Genesis Health Clubs (Lawrence, Kansas - North/South) DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING

I joined Genesis after a miserable, humiliating experience at The Summit, which is just a couple blocks from our home in Old East Lawrence, yet eons away in terms of values and how they treat their customers. I was hoping Genesis would be focused more on compassion, integrity, dignity, and respect, but I am starting to have my doubts.

I was lured into signing a one-year contract, an obsolete practice in the fitness industry for decades, by a young salesman who told me that my "wife can join for just $10 extra per month". Considering that my monthly payment is close to $50 per month, that information sealed the deal and I joined that day.

When I finally talked my wife into joining after years of begging, we went to sign her up ONLY TO BE TOLD BY LISA THAT IT NOW WOULD COST $20 per month ... NOT the $10 I was quoted before enrollment. Lisa, the young, female manager, did not offer to honor the price we were originally quoted, but instead offered a two-week trial membership available to the public at-large. 

I informed Lisa about the poor public perception of Genesis's practices, particularly on Yelp where I am an Elite '14 member, but she did not seem in the least bit concerned, a potentially fatal flaw for a business in a college town like Lawrence where students use Yelp (and other social media apps), making or breaking most small, local businesses.

I am considering canceling my membership due to false advertising and breach of (oral) contract, but will wait to see if my wife wants to join and if GENESIS HAS THE INTEGRITY to honor the price quoted prior to enrollment.

GENERAL COMMENTS: 

1) Even though $50 per month is the most expensive gym membership in Lawrence by far, Genesis offers fair value due to the fact that the other fitness centers in town do not compare in terms of facilities, equipment, amenities, and classes offered. The equipment, while somewhat dated and dirty, is sufficient in number to accommodate patrons without having to wait and the classes (yoga, spin, Pilates, cross fit) offered are abundant and varied enough to fit anybody's schedule.

2) With only one drinking fountain at the Lawrence - South facility, with a prostate problem at that, BRING YOUR OWN WATER ... filling your bottle in the bathroom with the smell of poop lingering in the air is disgusting! A couple of Culligan water dispensers in one of the back exercise rooms would cost $100 a month at most, increasing sanitation and hydration for customers.

3) The men's locker layout in the Lawrence - South location is sub-optimal in that there are only two benches and they are situated by the entrance so that traffic to the shower and toilets must pass between the benches and lockers, a logistical nightmare for the few people lucky enough to have a seat and one of the sparse number of lockers available.

4) The Lawrence - South facility has only two showers and no sauna, steam room, or whirlpool, so exercise is all you are going to get there. The North facility has all three, but the steam room is never hot enough, the sauna is broken more times than not, and the whirlpool, beside being a little too hot, is so chlorinated that it burns the eyes and lungs.

Beside the concerns addressed above, I was pleased with my membership even though both facilities are somewhat dirty, until I found out I was lied to during the registration process. As a retired military officer, honor and integrity are paramount in my life and I do not frequent businesses which fail to practice those core values. We will see if Genesis holds the same values and whether or not they choose to DO THE RIGHT THING, honoring the price I was quoted prior to enrollment. 

UPDATE  - April, 2 2014:

Sad ... not for me, but for the shortsighted owner of Genesis- Lawrence. Not only will Lawrence South Manager Lisa NOT HONOR THE PRICE I was quoted before signing-up, she had the nerve to insinuate that I, a retired military officer, Veteran, and customer, was trying to game the system! Extremely be ad decision on her part. 

I will pay the additional $10 per month over what I was quoted before signing the contract because $10 is not going to break the bank and I do not want to go through the hassle of suing Genesis for Breach of Contract. Genesis, on the other hand, now has a very unhappy customer, one who has provided them with FREE AND MOSTLY POSITIVE check-ins, tips, and reviews up until now. As I told Lisa, I cannot in good conscience continue to support a business that neither treats customers with dignity and respect NOR DOES THE RIGHT THING ... IT IS CALLED INTEGRITY FOLKS!

CombatCritic Gives Genesis Health Clubs (Lawrence, Kansas) 2 OUT OF 10 BOMBS (based on the lack of truthfulness prior to enrollment and poor customer service) AND THAT IS GENEROUS ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Genesis Health Club, health, club, Fitness, Genesis, gym, center, exercise, workout, yoga, integrity, honor, truth, lies, membership, CombatCritic, TravelValue

U.R.U. Has A Little Bit Of Everything ... For Everyone

A very nice antique and collectible shop on Mass Street between 11th and 12th Streets in downtown Lawrence.

As an avid collector and American and English auction veteran, I know quality and value when I see them. U.R.U. has a plethora of items, from vintage books and comics to Murano glass and antique furniture at reasonable prices.

Service with a big smile and convenient hours make browsing or shopping a delight. I will be back regularly as inventory is turned frequently. Grab a $2 taco at Fuzzy's next door or take a walk in South Park just across the street while you are in the neighborhood.

CombatCritic Gives U.R.U. 9 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: U.R.U., URU, home, decor, antique, collectible, furniture, knickknacks, jewelry, vintage, clothing, glass, porcelain, CombatCritic, TravelValue, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044

THE MERC ... Not My Cup of Chamomile

The Merc is a place in Lawrence WHERE YOU MUST BE SEEN, but as you have probably figured out by now, I could really care less what other people think of me. 

I have been to THE MERC exactly twice and have not been impressed. Not sure what all the hype is about other than the fact that they are the only game in town ... OH, HOW I MISS WHOLE FOODS! I guess if you are a hippy, yuppy, Bohemian. or metrosexual and care what other people think, liking THE MERC is a prerequisite.

Whatever you do, do not buy their Oil of Oregano!!! You can buy 1 ounce of "pure" Oil of Oregano online for $25, but THE MERC sells it DILUTED WITH OLIVE OIL FOR $25-$60 an ounce. I knew far more about the product than THEIR EXPERT and after educating her, she blew me off.

I am sure I will get some hate mail for this and again ... I COULD CARE LESS!

CombatCritic Gives THE MERC 4 Out of 10 Bombs Based On Value ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Chamomile, CombatCritic, community, community mercantile, diluted, dr, Dr Ozzie, Kansas, KS, Lawrence, MERC, mercantile, oil, oil of oregano, oregano, Oz, pure, THE MERC, TravelValue, 

Great Harvest Bread Company: Great Bread, High Prices Equal Moderate Value

Lawrence, Kansas: I had seen Great Harvest while driving up Vermont, but being a regular at Wheatfield's (less than two blocks away), I had not bothered to stop in. My wife and I had to park across the street from Great Harvest during a recent visit to Massachusetts Street for some shopping, so we decided to go in.

As we entered, the aroma of freshly baked bread and pies consumed me as the baker and ovens are directly behind the counter and he was removing piping-hot pie from the oven. Flavors vary by season.

Unlike Wheatfield's, bread is self-service in plastic wrap on shelving next to the counter. There were samples of five different breads and a bowl full of butter next to the register and when I inquired about the offerings, the young lady sliced a piece of multigrain bread as wide and thick as the palm of my hand. The bread was moist and crunchy with chunks of wholegrain throughout, the crust being a bit too soft for my taste, but delicious nonetheless. At nearly $6 a loaf, the bread is more than I have ever paid for a loaf and $1-$2 more than their competitor down the street.

The pies were gorgeous, a plump golden brown, but at $16 a pop, a bit pricey for my taste. Their products are obviously high in quality and flavor, so the only thing limiting my rating to four stars and not five was the prices. The service was excellent, the bread delicious, the prices a bit high ... 

CombatCritic Gives Great Harvest Bread Company 7 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Great Harvest Bread Company, great, harvest, bread, company, Lawrence, Kansas, Vermont, 66044, pie, multigrain, bakery, baker, CombatCritic, combat, critic, TravelValue

Don's Auto Center: An Honest Business In A World Plagued By A Lack Of Integrity

Lawrence, Kansas: I took our 2000 VW Beetle TDI to Don’s Auto Center to see if the "problems" another mechanic (Das Autohaus - see review at http://www.combatcritic.com/2013/12/if-you-want-to-spend-lots-of-money-take.html) told me needed repairing were indeed concerns. On my recent Das Autohaus invoice, the owner had stated that the vehicle needed "new struts" ($400-$600 on RepairPal) and removal of “excess carbon buildup on intake manifold” (which I had done less than two years and 20,000 miles ago at a cost of $700), for a total of $1,100 to $1,300 in repairs.

I had recently taken the vehicle on a 500+ mile trip to Colorado to visit my mother and noticed that the fuel economy was six to seven miles per gallon less than last summer (intake manifold?) and the ride somewhat rough (struts?), so I decided to take the vehicle to Don’s when I returned to see if the Das Autohaus “recommendations” were accurate.

I explained to Mike, the owner of Don’s, what the symptoms were and what I thought could possibly be causing them (based on the Das Autohaus diagnoses – struts and carbon in manifold). Mike called me later that day and told me that he had checked the suspension thoroughly and found “no issues”, no concerns and certainly no need for new struts. He told me the cause of the rough ride was likely caused by the tires being overinflated and simply let some air out of the tires. As for the poor gas mileage and possible carbon buildup on the intake manifold, Mike said that the winter additives in the diesel fuel cause lower gas mileage and because the manifold was cleaned less than 20,000 miles ago, there was no need to have it done again. He told me that the air filter was a bit dirty, so I had him replace it and do an oil change ($30 for an air filter, $50/gallon for synthetic motor oil) for a total of LESS THAN $200 and OVER $1,000 LESS THAN THE DAS AUTOHAUS "NEEDED REPAIRS".

I thanked Mike for his honesty and integrity, values I as a retired military officer hold dear, and will return to have him service our

vehicles from now on. You can come to your own conclusions regarding Das Autohaus. All I know is that by taking our vehicle literally a couple blocks down the street to an honest mechanic, we saved over $1,000. Enough said ... THANKS MIKE!

Key Words: Don's Auto Center, Don's, auto, center, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, honest, mechanic, integrity, honor, price, fair, manifold, tire, strut, repair, CombatCritic, combat, critic, TravelValue