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Old 02-05-2008, 08:45 AM   #1  
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Angry Have to Vent!!!

What is with the girls that work in the centres? I went into my centre yesterday for my usual weigh in. Keep in mind I only re-joined on Friday so this was my first real couselling session. The girl asked me if I had any struggles and I said you know the usual weekends (not having any structure) as well as getting used to the types of food I should be eating. I futher explained to her that this weekend was a transition weekend for me and that I may not have been on plan 100% as I was using up foods I had in my house but I wend shopping on Sunday and was now 100% on plan.

She had the nerve to tell me that I needed to plan harder!! How dare she say that to me after I just explained everything to her. Furthermore she then tried to SELL me $600.00 in lites. (I already have 60 boxes from previous) she tried the hard sell that the ones I had left wouldn't last me the year blah blah blah!! I firmly told her NO! I would not be purchasing anymore lites. I would use the ones I had first and then decide.

I am very curious as to what type of training these girls have? She seemed completely disintersted in anything I had to say!

Whew!! Feel better now!
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Old 02-05-2008, 08:59 AM   #2  
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I know exactly how you feel. My COD has a couple of counselors who are very nice, don't try the hard sell, and seem genuinely interested in your success. The others (manager in particular) could seem to care less. Once you tell them no you don't want to buy anything they are closing your folder and shuffling you out the door.
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:10 AM   #3  
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That seems to be the way it is, no matter what store you go to.. There are the good counselors who really care and then there are those who are really "good" at sales.. I put quotations around that because by "good" I mean well versed at the hard sell..

At our old COD, we had a real mix of counselors.. Some were former members who had reached their goal. Some were current members.. Some were actual nutricianists (or at least nutrician students), and some were just sales people.

This is a business and we can't forget that.. I worked for about a year at a Sears Portrait Studio.. While on the surface my job was to take nice family pictures, what my real job was, was to push bigger sales on people in the form of crappy trinkets and frames.. That's where the real money is... Product.

On edit.. I have to add that I probably didn't last quite a year, as I refused to be real pushy with my sales tactics, which constantly got me in hot water with the boss.. Her quandry was that I was a really good photographer, so I was able to get families in and out quickly and get really good shots. This was well before they started shooting with digital cameras, so anyone who could save film, was a good employee to have..

As much as I hated the hard sell, I can't fault them for it.. What I DO fault them for is hiring people who, once you refuse the sale, treat you like you don't matter...

Last edited by Dan2112; 02-05-2008 at 10:14 AM. Reason: Edited because I always have more to say...
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:15 AM   #4  
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Thanks Katy and Dan,

I can appreciate the fact that it is a business. I run my own business so I know how it its. I just don't like the attitude they give you when you say no. Also, they are supposed to be there to help people and this particular person seemed to not care at all!
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:19 AM   #5  
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I know Kim.. That makes it really hard for us to want to succeed using this plan.. Sometimes when we express that concern, they listen, but sometimes, especially if it's a manager, they shrug it off.. It's a tough position to be in as a customer..
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:40 AM   #6  
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Kimberly, I was done the same way when I first joined. I was made to feel like a fat ugly person in order to try to get me to feel really bad about myself, and then buy the bars. I honestly had no financial way of buying them and the girl kept pushing, even after I was declined on care credit. Needless to say the girl does not work there anymore. I first contacted corporate offices, then I told the manager how I was made to feel, and that I was thinking about not going back, and she assured me I wouldnt be asked to buy the bars ever again, and to please come back, I did and I havent been pitched a sale since! (except for the occasional bottle of TO)

Stand up for yourself, and dont let them get you down!
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Old 02-05-2008, 10:50 AM   #7  
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Lightbulb Is this the best place to receive support?

In the past I followed very expensive food plans, where you have to purchase their food as well as your own. I had a lawyer husband who was willing to shell out the money. I had difficulty following their plans. I recall telling a counselor (was she really?) that I had had a cold and I took some cold medicine. I had not had a weight lose that week and she blamed the cold medicine. She scolded me for taking care of my cold! My indiscretion was using some cough drops with added sugar and having a 1/2 c of unsweetened orange juice. I was SICK!

That wasn't the reason why I ended up falling off that food plan but they still had my $1000 from my initial sign-up though. I didn't get that back although I did get back the 40 lbs that I lost while following their program.

Well, now I can't afford to join any of those expensive programs. I am finding it difficult to afford the groceries I need for the plan I am following now.

Just remember this: we are all dealing with an industry who has a lot to profit from us. This is a billion dollar business. And, yes, it involves sales and marketing just like any other product on the shelves.

I am not saying that you stop what you are doing but as a CONSUMER, which is what you are in this instance, I would make sure that you VOICE your concerns and needs to the appropriate people with this program and business. You are a paying customer and you deserve to have respect for what you are providing them: INCOME AND REVENUE!

If you feel that your needs are not being fully addressed to your satisfaction, I would then take it to the highest level that you can within that organization. IF you can't, then I would consider reporting them to a local Better Business Bureau. You have rights in this situation. Above all, these counselors need to understand that you are intelligent and capable of determining for yourself what you need to successfully follow your plan.

Too often we allow others to mentally brow beat us or intimidate us because we are fat (read: a failure). We are successful, intelligent, caring and good people who have a weight issue. That is all. Remind them of what they promised initially when you joined them and then make them honor that!

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Last edited by pamatga; 02-05-2008 at 10:53 AM.
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Old 02-05-2008, 01:55 PM   #8  
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How interesting. I too find that the managers & asst managers seem to not be very interested in what I have to say. I always feel like I’m being scolded instead of encouraged.

My experience was that ALL the counselors seemed to warm up to me once I started losing and stuck w/ the program. It was like I had to prove myself. Whatever. I’ll show them!

There is still on girl that I am always disappointed when I get. She talks really fast and I always feel like she’s pushing me out the door to the next person can come in. The other ones are all awesome though.

They are all pretty hard on me. But you know what? I need it. They don’t let me get away w/ any excuses or crap like at other places I’ve been. I remember one program I was on (which will go unnamed) I gained one week and the lady who was weighing me was just like “we’ll just mark that you stayed the same, I don’t like to write down positive numbers”. Hello??? Maybe I needed some additional counseling on WHY I gained? Talk about feeling unimportant. No wonder I always failed on that one.
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Old 02-05-2008, 02:21 PM   #9  
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Kimberly, I also had about my most negative experience on my first "counseling" session. Really the first one is a hard core sales job and not at all counseling. I think they design the first one to make you very upset and so you will spend anything to see yourself succeed. It is hard to hold the line against that. It is the worst part of LAWL, and the reason a lot of people don't stick with it.... but it gets better. Most counselors are not like that. I agree that the managers are the worst for providing actual counseling and just doing sales. It leads me to believe that the additional training that they give is in selling and not weight management. Perhaps someday I'll open up my own weight loss center, and attempt to do it better.
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