Swim Now Avis 

BAD BAD BAD, Terrible customer service, first lesson no one turned up, I should of known but no I thought it would be a one off. Four lessons went well although I was asked to attend earlier than my booked time but never thought anything of it, then on the fifth appointment no one turned up, no one answered the office phones had to contact the teacher direct who advised she was off sick. Called all that week for an update, no one ever got back to me until the day before the lesson advised someone will replace teacher, also promised the two lessons where no teacher turned up would be given back free. No updates I had to keep calling, left loads of messages, finally got someone who advised payments will stop until further notice. Month later payment was taken after many attempts I got someone who advised money will be reimbursed, I asked for the money owed from previous month they advised it would be reimbursed also. Got the reimbursement for most but not all of the money owed. Given up, will report to trading standards, no customer service, no value for money, take your money and don't deliver. The teacher herself was good but the company itself is terrible. Stay away.

It was easy to book a lesson, and had a great introductory lesson in a dedicated lane in a local gym. I have been swimming all my life but wanted to improve. It helped that the pool was like a bath! The instructor was helpful and enthusiastic.

Swim Now has been great for my girls aged 6 and 8 who have had 2:1 lessons with Will. They’ve progressed really well, and this can be seen in their confidence in the water too. This has been quickly noticeable compared to the previous group lessons we tried (of which we tried a couple of different providers).
Will has been a super teacher and is very patient with the girls. They’ve learned more in the last couple of months with Will, and at a higher level, than they had for the last few years.
I highly recommend swim now!

I used Swim Now for one-to-one swimming lessons and, given the high cost, the experience was disappointing.

My initial trainer left with just over a week’s notice, with no proper handover. Notes were apparently only passed to the new trainer at the last minute, so the transition felt disjointed. The quality of coaching was also uneven – the second coach was a clear improvement, which highlighted the inconsistency.

I asked for a refund and even offered to pay more just to exit the remaining package, but this was refused, which felt inflexible.

I was also told a roped-off lane would be available, which was important given the lessons take place in a hotel pool with other swimmers present. Without a dedicated lane, sessions are regularly disrupted by people getting in the way, which significantly limits the effectiveness of the lesson. In practice, this wasn’t provided at my location. I later found out it was available at another site, but this was never communicated.

Overall, I don’t think this represents good value for money. I’ve since found a much cheaper alternative for one-to-one coaching in Manchester that provides a roped-off lane and a consistently good standard of coaching.

UPDATE: Following the company’s response to this review, I contacted the CEO as suggested in an attempt to discuss my concerns directly. Unfortunately, I did not receive a response.

I appreciate the company’s acknowledgement that communication regarding the dedicated lane should have been clearer. However, the issues I experienced went beyond this and included poor continuity between instructors and an overall service that, in my opinion, did not justify the premium price charged.

Having now completed lessons elsewhere at a significantly lower cost, with a good instructor and also a dedicated lane provided as standard, I continue to feel that my original review fairly reflects my experience.

No Business has disappointed me as much as Swim Now! I have tried to have a taster lesson 3 times at the West Bromwich location and it hasn’t happened due to their booking errors and no communication. Each time i’ve reached the location and have left without having a lesson. First time, the instructor was on leave but they had booked me in, second time, The Instructor said they have no booking for me but i have the confirmation in a email and third time, the Instructor is off sick but hasn’t contacted me to let me know. The people i spoke to on the phone assured me that these errors wouldn’t happen again but no one has followed it through to make sure they don’t happen. They don’t provide any contact details for the Instructor so when i reach the location and they are not there, i can’t contact them. Isobel, the Instructor at West Bromwich needs to communicate with her clients. They don’t answer their phones or check their emails, I’ve had to call them multiple times just to speak to them. Avoid them at all costs.

Disgusting company, I was unable to attend due to fever and tonsillitis. Was told by the Manager Laura at the West Bromwich branch, I forfeit my money. Noone ever answers the phone. No response via email. Con artist, that want to rob your money.

Aghi was absolutely amazing teacher my daughter at her swimming lessons. Amber has come on so well already. He’s absolutely brilliant with children and knows how to connect with them during their lesson.

Lydia was my instructor, really friendly, put me at ease. Could instantly see what needed work. Gave easy to follow instructions. Would recommend

Awful! Quick to take your money but if you need to cancel or change your time, you can’t get hold of anyone. Customer service is awful

Great teachers but for some reason they keep leaving. After 2 teachers for my son have left in less than 1 year we didnt want to start again with a third teacher because every time a new teacher started there was no handover so the first 4 lessons were basic and not picked up where left off. Before joining we asked what will happen when we will be on holiday for a month and they said the lessons will be added to the end of the contract. We said we did not want this as we did not know when we will finish in the future and if we can pause the payments. We were told not to do that and that we will have our money back instead for any left lessons. We now have 5 lessons (just over 200 pounds) to get the money back and surprise....not company policy although we were told differently before we joined. Manager on anual leave....the person that we talked to when we joined? ...not with the company anymore...no one to talk to face to face just the teachers which are not at fault of course. Poorest management EVER. What happens if you cant attend anymore and you have left over lessons? Free money for them? Will seek advice

Cassy, my new instructor, is very knowledgeable and her technique and approach strikes the right balance between pushing you and making you feel comfortable.
Professional, always on time, and very friendly.

Joined Swim Now as I wanted to properly learn to swim and get over my water phobia, as had a little accident in the pool when I was a wean, as swimming with family members and friends didn't help me at all.

Got Jamie in Glasgow as my instructor in the DoubleTree Hilton, 1-1 lessons, went from holding his hand in the pool, to always relying on holding on to the side of the pool to stand back up, and now I am dipping my head in the pool and swimming away after my lessons with him, and standing back up on my own.

I am now more confident being on my own in the pool and will continue swimming on my own for improvement.

He's a very friendly instructor and won't force you to do any moves you're not comfortable with, and works with you at your own pace! (not a harsh instructor at all - for Jamie to read)

Thanks Jamie if you see this! :)

I can’t recommend Cassy at Swim Now Leicester highly enough. She has been incredibly patient, supportive, and encouraging throughout my lessons. From the very beginning, she created a calm and reassuring environment that really helped rebuild my confidence in the water.

Cassy takes the time to understand your individual needs and progresses at a pace that feels comfortable, which made a huge difference for me. Her positive attitude and clear guidance made each session enjoyable and something I genuinely looked forward to.

Thanks to her support, I feel so much more confident and capable in the water. If you’re feeling nervous or just want to improve your swimming, I would absolutely recommend Cassy.

I’ve been having lessons with Cassy at Swim Now Leicester and I’m so glad I started. She’s honestly been amazing.

She’s really patient and explains things in a way that actually clicks, but at the same time she definitely pushes you to improve. What I love most is that she really believes in you, even when you don’t think you can do something yourself, and somehow you end up doing it.

I’ve built so much more confidence in the water and have made way more progress than I expected. The sessions are always supportive but still challenging in a good way.

I would 100% recommend Cassy at Swim Now Leicester to anyone thinking about starting or improving their swimming.

Asal is an excellent swimming instructor. She explains everything in great detail, and is easy to get along with. She’s very approachable and has a lovely personality.
Asal has been very patient with me, and always explains how to correct my mistakes.

I had a really great experience learning to swim with Asal. She was incredibly patient with me and made sure to take everything step by step, which really helped build my confidence in the water. Each session felt well-paced and supportive, and she always took the time to explain things clearly and encourage me when I needed it.

The lessons were very helpful, and I could really see my progress over time. I also genuinely enjoyed the sessions — they were both productive and fun. I’m very grateful for her guidance.

She was also very flexible with bookings, which I really appreciated as I work and needed my sessions to be in the evening. She was always accommodating and made it easy to arrange times that worked for me.

I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a supportive and skilled swimming teacher.

Thank you very much Asal !

My son attends swimming lessons here and we are very happy with them. His instructor, Mr. Michał, is excellent with children—patient, encouraging, and very professional. My son enjoys every lesson and has made great progress with his swimming skills. I highly recommend these classes to other parents looking for a supportive and friendly place for their children to learn to swim.

Had a taster with one instructor then had to wait several weeks as the instructor resigned straight after and they had no cover.

After several weeks, I got assigned to a newly recruited instructor. She only stayed a few weeks before quitting. I then got moved to another instructor who also quit after a few lessons. I then got assigned to yet another instructor who then also quit after a couple or so lessons.

Bear in mind, as an adult learner, I needed continuity and stability to make consistent learning progress. Unfortunately, with each instructor change (some of them very sudden and without warning) my learning regressed and I lost any confidence built. Every new instructor literally started afresh with me, with their own teaching style. After 12 weeks, I'm nowhere better than I was before I began, so I quit the programme.

Furthermore, there were no dedicated lanes for lessons at the pool. Members of the public often filled the pool and even verbally interfered in lessons with comments.

Would not recommend. My experience of their services was very poor overall.

I found the instructor amazing and she was great with my daughter. However my experience with manager was poor. I ended the contract after 6 months which cost 1,200 for 1 x 30min lesson per week. Both myself and the instructor missed days for personal or pool closures. I calculated I had 1 lesson left however management saod I didnt and when I challenged this, I was made to feel like I was trying to rip them off for a 30 min £45 lesson. His words were i will have to take your word for it. So I said no its fine I will take your work for it. Such a shame ending this way due to attitude of poor management, who weren't even part of my daughters swimming experience.

I only just started with Swim Now but so far so good.
I’ve just completed my 4th lesson, and Ben, my instructor, is fantastic. Very patient, calm, and encouraging.
He explains things clearly and makes learning feel comfortable and achievable. I already feel more confident and can see real progress.
Fingers crossed, I’ll get there. I’d definitely recommend Ben.