When I signed up for a Gold’s Gym membership in March, I couldn’t wait to use the Cardio Cinema. I normally get bored exercising, but burning calories in a theater seemed like fun.

I was disappointed, then, when the Cardio Cinema shut down because of equipment failure about a month into my membership. But what really bothered me was the filth.

Mold on the shower curtains. Weeks of dirt and debris on the exercise equipment. Stains in the women’s locker room.

The worst was spotting a certain smear on the back of the toilet, only to return two days later and find it still there.

I decided to cancel my membership. And that’s when the real trouble started.

Mistake #1: Bad Communication Skills

First I called Gold’s billing company, which informed me I had signed a two-year contract and would incur a $200 fee. That was news to me, since the salesman who processed my membership assured me I was paying month to month.

But even had I signed up for a two-year contract, certainly the conditions would qualify as a breech in contract. I emailed Gold’s corporate offices with some photos of the premises, expecting to get a quick reply.

Nothing.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Social Media

Next I tried Gold’s Facebook page. I posted a short description of my problem, with a link to the photos. This time, someone responded:

That was good, but it didn’t help me with the $200 fee. So I replied: “Thanks. Hope you agree that there’s NO way I should be expected to pay this $200+ cancellation fee your billing company is demanding from me.”

No response. I tweeted  Gold’s Twitter account. No response there, either.

Mistake #3: Ill-Advised Email Marketing

More than a week after I first emailed Gold’s corporate offices, I emailed them a second time. This time, I received the following response:

“Hello and thank you for expressing an interest in Gold’s Gym Harrisburg. For the first time ever we are running a VIP membership promotion! Our memberships are usually $69 to enroll and $29 a month. For the first time in Gold’s Gym Harrisburg history, we are running $95 enrollment, and ONLY $19 A MONTH!!! This is a great deal to get your body and health the way you want!”

And then my head exploded.

Mistake #4: Passing the Blame

I called the number at the bottom of the email and told the director of sales about my problem. He didn’t seem interested in the cleanliness issues, but did tell me that my membership was indeed month-to-month, and I could cancel without incurring fees. I just had to call the billing company to clear things up. Again.

When I did, the billing company said it was Gold’s problem, which started a big round of phone tag and finger-pointing that – as I write this post – still has not been resolved. Yep, to add insult to injury, I’m still responsible for that $200 fee.

What Can We Learn?

I rarely air personal drama on this blog.  But bad customer service has huge marketing implications. Plus, I cringe to think any readers would sign up for a Gold’s Gym membership after what I’ve experienced.

What could Gold’s do differently?

•  Take responsibility for the problem. Don’t just say you’re “investigating” it. Own up to the issue. Apologize.

•  Provide a direct contact. I would’ve felt better if I just had the name and number of a Gold’s employee who was managing the problem. It also would have made it easier to get the issue resolved.

•  Go above and beyond. Gold’s could have compensated me for my last month’s membership. That’s only fair, considering the disgusting conditions that drove me to cancel. Instead, they stuck me with a huge fee – and made ME call the billing company to resolve the issue.

• Set clear billing expectations. Whether or not I had a two-year contract or a month-to-month contract, my Gold’s Gym membership felt like a bait-and-switch. Without those clear expectations, I felt scammed.

•  For God’s sake, answer your email. When I’m having a customer service issue, nothing ticks me off more than being ignored.

Had Gold’s Gym done these things, I might have written a blog post singing its praises. Instead, they left me eager to warn everyone I know about their customer service. You know what they say: happy customers tell three friends, angry customers tell 3,000.

And last I checked, the cardio cinema was still closed.

What do YOU do when you receive bad customer service? Have you ever had a memorable customer service experience – good or bad – on Facebook or Twitter? Let me know in the comments section below.