I have been attending private Pilates appointments at Mighty Pilates consistently three times per week since April of this year (2024). In that time, I have never canceled an appointment, with one exception: I recently experienced severe heart/chest pains, which were intense enough that I would have needed to go to the ER had they persisted. Just last week, on the morning of my scheduled private Pilates appointment, I developed sudden COVID-like symptoms—fever, sore throat, and runny nose—along with food poisoning from something I ate the night before. Out of concern for my own health, as well as the safety of those at the studio, including my instructor, I requested to cancel the appointment.
Despite this, the studio manager refused to grant an exception and still charged me for the canceled session. Meanwhile, my private Pilates instructor has had to cancel on me multiple times, most recently with just two hours’ notice. I want to be clear that this is not a critique of my instructor—she has been excellent, and I fully understand and support her need to cancel when she is unwell. However, it seems the same understanding is not extended to clients who are unwell and need to cancel.
I had hoped to continue at Mighty Pilates, as I truly enjoy the convenience, the classes, and working with my instructor. However, given this experience, and the studio’s lack of flexibility in recognizing that illness—something no one can predict—can impact clients just as it does instructors, I have decided I will not be returning.
