Drop in Fee

[Troy Peterson]

Originally Posted by Jason Martin

It would be cool if there was some sort of standardized card or certification an athlete could get that demonstrated they know the basics of CF. Card could be presented when traveling, etc. Some way to verify that someone knows what is going on before they drop in.

I'm surprised at the direction of the posts....

1. CF affiliates are running a business
2. If you show up for a group class, you ARE taking their resources (trainers time, equipment)
3. There is no way a trainer will be able to tell what your ability level is unless they watch you and provide....training
4. If you contact a box that you'll be travelling by and let you in for free workout coaching, do their members who are also showing up for that timeslot also attending for free?
5. If you choose to workout at a non-CF/globo gym on the road, will they let you attend for free if you have a membership elsewhere?

If a box makes a decision to not charge a travelling CFer, I'm fine with that. But to expect you should be able to walk into a gym and workout for free, I don't get it. I've traveled to a number of different affiliates, contacted them first, tried to estimate which one I feel would provide the best experience and have paid the following in the past:
-free
-bought t-shirt
-paid $25
-paid $20 and bought a t-shirt

...and have been fine with all of them. But never felt entitled to workout for free. I'm all about CF as a whole, love the community and have enjoyed my traveling experiences. In fact, try to find affiliates and do a bit of planning around a workout when I do travel.

[Mike Hopper]

Originally Posted by Troy Peterson

5. If you choose to workout at a non-CF/globo gym on the road, will they let you attend for free if you have a membership elsewhere?

It depends. Some places actually will or for very cheap. The facility I work for is a member of a national group (to show how important that membership is to me, I don't even know the name!) and if a person were to show up with a membership card showing that they are a member of a gym also belongs to the organization we'd let them in real cheap. But then again, we also offer any guests a guest pass for 5 bucks a day..

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Troy Peterson

I'm surprised at the direction of the posts....

1. CF affiliates are running a business
2. If you show up for a group class, you ARE taking their resources (trainers time, equipment)
3. There is no way a trainer will be able to tell what your ability level is unless they watch you and provide....training
4. If you contact a box that you'll be travelling by and let you in for free workout coaching, do their members who are also showing up for that timeslot also attending for free?
5. If you choose to workout at a non-CF/globo gym on the road, will they let you attend for free if you have a membership elsewhere?

If a box makes a decision to not charge a travelling CFer, I'm fine with that. But to expect you should be able to walk into a gym and workout for free, I don't get it. I've traveled to a number of different affiliates, contacted them first, tried to estimate which one I feel would provide the best experience and have paid the following in the past:
-free
-bought t-shirt
-paid $25
-paid $20 and bought a t-shirt

...and have been fine with all of them. But never felt entitled to workout for free. I'm all about CF as a whole, love the community and have enjoyed my traveling experiences. In fact, try to find affiliates and do a bit of planning around a workout when I do travel.

I never expect to train for free, I've just never been charged if I'm visiting. I offer to pay, bring a shirt, etc. One affiliate let me train multiple times for free in a week, and I sent them several nice jump ropes after because that was something they were lacking.

But, I do think that a $20 or $25 drop in fee is excessive. Every regular gym I have ever belonged to has had some sort of reciprocation agreement with other gyms. When you are paying $150 or $200 a month for a gym, I don't think expecting a similar agreement makes someone unreasonable.

[Zan Vetter]

In my experience sometimes the type of WOD dictates whether or not the owner charges me.

I don't love paying a fee and then ending up with a running, pushup, situp, squat type of WOD that requires no equipment and minimal coaching. I always feel I have received much better value for my money on a drop in when the WOD involves an olympic lift, pullups, rings, or some other type of movement that I couldn't otherwise do in a hotel gym or outside on the grass.

If there is coaching and/or equipment involved I will insist on paying. But if it is a run/squat/run/pushup thing and they offer me a freebee, I'm all over that!