Vivre

 

1

5

Lucy E.

Palo Alto, CA

Fantastic gym.  Vivre's staff is friendly and helpful, the equipment is top of the line, and the locker room is bright, clean, and well-stocked.

My trainer, Rob Lee, is awesome - patient, knowledgeable, and always very positive and supportive. Since I began training with him, my energy has increased and I have refocused my attention on health and fitness.

I highly recommend Vivre to anyone living in the Palo Alto area.

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2

8

Michelle C.

Palo Alto, CA

10/18/07 - Guess who?  Thankfully it seems as if the monthly billing has stopped, but the owner has read my review and gave me a call tonight to discuss it.  I agreed to remove his name from review, but explained to him that I believe the review was honest and would stay up.  

My problem wasn't solely with being charged monthly after I quit, it was the hoops I had to jump through to get a refund.  Phone call after phone call went unreturned.  I am told that the software glitch has been fixed for good, I hope that the owner will take the same approach with getting back to his customers in a timely manner.

My intention is not to cause trouble for Vivre or its owners, but to share my experience with others.  This is what Yelp is all about.  I think the owner is a great guy, but this is a review about the business, not the person.
 

9/12/07 - I had to edit this review from 5 stars down to three.  I had to quit the gym in June due to an increasing workload and school and at work.  This gym has never disappointed me and I was a fan the whole time I was a member.  The problems started after I quit.

Around the middle of June, I called the owner and left a message asking how to quit (I was on a month to month).  He didn't return my call, so I called a week later and left another message.  He didn't return that call either, so 3 days after my 2nd message I stopped by in person to quit.  He met me out in the hall and said he was sorry to see me go, but he'd put in my paperwork right away.  As of July 1, I was no longer supposed to be a member.

July 1st, they charge me anyway.  I call them to ask to reverse the charges, but no one responds to my voicemail.  Again, I'm forced to stop by the gym and ask them to take care of it.  The owner does and apologizes (although he's never mentioned why he won't return any phone calls).

August 1st, guess who got charged again?  This time they reverse the charge within a few days and before I notice it.

I bet you know what comes next.  They charge me in September.  I'm at my wit's end trying to balance my checkbook with all of their nonsense.  I call again and again until I speak with the owner.  He apologizes (don't get me wrong, he's a very nice guy) and says he'll reverse the charge that day.  Only he didn't.  After waiting for 8 days,  I stopped by the gym yesterday to ask him to reverse the charges right then.  He wasn't there but his staff member sighed and rolled her eyes when I explained the problem, so I guess it's a common problem.  She couldn't reverse the charge herself, but promised to have the owner call me.  Few hours later, she calls me on behalf of the owner and apologizes for him (if I had a nickel for every apology by now, I'd have something shiny to show for it!) and says he will do it that day.

I just called my bank.  The charge has not been reversed yet.  By all means, join this gym.  But for the love of everything that is good, don't try to quit.  It annoys me to have to edit this review, but Vivre has had multiple opportunities to fix this problem.

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I LOVE this gym!  From the moment you walk in until you leave sweaty and exhausted, you're taken care of.  Free bottled water at the front desk, self locking lockers (has to be seen to be believed), free freshly washed towels and your own cable tv screen on most cardio machines.

It's never very crowded (I go at the lunch hour) and the staff is always two steps behind you to clean a machine you just used.  This is definitely worth $70 a month.

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8

108

Juli F.

Palo Alto, CA

I wanted to wait until I had been to Vivre more than once to review it, but I can't stop myself!  I live in Palo Alto and work in SF.  I've been going to Crunch Fitness for the better part of two years now, and I have to say, switching to Vivre is like switching from a Big Mac to a filet mignon.  The staff is almost creepily friendly and helpful, incredibly welcoming.  The machines are wonderful, each with it's own attached television (with cable).  Very low-key environment, and it seems the majority of the gym's members go during the day.  So there is little to no after work crowd.  I probably shouldn't be telling you this, beause I'd be devastated if that changed, but I really love this gym.  From the free water to the month-to-month membership, to the constantly-cleaning-things employees -- Vivre has got the right idea.  No more sucky gyms!

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5

88

Monica T.

Palo Alto, CA

I joined this gym in downtown Palo Alto because Form fitness was way too "snotty" for me.  The clientele seemed to be 20 something hard-bodies with attitude like you would expect to find in South Florida.  The vibe is totally different in Vivre.  The people there are friendly and they don't sigh before reluctantly answering your questions. The gym itself has excellent equipment and a relaxed spa atmosphere that actually makes me want to go and work out.  I can't wait to try the classes!

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1

9

Jyotsna P.

Palo Alto, CA

Vivre is welcoming and anxiety-reducing. People here, the trainers as well as the clientile, are real. No plastic perfection.  Folks come here, work out and leave,resulting in a minimum of annoying cross-talk between people at adjacent machines. Very good classes. Nice day care center. Only gripe : Not as many evening classes as I'd like.  Plus, it's somewhat expensive since I go there far less frequently than I'd like.

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