This is a factual review of my experience of working with flow fitness for anyone contaminating using them, some good some bad.
I contacted Dave Smith from Flow funktional fitness before Christmas asking about training programs explaining that I wanted to be fit and confident that I had done all I could to be in the best shape for 10 under the ben. I explained that I knew a fair amount about training but felt I could do with some additional support, a bit of a push not to be lazy and just the confidence to know what I was doing was the right thing. I received a very swift reply which I didn’t expect with it being a couple of days before Christmas. I had the end of a cold at that time so we delayed the start till I was over that and also so my plan of three months on the sport package and the use the event pro for the last two months would take me right up to the start of Ten under the Ben. I filled in the forms, paid my money and waited for the program. It didn’t come, a few emails back and forth it transpired that an email Dave had sent had not got through with additional questions that he needed answers to before we could start. He said he would phone that evening or the following day to discuss the question as it would be quicker. No phone call came. Eventually I got fed up and emailed him asking if I could have my money back, no hard feelings just didn’t feel it was going anywhere, it was a big investment for me and needed a bit more than this. He emailed back apologising profusely and offered me a month free and additional support through out the event pro to make up for the late start. I agreed that this was very generous so we got started albeit with out the answers to the questions that at one point seemed vital. I was sent off to do a TT test ride as a bench mark. And the program came through for the month on the same day. The first month went well, no phone call as promised in the advert for the program but wasn’t that fussed and the training program seemed to really work and seemed very well thought out. Lots of short sessions, seemed a very forward thinking program.

The next month started again a slight delay in getting the program but that was as much to do with me as Dave Smith, I did email him rather last in the week to remind him and was slightly slow at paying him.
Again a great program set out for me and although no phone call and the TT test was never referred to which I found a bit odd but I had no real complaints.

Third month comes around, I emailed Dave to ask for it, nothing. A week went by still nothing, I emailed again, this time asking for a refund again as it was getting a bit ridiculous and now by plan of fitting in the three months on the sport package and the two on the event pro wasn’t possible as there was no longer any time to fit it all in. Again Dave finally emailed saying that various problems had caused the lateness and that he was sorry for this, and again offered a free month. I just said that was ok, not pointing out that this was the second time a free month had been offered but still seemed a generous offer so left it at that.
Received the plan, all went well, still no phone call but hey ho, and the TT test was never referred to. I did email to ask a few questions no reply to those came.

Then came the move to the forth month, I was slightly late in letting Dave know that I would be moving on to the next plan so said if he needed the week to sort it out that was ok by me. He emailed back straight away saying that he would sort it out for me as soon as possible and asked a few additional questions.
The program never came, I emailed again, he wrote back saying sorry it, I would have it that evening, various personal problems had conspired to things being left to the last minute. The evening came and went still nothing. I wrote again, nothing. I wrote complaining as now felt totally left in the dark and now feeling fed up, and a bit demotivated. Nothing I emailed the same complaint again, this time from a different email address just encase, nothing. I emailed another complaint nothing. Each complaint I had asked if we could come to some agreement re my free months, maybe a short program running up to another event, as now I wasn’t going to stand on the start line at ten under the ben feeling confident that I had done everything I could to be in the best shape I could be(obliviously I still trained but it was back to me just using educated guess work). I though if we had come to some agreement we could have both got something out of it. I wasn’t asking for a refund, I wasn’t asking for all the promised freebies, I just wanted something, even just a reply.
No reply ever came, 10 under the ben did not go well, but not for one second would I blame Dave Smith for this, it was the heat, never been able to cope with heat even as a small child, although coping with the heat was something I had asked for advice for.

The whole experience was disappointing, I felt been supported and trained up and then left in the cold 6 weeks before the event. BUT I would say that Dave Smith’s training theroy is sound , as an example of improvement, in one session short turbo training session in the third month(12 mins)I covered an extra 1 and a half over the distance I had covered in the first month, which is a great improvement. And Dave seems like a really nice guy and he did seem to be having to deal with a lot of rubbish outside work which seems to have effected this experience plus he seems to have endless email problems, but would have to say as a business that primarily works over email, that seems a major flaw.

I really hope that my experience with Flow fitness is a one off experience and would love to hear that other people have been treated much better than me, as I do think Dave Smith seems like a nice guy and I am not totally blameless in this situation as well, I could have been more no top of things, I could have phoned him. I am mostly disappointed that he didn’t dignify any of my emails towards the end with a reply.

Sorry that’s a massively long post, but hope it might be of some use to someone, I don’t want this to turn into a witch hunt or anything but at the same time do think others should be aware of what they might be letting themselves in for before the lay down what I feel is a large amount of cash. That’s not to say it’s over priced but over priced when you don’t get good service. But also please bare in mind when reading this that it might be a one off bad experience and I can’t say enough praise for his training theory, just in my case the delivery/customer service let it down.

IIRC he’s having a bad time personally at the moment 🙁

Yeah I know, he did explain that and I was super understanding about that, I just wish he could have replied to just one of my latter emails. Every time had a slight moan at him for not getting me the plan, I did really feel bad when he briefly outlined the situation. Plus I know far to well what it’s like being freelance and how it’s much harder to separate personal life and work life. SO I do really understand, I just feel let down and if I paid quite a large amount of money out to get ready for an event then left in the dark 6 weeks before hand…But it’s easy to criticise.

If you do read this Dave I sincerely hope that your problems get sorted out soon.

I believe the stw response to that post is “I struggle with long sentences”

I believe the stw response to that post is “I struggle with long sentences”

Bit harsh that . You no like , top left hand side of your screen is an left arrow . Click on that .

monogramman – Member
I believe the stw response to that post is “I struggle with long sentences”

Why? It’s long yes, granted but that’s because I wanted it to be a fair factual account not anything else. If your not interested then yes don’t read it but why comment if your not interested. *Sigh*

singletrackmind – Member
I believe the stw response to that post is “I struggle with long sentences”
Bit harsh that . You no like , top left hand side of your screen is an left arrow . Click on that .

😀 and thanks!

That could have been a useful post if the iDave bit was missed out. I don’t think its particularly fair to tie the two together like that. Unless, of corse iDave had actively used the forum to sell the programme. I’d also look to get a satisfactory resolution rather than post in public about the problems.

Sorry could you explain? But maybe your right, I thought that the two are connected as they the same person.
And in all fairness I have been waiting for over two months for a reply to any of endless of the emails I have sent trying to get a satisfactory resolution.

I don’t really expect a solution now, and I don’t as I said want this to be a witch hunt, and he clearly has a lot going on at the moment. There are also a lot of positives about his training programs. It is intended as a review not a lets get at Dave Smith. Through the few emails conversations we did have I think he seems like a really nice guy, just one that under the circumstances he’s under didn’t treat me with a lot of respect. But I do know how easy being freelance that can be. Plus as I said I am not blameless either.

I just wish he could have replied to just one of my latter emails.

My understanding is that not receiving or being able to send emails was one of the problems.
Interesting how Dave was constantly late yet you were always slightly late. 😉
Otherwise an interesting overview.

If you’ve been waiting that long, then it’s very poor service, and I for one wouldn’t be pleased, he does seem to be having personal issues, but then, they’re not really your problem, and because of that, flow funktional fitness shoud either provide you with the services that you require, or refund you. Hopefully when iDave sees this, he can make an effort to get I touch with you to resolve.

It’s sad he’s having personal problems but if it’s affecting his business maybe he shouldn’t have taken new clients on.

Sounds like you have paid a decent amount of money and have been let down.

I hope he gets everything sorted as idave always comes across as a decent person when I read his post.

don simon – Member
Interesting how Dave was constantly late yet you were always slightly late.
Otherwise an interesting overview.

That’s not really relevant. If I have an appointment, I attend, if the customer is not in, then annoying as it is, they’re the customer. I never get a customer calling into customer relations to apologise that they had forgot to be in for us.

Professionally, FFF should have been chasing this guy when he was late.

My understanding is that not receiving or being able to send emails was one of the problems.
Interesting how Dave was constantly late yet you were always slightly late.
Otherwise an interesting overview.

Yes, very true but you could argue it’s a flaw in the system if that’s what your business relies on. It was partly why I wanted out at the start.
And in all fairness, I was slightly late, like a day or so or in the case of not letting him know I was at the end of program, I view late as not letting him know around mid week of the last week of the program. So I was slightly late, in my eyes. Where as with Dave it was more like a week or more. I really am/was trying to be as accurate and as fair as possible hence the length. But I do openly admit I am far from blame free!

But it loses a certain amount of objectivity and we all know that the customer is not always right.
If the customer is constantly not in, how long do you wait until they become an ex-customer? I believe it’s called flogging a dead horse or taking the piss… 😉
Not saying it’s the case here.

Yes, very true but you could argue it’s a flaw in the system if that’s what your business relies on. It was partly why I wanted out at the start.

Agreed, if you are relying on email as a medium for conducting the business, you should have contingency plans in place. I also believe there were things that were way beyond being controlled.
This is for Dave to divulge and not me to speculate.

My job is based mainly over emails- if I don’t get a response in 24hours I ring out of principle.

I do actually think this sounds a very fair review and I also know what it’s like trying to old a business together when personal life gets in the way

I would like to make it VERY clear that I think that I could well be a victim of circumstances that have surrounded Dave (he never went into detail but even on a surface level sounded BAD) I totally understand that this can effect your work, even more as a freelancer. But as mentioned above I do wish he could have just let me go as a client or just emailed me first saying sorry it might be a bit late. I am the most understanding man ever (part of my work is as a youth worker, you have to be seriously understanding with that at times), and in some ways that was probably my down fall, I should have been for my sake less understanding and more demanding. And that again is my fault.

I do really believe in his training theory and think if you got him at a better time he would be amazing.

I just feel let down and sad that we couldn’t or haven’t as yet, managed to come to a mutually satisfactory concussion to this.

But as Alexxx said re the emails, I to have clients that can have email issues, especially one’s address’s that restrict block emails with large attachments or their box is too small, I always send the email with the attachment asking them to reply within 24 hours if not I will send it again/phone. Or I send two emails one with the attachment one with out to make sure.

But we all make mistakes, I know I am not perfect.

Cows, I don’t think you have to explain yourself any more you sound like a top bloke. I’ve had one time in work where things have transpired against my wishes and I’ve also ended up offering free work or cheaper work when really I should have held my hands up and say no sorry I just can’t do it.

Sounds like this is very much the case here but I do think it sounds like time to either get the money back or another agreement that is realistic.

You mean he’s not the messiah?

Just a very naughty boy?

Unfortunately what the OP wrote is pretty accurate. My apologies. As I posted yesterday on a different thread, I’m seeking to sort all issues out. OP’s experience wasn’t isolated, but also not the norm. Calling the issues I’ve experienced ‘personal problems doesn’t do them justice as they amount to criminal acts against me and my business, including threats and harassment* – but neither does it make this kind of thing acceptable. I’m trying to get things sorted and hopefully everyone can go back to being happy again, myself included. OP, please contact me on the email in my profile, it’s the only one that I know I can trust. And don’t rule out me being a very naughty messiah…

*main lesson folks, don’t scorn a woman with connections

Chin up Dave.

You’ve got an army of lithe iDavers behind you for backup!

*waves to idave*

“If it’s got tits or tyres, it’ll cause you grief”

There’s a simple solution to your problems I dave.
It’s spelled P-A-T-I-O and you’ll need a shovel.

“If it’s got tits or tyres, it’ll cause you grief”

Or as someone I work with on occasions says “if it fly’s, floats or f…. rent it”

Hi Dave
I will email you, thank you and hope all works out for you.
Thanks

“Either way ,Heels or Wheels will end up costing you “

Idave . Keep swimming against the rising tide of plop that seems to be continually heading your way .

Take to the moral high ground and try to always do the right thing , what goes around comes around .