Keep Les Mills Body Combat at Virgin Active

To Matt Harras and the Virgin Active Group,                                                                        London, 01.11.2021    

A few days ago, an email was sent to your members informing us that the new inhouse Punch class will be replacing Les Mills™ Body Combat from January 2022. This message was also relayed to us via our instructors, who were unable to satisfy any of our questions or concerns. Any attempts to address the subject with the various club managements have been equally fruitless.  

News of the cancelation came as quite a shock to us. Body Combat has managed to maintain its popularity through the pandemic, during ‘quiet’ seasons, off-peak hours and even after its availability was limited. Most Body Combat classes reach their max capacity, as defined by each club, which is often, in fact, beyond what the studios can accommodate. Additionally, the Punch class, according to the members who have sampled it already, fails to compete.  

Furthermore, Virgin Active has set many checks and balances, to ensure that your members attend your classes and that said classes remain on the timetable. We are constantly asked to provide feedback on our club experience, to guarantee that our needs and complaints are being met. Yet this new development just further proves that these are all just devices created to waste your customers’ time, and to create the illusion that we, the members, are valued, when in fact our voice has been consistently and systematically ignored.  

For some members the Les Mills™ programmes, and specifically Body Combat, was the only reason we chose Virgin Active over its competitors. A major concern that has been voiced by your members is that several of us have committed to a time sensitive contract, without given due notice that one of our favourite classes will be cancelled. This is essentially doing business in bad faith on your part.  

Since Virgin Active claims to value member feedback, we, the members, would like to relay a few points and suggestions. Killing a successful product to promote your own cheaper alternative, is an indicator that your own product is not up to parr. Failing to recognise that being one of the few high end fitness clubs that still offer Les Mills™ Body Combat as a major selling point that differentiates Virgin Active from its competitors, shows a lack of vision and business acumen. Finally, if you claim to be in the business of customer satisfaction, then actually listen to your members’ feedback.  

Consider this letter as an official petition to keep the Les Mills™ Body Combat classes running. If our demands continue to be ignored, you will lose a lot of loyal members.  

Sincerely,

Your VA Members

A. Collmer    Contact the author of the petition