to think this is a really rubbish excuse

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

Last week I started going to a slimming group, one of the well-known ones, I won't name them on here. Last week I didn't have anything to do with the support team that work there, as the group leader did a new members talk to me, then weighed me herself after the group chat session.

Tonight I arrived, and didn't know anyone at all. I queued to pay, and the woman taking the money didn't acknowledge me as she was chatting to someone else, she simply held out her hand for my card and money. I then went on to the queue to be weighed, and when eventually it was my turn (the weighing ladies were chatting away to many people hence it took a long time), the ladies doing the weighing were chatting to someone else, ignored my "hello", wrote my new weight in my book and gave it back to me without saying a word.

I didn't stay to the group session after weighing tonight as my DH was working late and I left the children with my neighbour so I could go to weigh-in. I did explain to the group leader that I wouldn't be able to stay every week for the whole session due to family commitments.

When I got home, I emailed the group leader about my experiences tonight. She emailed back a short while ago to say that she feels that her team didn't talk to me as they don't "know" me because I didn't stay to group tonight, and that they are very busy and perhaps that's why they didn't acknowledge me.

I have just emailed her back to say that I don't think that someone being "busy" or not knowing me is a good enough reason to not reply to a customer saying hello, and that regardless of whether I stay to group afterwards or not, I expect to be treated politely and pleasantly, not just as an inconvenience. I mean, how much effort is it just to acknowledge someone, with a brief "hello" and a smile? I have told her to please be assured that if I find her team to be rude and ignorant again next week I will tell her at the meeting and that I look forward to being treated nicely at weigh-in next week regardless of whether I stay for the session or not.

AIBU or is her reason for the rudeness crap?

BTW, the group leader is just like Marjorie Dawes from Little Britain....

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

It was slimming world :)

[MidnightsChild]

Have to say that my only experience with slimming clubs in RL has been negative. I've tried my local WW a couple of times but had the same experience as Riven had at SW. Indeed, it drove me into the arms of those "buy your meals and snacks" type places. I don't use those anymore, although it did open my eyes to the value of good quality counselling and taught me about my relationship with eating. These days I do my own thing as, let's face it, its about changing eating patterns for life and not dieting per se.

OP, I'm impressed by your determination to follow through ... well done! Good decision not to return though.

[ItsAHollyJollyTee]

Sounds like Weight Watchers to me. Their customer service in the UK is really awful, which is too bad because it's really great in the US.

I recently stopped using their UK website because it was so rubbish, especially compared to the US one.

[RockinRobinBird]

This has been my experience so often. Part of the problem I find is these women have been going for years, treat it as a social club and don't care if they lose weight or not. Then it becomes very cliquey and impossible to break into and you're left feeling like a spare part. God on you for doing something about it.

[Penelope1980]

When I used to do WW I went from having a great club and leader to going to a new club and the woman weighing me in (who was bigger than me) started complaining about how much weight I was losing compared to her, and how hard she was finding it etc. It was very odd. She didn't last long though, I think she was removed - I guess it's not good for business when the person weighing the people in reacted to weight loss with "lucky for some".

[frozenfeline]

YANBU

[adrenalinejunkie]

i wouldnt go back, try paul mckenna i can make you thin book, it comes with a cd and you can get a seperate journal. It is very motivating and really does work. The book makes you feel good about yourself and you can eat anything you want.

[LessonsinL]

Of course you are allowed to! Is it Slimming World?

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

I know this is an old thread, but thought I'd dredge it up with a bit of an update:

So I spoke to the customer care woman who said that the area manager would be in touch with me shortly. So I waited and waited, and then on Monday this week I emailed her again and said I was extremely disappointed with the company as I had heard nothing from the area manager and clearly they weren't interested in resolving a complaint.

Lo and behold the area manager phoned me yesterday and said she spoke to the group leader within 2 days of me phoning head office (3 weeks ago now), and that she had had a lengthy 40-minute face to face discussion with her about how I was right and how her reply to me was arrogant and missed the point. She said the group leader had promised her she would call me immediately, which she didn't.

The area manager then phoned me again today to see if I'd heard from the group leader and again, no. So cue tonight at 5ish when I got a very shitty call from said group leader "apologising" in the tone of Kevin from Kevin and Perry saying "so-r-eeeeee". She said that she had never had any complaints before about her group and I said that that didn't necessarily mean that no one else was dissatisfied, just that no one else had had the balls to complain, and she was adamant that no one who attended her group ever, in 10 years, was "the type not to complain if something was wrong" . She said that the helpers at her group are volunteers and I said that that was of no relevance as I am a paying customer and I expect to be treated like one regardless of whether her team are working for free or getting one million pounds per hour.

I had made the decision a couple of weeks ago when I had no response not to go back to group, as I still feel I have been treated very shoddily. And the lack of remorse from the group leader tonight confirmed to me that I definitely don't wish to go back there.

I would name and shame the company, but not sure if I'm allowed to on here?

[Indaba]

YANBU.

Irrelevant if you stay or were intending to stay for whole session.

1. get full refund.
   
2. join a different group/area
   
3. name old lot on here!

[petratsdontsmell]

YANBU- I think it was awful to be ignored and made to feel un welcome like that. And I think you have a lot of guts to go again, having spelled out the shortcomings to the leader. You are doing exactly the right thing, but it does take nerve and I admire you.

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

I've just phoned their customer services department. The woman I spoke to was horrified and asked me to forward the emails to her, which I have done. She still started saying "well I can see why she would say you should stay to group" until I pointed out that this was all BEFORE the group session. And lets face it, if the weighing team can't be nice to a new person, how is that going to entice a newbie to stay to group. I think she has got the message now.

[harassedinherpants]

I go to SW and my group is lovely!

I think it's luck of the draw with group leaders, and sounds like you got a bad one Frazzled.

I wouldn't go back, I know I wouldn't.

[ShanahansRevenge]

Write to head office! No excuses for that behaviour...she is meant to support you, that's what you're paying for!

[plupervert]

Her attitude is unkind and stupid, and she is even more stupid to have put this in writing!



You have all the ammo you need to get a refund from Head Office if you should want it! I can't believe she doesn't realise that.

Just a thoughtm though: are you sure you want to continue with this group? If they are only polite to you under sufferance, while probably bitching madly under their breath (people are most angry when they are wrong), is that going to cause you stress?

[HecateQueenOfWitches]

find a different group.

I go to WW and from day 1 I was made to feel really welcome. Everyone is so supportive of each other.

That's how it's supposed to be! If that group isn't right for you, find one that is.

[borderslass]

I go to slimming world and if anything like that happened at our group my consultant would be horrified she has to pull people up for the opposite reasons.

[Willabywallaby]

It's really hard to go to one of these groups without being treated like a nuisance. They need to welcome you with open arms. I'd give ti another week and see if they improve.

Good luck with the weight loss!

[BaggedandTagged]

It is NEVER acceptable for staff to talk amongst themselves in front of a customer. They shd either talk to the customer, or, if the customer doesnt want to, just stay quiet. That is about the first rule of customer service. If this happens to me in a shop, bar or restaurant, I never go back. Seriously.

She is wrong. You are right. Forward her pathetic email to head of franchise via their website. She shd get sacked.

[marcopront]

I would email her back and ask how they expect to get to know you, if they are too busy to even say hello to you?

[LoudRowdyDuck]

You are right, and she is being so rude. It is still a customer service - would she get away with that in a shop?

[Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara]

Reading back over the email she sent, it has actually made me quite annoyed the way she has tried to blame it on me rather than saying that her team had been rude and that it shouldn't have happened.

No doubt she will tell them all that I've whined about them so they'll be even more arsey with me next week. Oh well...

I think the weigh and play session is a great idea.