Retail owners/workers get a lot of grief this time of year. More often than not, we tend to hear about bad experiences. Well, t’is the season for being kind and gracious, so here is my story and modest referral for Vision Fitness and Precision Fitness.

My treadmill broke. At first, I thought it just needed a tune up. It was seven years old after all and last winter/early spring I used the thing almost every day for 6+ miles. When I was getting my workout done, my treadmill was taking a beating. It sat unused for most of the summer/fall while I ran outside, and proceeded to protest with loud squeaks, rattling, and other strange noises that made me less and less than comfortable using it for fear it would suddenly stop and send me flying.

I called Precision Fitness for service. This is actually not where I purchased my treadmill – that place no longer exists. I simply Googled ‘treadmill repair’ in my area and Precision Fitness was first on the list. I called. They came.

Bad news. The noise I was hearing was the result of a piece that had been welded to the base of the frame but had broken off and was rattling around when I ran. Not good.

Worse news. This particular part was not repairable. Well, that’s bad.

Good news. Vision Fitness (the treadmill manufacturer) offers a lifetime warranty on that particular part since it is not repairable (and apparently should not break) (Side note – I am sure it broke because of how fast I run!).

So I assumed they would have to disassemble my treadmill and replace that particular part with a new part. That would have been just fine with me. I just wanted a functional treadmill that didn’t sound like it was about to fall apart with every step.

Better news. I am told I will receive a new treadmill. I am confused. There has to be some catch. My treadmill was purchased in 2006 and is over seven years old, how can it be possible that they will just “give” me a brand new 2013 treadmill?

But there was no catch. I received a call from customer service at Precision Fitness and they asked for pictures of the serial number. I did not have to provide any other information. They coordinated everything with Vision Fitness. Less than a week later my brand new treadmill arrived and was installed in my basement. The old treadmill was carted away.

What fantastic customer service. I cannot believe that not only did I receive a brand new treadmill at no cost, but the entire process was effortless. I didn’t have to produce mountains of paper work verifying where it was purchased, that I was the only owner, etc. Just pictures of the serial number was all that was needed.

If you are ever in need of treadmill repair, I highly recommend Precision Fitness in Natick. They went above and beyond in responsiveness and customer service, especially considering I did not even buy my treadmill from them. And if you are in the market for a new treadmill I highly recommend a Vision Fitness treadmill. My treadmill served me well for over seven years. I put a lot of miles on that thing and did not have any problems with the treadmill until now. And I now have a brand new treadmill, at no cost to me, which is actually an upgrade from the one that had broken. My expectations have well been exceeded.

So Merry Christmas to me! Now, if only I could get this silly boot of my foot so I can actually use my fancy new treadmill…