Badly managed & poor customer service,

Having been a founder member of Roko Chiswick since 2007, I have just resigned after years of bad management and poor customer service. My complaints were largely ignored and met with lame excuses. High turnover of staff (especially reception), several managers, and demotivated staff. My impression is that managers don't really care about their staff or members. Roko is very lucky to have some good receptionists, very good class teachers who remain loyal despite challenging conditions and low pay. Some gym equipment is not well-maintained and we suffered years before the spin bikes were replaced. The old and new ones were often breaking down and took time to repair despite numerous requests. One member nearly broke her thumb trying to adjust the handle bar but Roko does not seem to have done anything to avoid a repetition. The steam room was often not working properly and I had to leave the door open to get it to work; a few tiles were loose in the men's changing room. There have been problems with the hot water system and the aircon. There was a long period when most of the computer screens weren't working in the members area (now fixed after many complaints). Roko make it difficult to freeze membership and apply the rules very strictly. Roko likes to tie you in to a three month notice period. Roko introduced a new system for booking classes which was very unpopular especially as it is difficult to book over the telephone and calls are rarely returned in my experience. Sunday mornings are often chaotic in winter as non-members are allowed into the club reception area for refreshments causing crowding making it difficult for paying members to get served. At one time in winter the heating was turned off an hour before closing and I had to sit in the lounge wearing a woolly hat and coat. The furniture in the lounge is getting dated and shabby with few comfortable places. It's a pity they don't do more with the lounge because it could be so much better and has some great views over the playing fields. Many members have also complained about the car park because of the loose surface and potholes; very wet in winter. One of the few exceptions is the pool area and health spa. It is run very well and all the staff are pleasant and helpful and the treatments are good. Recommendation: improve management at senior level and listen to staff and members more, cherish your PT and class instructors; they keep the place going, invest more and introduce a rolling programme of improvements and put some life and buzz back into the place.