When I joined my gym the other day, the high-pressure sales guy sort of rushed me through the whole process (trying to make sure he got my money) and one of the things he did was sign me up for an appointment with a personal trainer. Apparently I get a certain number of training sessions free with my membership, and while I appreciate that, I don't have TIME for a personal trainer right now.
I explained to him when I signed up that my ONLY goal for the gym was to just get there. Basically the only reason I go to the gym anymore is to try to relieve stress...I don't have the time or the energy to be all worried about a strict training regimen.
So, anyway, this morning I realized that I had a personal training appointment scheduled for this afternoon, and of course, I'm knee-deep in getting a quarter's worth of reading out of the way, figuring out a good paper topic, and trying to get three weeks of laundry done.
I called and told the guy who answered the phone (coincidentally the same guy who signed me up) that I wanted to cancel my appointment. He goes "Well, you know that there's a fee if you don't cancel at least 24-hours in advance?" And I go "Oh really?" He fires back with "Didn't whoever signed you up for the appointment tell you that?" I'm thinking "Look jackass, YOU signed me up" but instead I say "Well, they might have, I don't remember, but regardless I need to cancel my appointment." Then he asks me, "Are you OK?" Ummmm...yeah...I just don't want to come down there today. God.
Eventually he tells me that he'll tell the guy I'm not coming but that "normally" I'd have to pay for the session. I didn't even bother to argue with him that the stupid session is something I never wanted in the first place.
I know that the poor personal trainer is just trying to make a living, and if he knows far enough in advance he can schedule an actual paying client in the spot that I'm cancelling. But, honestly, I just paid a lot of money to join this gym AND I got strong-armed into an appointment I don't want or need, so I'm just having a hard time feeling all the guilty. I know I should have just gone down there and went to the stupid appointment, but I'm 31 years old, I've been going to gyms for the last 12 or 13 years, and I don't need someone to show me how to use the leg press machine. And I certainly don't need a training schedule made up for me that will just make me feel like a failure when I am far too busy during bar review to adhere to it. Yeah, what I need in my life is one more thing I'm obligated to do. Gack.
UPDATE: Oh my GOD...the poor personal trainer just called me. "Hello, E. Spat? Yeah, this is Matt, the personal trainer from The Gym? Yeah, I was just wondering if you were going to show up or not?" I told him I had called and cancelled and he's like "Oh, well, sorry. Guess I didn't get the message. Do you want to reschedule?" NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I told him I was a law student and in the middle of exams...for once being in law school is actually sort of convenient. I don't know why, but I'm so embarrassed. I am SO glad that they don't know who I am really, I don't want to run into this guy one day and have him ask me about why I didn't show up. I generally have a really strong personality but I just hate personal confrontation -- I'll do anything to avoid it, and now I've had two things in one day. I'm gonna need a nap.
