[emaline29]

I recently joined the local WW meeting and was extremely disappointed in the reception I recieved.
The leader ignored me completely suffice to suddenly announce to the group of about fifteen that.. and I quote - "Emm will now go home and eat all her 49 extra PP" - unquote.
I was really furious and explained immediately that having just been on 800 cals per day for the last several weeks that it was very unlikely!
The second week, again completely ignored even tho' she went round the group as last week and had a short talk with each one and in particular the four new ones that had just joined. There was a man present who was a gold member and after she had got him to announce that he had lost 37lb I decided to interject and say that I had lost almost the same BEFORE joining WW, but this fell on completely deaf ears and I was ignored once again!

I have contacted the customer service dept and given them all the info necessary but have had little to no reply suffice to say that the leader should be contacting me soon.


This is soo typical of these big companies. We pay thro' the nose for a service but when it is not satisfactory they are not in the least bit concerned nor interested!
I have posted this on two other forums and have been amazed at the amount of people who join and then are not pleased with their reception and just leave without putting forward any complaint. That means hundreds of people are paying at least £15 + and not getting anything for it!...

[QuilterInVA]

Since many of the meetings are franchises, you may not have complained in the right place. Most people do not get individual attention in meetings. Perhaps your expectations were too high. This is a GROUP not an individual weight loss experience. The first place you should have gone is directly to the leader and been honest. Personally, no one in my group is interested in how much someone lost before joining.

[Koshka]

Emaline

I don't know how WW is set up in the UK but in the US as QuilterInVa mentioned locations are often franchises so complaints would go to the local franchise.

That said, I've been a WW member for a long time (lifetime member who regained) and in general leaders do not individually talk to each member each week. There are just too many there to do that.

Until recently, the leader would individually engage each person who received an award (star for losing 5 pounds, 5% target, etc.) but recently said they had been instructed not to do that any more because so many people were receiving rewards that almost the whole meeting was taken up with that and there was no time for giving information and dealing with the substantive issues that were the top of the weekly meeting. So the leader has switched to only doing individual discussion (beyond handing out the award) only for the "big" awards such as 10% loss, 50 pound award, goal weight, etc.

I really do suggest discussing with your leader privately and finding out how the leader is doing the meeting and whether your expectations mesh with how the meeting is done. If you aren't happy with the leader I also suggest trying a different meeting with a different leader. I've had great leaders, so so leaders, and leaders who just put me to sleep....

[Aileen]

Are there different meetings in your area? Where I live there are multiple meetings throughout the week and the vibe is different at each one. Some of the meetings have leaders who spend time letting anyone who wants to get a bravo tell their story at the beginning of the meeting.

Maybe you want a different kind of meeting? I found that when I attended Overeaters Anonymous you had more opportunity to share stories and hear stories from other members. It's also free and there is no judgement at all.

[EagleRiverDee]

The way I read this is that the leader is including everyone except the OP, which I can see how that would be insulting and disappointing. I get that it's a group experience, but if other people are receiving individual attention then everyone should. Seems like.

[mercuryblue]

/shrug

I have a great time when i go to my weigh in. The second me and my friend walk in we are greeted by name and they already have our cards pulled since they can see us walking in from the car. Our leader gives us any attention we need when we weigh in and will make the time to ask us how we are doing, to tell us how proud she is of us and to tell us we are doing a great job. Or to help with ideas to do better. The meeting is different. There are the loud obnoxious people in the meeting who seem to always be talking and interupting the leaders, and usually those are the ones in all the conversation. They are not supposed to pick on you or single you out unless to praise your hard work. As it was mentioned it is a group environment, and like was also mentioned again... no one cares or wants to know what was lost before joining. Everyone there is focused on themselves and what they can expect to lose from weight watchers. People like to know that others have done well on WW, since it can be incentive and motivation for them to also do as well. Go to a different meeting and see if its better for you. If you need the individual attention, maybe get it from the weigh in time when you have a leader all to yourself.

[Lovely]

First of all, I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience with the meeting that you were attending.

As already mentioned, you have options. A) Complain in the right place. B) Calmly and directly speak to the leader about how her comments upset you, and what would remedy the situation. C) Find a new leader/meeting.

Not all leaders or meetings are created equal for each person. We all want/need different things out of a support group. And sometimes personalities just don't mesh. So it's important, if this leader isn't what you need, to go out and look for a different leader that will fit.

Lastly, you are more likely to hear people complain about something they don't like than to hear about something they are satisfied with.

I've been immensely happy with Weight Watchers. My first leader was a sweet, funny woman who was so kind and joyous. I was very sad when I moved and could no longer attend her meetings. They were a real bright spot in my week.

I hope that your situation is resolved in short order! And that you won't think all WW meetings or leaders act similarly.

[emaline29]

[QUOTE=QuilterInVA;4026757]Since many of the meetings are franchises, you may not have complained in the right place. Most people do not get individual attention in meetings. Perhaps your expectations were too high. This is a GROUP not an individual weight loss experience. The first place you should have gone is directly to the leader and been honest. Personally, no one in my group is interested in how much someone lost before joining.[/QUOTE]

I am well aware that this is a group experience but that does not mean that a formal WELCOME cannot be included in the proceedings. As for being interested in any weight loss before joining that would seem very narrow minded to me to not have a little fellow feeling for any effort that has been accomplished at any time. And thankyou for assuming that I am not an honest person!

Originally Posted by EagleRiverDee

The way I read this is that the leader is including everyone except the OP, which I can see how that would be insulting and disappointing. I get that it's a group experience, but if other people are receiving individual attention then everyone should. Seems like.

Thankyou for that response..at least someone recognises the point I was trying to make!

Originally Posted by mercuryblue

/shrug

I have a great time when i go to my weigh in. The second me and my friend walk in we are greeted by name and they already have our cards pulled since they can see us walking in from the car. Our leader gives us any attention we need when we weigh in and will make the time to ask us how we are doing, to tell us how proud she is of us and to tell us we are doing a great job. Or to help with ideas to do better. The meeting is different. There are the loud obnoxious people in the meeting who seem to always be talking and interupting the leaders, and usually those are the ones in all the conversation. They are not supposed to pick on you or single you out unless to praise your hard work. As it was mentioned it is a group environment, and like was also mentioned again... no one cares or wants to know what was lost before joining. Everyone there is focused on themselves and what they can expect to lose from weight watchers. People like to know that others have done well on WW, since it can be incentive and motivation for them to also do as well. Go to a different meeting and see if its better for you. If you need the individual attention, maybe get it from the weigh in time when you have a leader all to yourself.

The main point here is that you were able to go with a friend..it makes all the difference. But going on ones own can be quite daunting and it doesn't take much or cost anything to welcome people both verbally and in a conscous effort to make people feel included in the group. Unfortunatley the art of being welcoming seems to have been lost here in England and leaders are more concerned in extolling the virtues of the PP system etc. and collecting the money!!

[josiesmom2011]

In reguards to a "formal welcome" I know from experience that not all leaders know who is "new" just because you are new to their meeting doesn't mean you are new to WW. I know at the meeting i go to, there are 2 receptionist and a leader who weigh you in..... so if i don't go to the leaders scale and she see my records then she wouldnt know in the meeting if im new or just someone from another meeting just attending her meeting for some reason.... you just need to remember that the leaders are there for everyone in their meetings, and as you become a more familiar face and get involved in the meetings then the leader has time to learn you... be patient, be supportive, and or do the at home option!!

[KimberlyP]

I'm sorry you've had such a poor experience at your last couple meetings, I know exactly how you feel. 3 weeks ago I went through the same thing but I've been with the same leader for almost 2 years now. I don't know if she was having a bad day or what the problem was but she said some really unkind things to me.

I was ready to quit but instead sent her a message on here letting her know how I felt. At the next meeting, she took me aside and apologized. You have to be honest with your leader and let her know how you feel. If she still chooses to be rude, try finding a different meeting with a new leader! There are so many awesome leaders out there, you just have to find them.

[DrivenByAmbition]

I would try to find a new meeting. Do not let this group get you down. Every meeting I have been to has been different. You just need to find one that fits your needs.

WW is concerned about the weight you lost on weight watchers, not beforehand. I have never heard of them highlighting someone who lost weight before WW. So I more than likely would not mention that at a new meeting.

[seagirl]

I would channel this energy into my health and weight loss, not waste it on the leader or the group.

[theox]

I would either talk directly to the leader or look for a new group as well. I've done WW intermittently in many different places. Some leaders were really great and really welcoming, some treated it like their personal social club, and some were focused on peddling all the stuff the company sells to the point of eschewing any opportunity to talk about healthy habits that could be developed without buying that junk. Nobody's perfect - shop around and decide what you can live with. Or look into WW at Home or another program like OA or TOPS. And yeah, nobody there will care how much weight you lost before you started WW (although congrats on your loss).