NordicTrack Treadmill Review - Value & Innovation
I had another issue regarding Icon Fitness, and that was their customer service. I had receive several complaints about the non-responsiveness of their service department. Therefore, my overall impression of all the Icon brands were not very favorable.
Last July I get a call from the corporate headquarters asking me to reconsider some of my comments and reviews, since I have a have a popular treadmill review site. I mentioned to Icon the countless complaints I received the previous holiday season regarding their service. I also mentioned that most of the times I tried their machines on the retail floor of Dick's Sporting, Sports Authority or Sears, they were literally falling apart. To be fair, the demo models on the floor take a beating, and it is not always the best place to get a real feel of the quality of a treadmill.
The folks at Icon assured me that they were making strides in both quality control and customers service. They suggested I come out to their manufacturing facility and decide myself.
So I flew across the country, they are located in Logan , UT , and met a number of VPs and Directors. I also got a tour of the facilities, including the area where they put their machines through rigid testing.
One of my first introductions was with the Director of Customer Service. He acknowledged that there were problems with their customer service, and that they were making it one their top priorities. They were committing $2 million to improve service; in addition, they were increasing their staff and improving their training. Surprisingly I have not received any customer complaints relating to the service of NordicTrack or their other subsidiaries in the last few months.
Regarding quality control. I was first taken to a room where they hire people to workout on their treadmills for countless hours. This allows them to identify problems in real world situations. I was also shown their testing facility, where they take treadmill motors and run them for hundreds of hours at high speeds, and where they have weights that continual drop of decks in order to find any deficiencies. In addition, they take an occasional treadmill out of the assembly line and run it through the course.
The final part of my tour was to the demonstration room. They had a number of NordicTrack treadmills and elliptical trainers. For those not familiar with NordicTrack, it tends to be the high-end brand of the Icon line-up.
The one factor where Icon excels and is apparent in their NordicTrack treadmills is innovation. Here are some examples…
Ifit Technology – You insert computer cards that control your workout. A professional fitness trainer designed each exercise. Each card has a series of workouts that focus on different goals like weight loss, cardio training or body shaping. The training includes audio that coaches and motivates you in attaining your fitness goals.
Adjustable Decks – A number of the models have decks where you can adjust the level of impact.
Reflex Decks – These are decks that are made from popular wood, the same wood they use for snowboards. They are the most forgiving decks in the industry and actual bow when you impact them.
Quality Sound Systems – Several of the models have not only built-in speakers, but also subwoofers. They take input from ipods and MP3 players.
Built-in Flat Screen TVs – Let's face it, walking or running on a treadmill is boring. No matter how far you go, you never get anywhere. NordicTrack has the largest selection of TV equipped treadmills in the industry.
NordicTrack is bringing much needed changes to the industry. Most manufacturers have gotten into the doldrums of producing the same old thing. NordicTrack is not only producing decent treadmills, they are also equipping them with features that assist and motivate you to achieve your fitness goals.
If you are looking to lose some weight or get in shape, I suggest you check out the my reviews on the full line-up of NordicTrack Treadmills.
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