how much to charge me. I went back yesterday and when I asked them they had to make a few phone calls to find out what to charge. It makes sense I guess.

Yes it makes lots of sense here! i still remember one of the last time i went to the cafe/deli Pignotti in Jomtien(Pattaya) before being sold to a new person (now "Ocean"), a few interesting product on display with no price tags, you ask the staff and they have no idea either, so you ask how do you suppose to buy their products if nobody knows how much they are worth: " mai roo", couldn't buy anything, needles to say, Pignotti doesn't exist anymore and it's a shame as it was looking as a promising place, the local people that replaced them doesn't look will last too long too, a person inside behind the door which looks like if she supposed to open the door/greet customers, that doesn't move a finger, doesn't greet or reply to customers but instead just look people going inside staring at them as they might have just killed her loved pet....what is all about? anyway, passed this human "scarecrow" we looked at what was on offer and we noticed it just become another clone cafe with the usual same-same things and went away...

[JohnnyFeelIt]

a person inside behind the door which looks like if she supposed to open the door/greet customers, that doesn't move a finger, doesn't greet or reply to customers but instead just look people going inside staring at them as they might have just killed her loved pet....

I think I'd do the same, you've got some cheek walking into the shop and blocking her view of the ocean...

[random]

when you say the didn't know how much to charge you, I have to ask do they know how much to charge a Thai, did they not know the farang rate or is there no dual pricing there?

[Richb2004v2]

when you say the didn't know how much to charge you, I have to ask do they know how much to charge a Thai, did they not know the farang rate or is there no dual pricing there?

I'm not sure to be honest. I have a feeling that it's the same for everyone. However I did notice that during the conversation to find the price she did mention that I was 'ferang' a couple of times, so maybe the price it different. Either way it's more than it's worth. As much as I'd pay in a proper gym in the Uk anyway. That said, it is the best gym I've used in Thailand, which doesn't really say much about gyms in Thailand I guess.

[Soutpeel]

when you say the didn't know how much to charge you, I have to ask do they know how much to charge a Thai, did they not know the farang rate or is there no dual pricing there?

I'm not sure to be honest. I have a feeling that it's the same for everyone. However I did notice that during the conversation to find the price she did mention that I was 'ferang' a couple of times, so maybe the price it different. Either way it's more than it's worth. As much as I'd pay in a proper gym in the Uk anyway. That said, it is the best gym I've used in Thailand, which doesn't really say much about gyms in Thailand I guess.

Rich, just reassure your parnoid mind, the pricing is the same for all, there is no dual pricing, the owner, was actually thinking of giving discount rates to pensioners at one time as well