I’m bitching here because I doubt that anything would be done if I submitted my comments in the comment box at the basement mall gym (I’ll try). It is always nice to go to the gym when I can make it in the evenings, but when I’m scurried out when I have 15 minutes to spare to get dressed, it makes me wonder if the workers realize the gym closes at 10; the clocks are all set at this gym between 5 and 15 minutes ahead; and it is quite rude to come up to you just after your shower to ask you to “hurry up.” I work in the service industry also, so I can understand that the worker wants to get out of there to make it to social engagements, but it’s still not even _9:50pm_ and by the time I was at my car, it was 10pm. I go to this gym because it is convenient. So, please gym workers, could you please respect people who want to work out/shower/dress in peace? Also, could you please not turn off the sauna and open the door, way beyond close when I’ve set it to heat up before my shower. Otherwise, I will go somewhere else where the workers care less about their looks and tans, and are more in sync with athletic pursuits. If the gym closes at 10pm, I will be out of there before 10pm!
—Respectful Gym Goer
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2009.
Agreed with most, but as a side note most gyms shut down their sauna at a set time before close to allow the req cool down (or something). It’s usually posted in the sign regarding rules etc.
I believe I work at this particular club and while the friendly staff have no desire to inconvenience you, we ask that members be off the exercise floor 15mins prior to closing for a reason.
There are a great many members who dilly dally and maybe if we’re lucky leave by 30minutes after we’re supposed to lock the door. Unfortunately, people will always say “I’m not one of them, ill leave on time”, but of course so do the culprits.
This opens up a whole host of problems. Our insurance only covers certain times, we cannot have people staying after we’ve set to close. God forbid our staff check and accidently miss one person trying to stay extra long and they get locked in!
As for the sauna, we turn it off because those people who do follow our club policy and leave 15mins prior to closing, also like to spend those 15 in the sauna. Then after showering/changing leave 30minutes after we’re supposed to have locked the doors.
One more thing – The cards from our comment box make to management almost daily. We love for people to leave contact information so that the situation can be discussed or dealt with.
When people just leave a rude comment like “DONT CLOSE EARLY”, it’s very difficult for us to determine what the actual situation is, or how to explain our policies to the member.
As well, our policy of asking members to retire from the exercise floor 15mins prior to closing is clearly listed in the list of club rules.
I don’t know how long it takes you MrFitness to put the clothes your mother has set out for you but it didn’t take me 15 whole minutes to get dressed on my wedding day let alone into every day clothes…
I’ve also thought that they should be off the floor 20-30 mins prior if they stand a chance of getting a shower in and drying in time….
also, boo urns to setting the clocks ahead 5-10 mins.. though maybe that can be addressed with someone there….
I bet you set the scales up 5 pounds too, don’t ya?
don’t ya?
yeah, that’s what I thought.
I also work for the company you’re complaining about – at another club, though – and they’re following the rules set forth in the policy. If you do have an issue with it, please fill in a comment card, or contact the club through the website. Seriously, no sarcasm from me on this one, which is weird.
I go to this gym (not necessarily this location) and all the membership literature requests that members get off the exercise floor 30 minutes, I believe, before gym closing.
If they’re hurrying you and you’re showering/getting dressed then you have every right to be pissed. All it says is gtfo of the exercise floor….
If they want to be closed at a certain time why don’t they set their closing time 15-30 minutes earlier and schedule staff for the “real” closing time? Would clear up a lot of confusion and stress on the part of the employee and patron.
Pretty Kitty: Because 9:45 would be a weird sounding closing time 🙂
And I believe the staff is scheduled 15mins prior to opening, and 15mins after closing so they can complete their paperwork and duties.
Indeed our literature does request the vacate the floor prior to closing, and to be sure ‘most’ members do well to adhere to this 🙂 Unfortunately it’s also very common for some to want to get in a few more sets after 10pm.
“When people just leave a rude comment like “DON’T CLOSE EARLY”, it’s very difficult for us to determine what the actual situation is, or how to explain our policies to the member.”
Ok, so someone says “Don’t close early” and you find it hard to determine what the actual situation is?
“Please stop playing music after 12!” What could my neighbour mean by that?
MrFitness, you haven’t even addressed the OPs complaints, which were clearly laid out, so I can’t see how you are going to address the comment cards. 1) The clocks are set ahead. 2) the staff bothers her while she is in the change room. NOTE, she is not on “the exercise floor”. 3) Turning off the sauna and opening the door when she has it heating up for use.
hi, Ive been a member of this guy many years before. Ive never known about the get off the floor 15 mins policy thing.. do you brodcast this over the club I wonder at a marked time? I usually have my headphones in. I’m not one to really read a policy page as Im sure many are not.. maybe have the person who sells the membership highlight this to the customer. Ive stayed even a coulpe mins past the hour but will be sure not to do so in the future now that I know you guys want us out of there 15mins to.
Having the sales person mention that to new coustomers is a good idea I think, I know you guys are a bit flexable on that and Ive always tried to get out of there by 10pm!
Easy fix.
sarey, as was said in a previous post saunas are shut off at a set time for cool-down purposes (eg. safety mesures). I am sure its all in the policy, which most people probably do not read.
I think the sales should encourage people to read the policy and maybe point out theses little details, or have them highlighted.
Blotch: My understanding is that the Membership Councilors do mention these rules upon selling memberships, but either a) people really don’t care about the rules and don’t listen or b) over time, it’s easy to forget about minor issues like this. We have no PA system, just our posted policies. All the same, we try not to go around shooting people for breaking the rules, and usually a friendly reminder is enough. All too often however, it is not and the staff is forced to stay well after closing before they can even begin their closing procedures.
Sarey: 1) the clocks are not set ahead. Why on Earth would we do this? They are set in time with the Weather Network I believe. Perhaps his clock is early? Or perhaps one of our clocks which the OP is going by, actually IS early and can be fixed if the staff is made aware. We don’t have a staff member who bears the responsibility of going around analyzing the clocks daily. If one is wrong, let us know and we’ll change it.
2) If an individual is not following policy by being late (shouldn’t be in the locker room after closing either) our staff may ask them to hurry up. If the staff really is going overboard by being rude or too early – by all means, I’m sure management would love to hear about it and correct the situation. But again, perhaps the OPs clock is wrong, and our staff is trying to get him out BEFORE our doors ARE TO BE LOCKED.
3) We turn off the Sauna and open the door 15-(20?) minutes prior to closing on purpose so that individuals who have followed policy by leaving the floor 15mins early, don’t spend those 15mins IN THE SAUNA, disallowing us to LOCK THE DOORS ON TIME. I believe a notice on this practice is posted as well.
The issue with the comment cards is that all too often people don’t leave enough information for the situation to be resolved (or explained to the individual.) Admittedly, perhaps my example (which i made up) was a poor one, but I imagine those with brain cells to rub together understand what I was attempting to get across.
honestly, most membership coordinators don’t give two shits about you after you sign on the dotted line and hand over your banking information.
Their aim is to get you to actually sign and highlighting all these policies would likely go against the hard sell.
Especially now since the gym in question has been bought out by the craptacular gym from ontario. Their membership coordinators are slimy vultures, for the most part.
I don’t get it…IF you want to close at 8pm (as an example) you post your hours as closing at 7:30 pm.
What is so difficult for you to grasp about that ?
When 7:30 comes you shut the place down, gym, weight room sauna everything !
People will EXPECT IT !!! It is 7:30 & the signs say CLOSED at 7:30 .
You can even do the unthinkable & say locker rooms close at >>gasp<< 7:45
THat gives you 30 minutes to get the place shut down,& the members have a 15 minute window to get dressed & the last thing you do is check to make sure everyone’s out…gives the laggards an actual 30 minute window to GTFO, & your walking out the door at 8pm or maybe even a few minutes earlier, if you crack the whip !
Sometimes I get a feeling that most people really aren’t very smart.
MrFitness, just a couple of points, from one businessman to another.
What is so special about the fitness industry that makes them think that they get to leave right on time? Every single time I worked in the service industry (don’t kid yourself, you’re no better than a restaurant or retail store, or anything client facing for that matter), we ensured the customer’s needs are met before we shove them out the front door. There was the odd time that it meant that we stayed behind for an hour, but the customer left, gave good word of mouth advertising and was happy. Geez, I’m in banking and while we locked the doors right at closing, I didn’t shove my client out and I took walk-in appointments ’till close. That’s just good business/service. Unless you really don’t care about your client’s needs or wants and are all just about that monthly fee. That sounds like it to me, posted “rules” or not. I’m sure your staff don’t go around bitching people out for not wiping down the machines, but when it’s closing time and it effects your bottom line and staff, all hell breaks loose.
Who knows? You may need to review your opening/closing hours. Open later, close later if you’ve got a serious issue of people that straggle late in the day. Even if the corporation dictates your hours, there’s always leeway, especially if there’s a business case for it. Also, your membership people are seriously greasy. If I did half of what your membership people do, I’d be fined and lose my professional licenses.
“”1) the clocks are not set ahead. Why on Earth would we do this? “”
It’s called “bar time” and is used to, well, help usher drunks out the door a little early.
I bet you knew this.
If a restaurant, for instance, that closes at 10, were to try to usher me through my meal BEFORE 10, I would refuse to pay. I would, however, like the OP, be sure to be out the door by 10.
I find I agree with Dr. Fever on this one: what makes YOUR industry special in that YOU and YOUR staff get to leave exactly (or minutes thereafter) at closing? No other service industry can claim this.
I have a theory: it’s because gym members have ALREADY PAID by virtue of the membership system. If you were ushering them out AND expecting to be paid, like in a bar/restaurant/book store etc etc…I bet it would be a different story entirely.
“Also, your membership people are seriously greasy.” ~dr F.
*cough* and your marketing manager may or may not look like a bleach blonde oompa loompa *cough* *cough*