- Report: #568924
Complaint Review: Melvin Royster - Harford County Maryland
Reported By:
anoymous -
, Maryland, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Melvin Royster
Forest Hill, MD Harford County, Maryland, United States of America
Phone:
Web:
www.bodystylesbymel.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Melvin Royster Bodystyles By Mel, Takes Money, Does not Render Services Harford County, Maryland
In response to the following statement made by Melvin Royster in the New York Times article "7 Businesses That Failed in 2009"...
I didnt have the right business people in place to generate the revenue I wanted, said Mr. Royster, who believes his employees werent selling aggressively enough. I tried to run it like a family, and I think I got a little too relaxed.
This statement is a clear demonstration of Mr. Royster's ignorance, dishonesty, and lack of couth. To make a statement like this is a pathetic attempt by a desperate man to salvage a name that means very little in this town anymore. It's a real shame when a grown man refuses to take responsibility for his own actions and instead chooses to blame others for his failures. How ironic that Mr. Royster is attributing the demise of his business to the very same employees that he, on several occasions, took personal thoughts and ideas from to pass them off as his own? The truth here is simply this - Mr. Royster had not only some of the best employees but some of the greatest, most intelligent people working for him and it is now abundantly clear that he didn't deserve ANY of them. BSBM failed for one reason and one reason only; MELVIN ROYSTER.
The real reasons his business failed:
- He favored clients who were female or wealthy.
- He asked wealthy clients to invest, and in some cases hired them even if it meant eliminating loyal employees.
- He went on vacations often with no plans for operations while he and his wife were away.
- Planned lavish events which cost BSBM more money than they made.
- Recieved money from clients for services and never refunded when appropriate, even when service was not rendered or special medical circumstances advised the client to end training.
- Passed off others ideas as his own.
- Relied on a paper/folder system that was unreliable and mismanaged for tracking client sessions and employee payrolls.
- Exhibited poor or sometimes awkward customer service towards both current and potential new clients.
-Owners trained clients with their baby stroller on the training floor, highly unprofessional.
- Mr. Royster lied to clients about how many sessions they had left to have them resign, to recieve money from them sooner.
- Had no inventory tracking system or regular equipment maintenance.
- Portrayed absolutely NO recognition for the hard work, dedication, and great ideas of the amazingly giving staff who dealt with his messes on a daily basis.
The intention of this review is not to bash an already failed business person, it's to help the truth surface and show that it was not the staff of BSBM that was the real problem. They were kept in the dark about the business finances/troubles, and sometimes had to find out from their clients what was really going on. The trainers were often asked to render their services for free and in turn volunteered their time to help with both company and marketing events. How can you say someone is not aggressive enough when they are constantly being asked to work for free...and do so out of the kindness of their hearts. Ultimately, the former employees do not deserve a bad reputation as a result of the ignorant comments made by Mr. Royster, or the aftermath of his failed business endeavors.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Melvin Royster
Havre de Grace,Maryland,
United States of America
Let set the record straight
#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, October 12, 2011
Now that the smoke has cleared it's time to set the record straight. It's hard to believe how people can quickly turn around a story based on there own perception about a situation that didn't even effect them in any way at all. Some people just want to cut you down no matter what you do. With that being said..I just want to set the record straight once and for all.
Yes it's true I had to close down by business. I do admit I did make some serious bad business discussions. One of the biggest mistakes was trying to save a sinking ship during a very bad storm. I guess it's the nature of a person to try to do everything possible to save a company from failing. Well ,it sure was my nature, It easy to judge sitting on the outside not knowing all the details.
I did do everything possible to save my business. All the way to the end. I did everything possible to save not only the business but the jobs of every employee so their lives wouldn't be effected by the closing of the business. As I look back now, I guess that was a big business mistake. I tried to merge with another fitness center that was located a few block from my business. The goal was to save the business and the employees jobs. It kind of worked , I lost my business and everything I own. The employees did get to keep there jobs with the new company, that I am thankful for.
The goal was to also keep all the clients from losing any sessions due to them as well. Thing were agreed and was all set to work between the two companies and from my understanding no one lost anything. Most of the clients are still with the new company and all the sessions that were own to them from my company were rendered. Some how that's not what the story on the street. I spoke with all of the clients personally and everyone seem to be okay with the arraignments and the ones that wasn't I offered personally to train off any session the were due.
It all comes down to this, no matter what you do in life you can't please everyone. There is always going to be those people that want to pull you down deeper in a whole and step all over you when you are down. Yes, I was down at my lowest point in my life but I can look in the mirror everyday and know I did all that was possible to save the business and my employee's jobs. I did lose the business but my efforts wasn't in vain the employee's that wanted to keep there jobs did and their same clients.
If I had it to do all over again, I would do the same things I did to save the business, with the excepting of merging with another business. I should have just thrown in the towel and gave everyone a two week notice.....but then again they wouldn't had a job to go to?
Thanks to all that have supported my wife and I doing these hard times, You all were truly a blessing to us!
Thanks
