I (30m) work at a gym as a supervisor. My gym has sort of funky hours where one part will close a half hour before the other part and at different times on the weekend. All of these times are on our website with maps showing each area and what time they close. The hours are changing soon to be open later for the fall but that hasn’t happened yet.
Today one of my new workers (15f) was trying to tell an older man (~65) that an area was closed. He yelled at her that it was bullshit and the website says otherwise. One of the other more seasoned workers came over to help but also got yelled at saying they are wrong and they’re stupid. I get called over to diffuse the situation and I explain the schedule, we close this area at 5 and then at 5:30 everything else closes. He insists that the website says otherwise and that i need to get my story straight. He finally leaves and goes to change.
While he is changing i look up the website thinking maybe he is right? Maybe we fucked up and put the new hours out early online or that it was wrong for some other reason? Anyways, i was right and he was wrong (shocker). I saw him on his way out and i told him i checked the website. He got a smug look on his face, then i showed him that he was wrong. He then scrolls on my phone to see the hours for the entire facility closing at 5:30. Right there he says, why does it say 5:30?? I again explain the map and the facility rules. After that i said that i think he should go apologize to my young workers that he screamed at for doing their jobs correctly.
This is when it happened. He stood up really straight, got in my face within inches, and said “No. why does you think they deserve an apology?” I said “because you misread the website and you yelled at a couple of teenagers for doing their jobs.” He said no again and we both just stood there staring at each other until he started to walk out and say he was going to talk to my boss, i told him please do.
I’m thinking that he thought i might hit him? I sure wanted to, there is probably a primal instinct in everyone, if someone steps to you they want to go, right?? Or am i delirious? I think just standing my ground and not really reacting to his ‘challenge’ in a way took all the power from what he was trying to do.
What would you have done in my situation?
TL:DR
I was at work at someone stepped to me, i stood my ground and didn’t react. What would you do?
Comments
Here’s an original copy of /u/ZeroDarkQuarter’s post (if available):
I (30m) work at a gym as a supervisor. My gym has sort of funky hours where one part will close a half hour before the other part and at different times on the weekend. All of these times are on our website with maps showing each area and what time they close. The hours are changing soon to be open later for the fall but that hasn’t happened yet.
Today one of my new workers (15f) was trying to tell an older man (~65) that an area was closed. He yelled at her that it was bullshit and the website says otherwise. One of the other more seasoned workers came over to help but also got yelled at saying they are wrong and they’re stupid. I get called over to diffuse the situation and I explain the schedule, we close this area at 5 and then at 5:30 everything else closes. He insists that the website says otherwise and that i need to get my story straight. He finally leaves and goes to change.
While he is changing i look up the website thinking maybe he is right? Maybe we fucked up and put the new hours out early online or that it was wrong for some other reason? Anyways, i was right and he was wrong (shocker). I saw him on his way out and i told him i checked the website. He got a smug look on his face, then i showed him that he was wrong. He then scrolls on my phone to see the hours for the entire facility closing at 5:30. Right there he says, why does it say 5:30?? I again explain the map and the facility rules. After that i said that i think he should go apologize to my young workers that he screamed at for doing their jobs correctly.
This is when it happened. He stood up really straight, got in my face within inches, and said “No. why does you think they deserve an apology?” I said “because you misread the website and you yelled at a couple of teenagers for doing their jobs.” He said no again and we both just stood there staring at each other until he started to walk out and say he was going to talk to my boss, i told him please do.
I’m thinking that he thought i might hit him? I sure wanted to, there is probably a primal instinct in everyone, if someone steps to you they want to go, right?? Or am i delirious? I think just standing my ground and not really reacting to his ‘challenge’ in a way took all the power from what he was trying to do.
What would you have done in my situation?
TL:DR
I was at work at someone stepped to me, i stood my ground and didn’t react. What would you do?
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There’s no reason to renew a confrontation with an idiot. That was your mistake, especially if you don’t have the authority to ban him from the gym for mistreating the employees. Morally justified but tactically stupid.
I would not have told him to apologize, I would not have showed him the correct hours. I would have just let him leave. That was all a little confrontational on your end.
I would have revoked his membership, dude. And if he complained to your boss, just let them know he was creating a hostile environment for your teenage coworkers.
You should definitely continue standing up for your young coworkers especially the female
People don’t apologize. I’ve seen people doing so many bad things at work and apologies don’t come. So I wouldn’t have asked him to apologize.
You won. You showed him that he was wrong.
I’d report him to the head person at the gym but do nothing more.
Can you ban members/revoke memberships as a supervisor?
I’ve noticed a lot of people have decided to take steroids regularly at the gym and have exhibited the effects of taking the PED. It sounds like this asshat is a perfect example. Instead of them looking at their phone calmly, they lashed out. You should honestly talk to your management team about having the guy’s membership revoked. Abuse of staff just doing their jobs should be enough cause to have them banned.
You did fine, you stood up for your employees and that is essentially what you should do. If your employee was in the wrong, you’d ask them to correct their behavior. Customers need to learn that being a customer does not mean that you can abandon all civility. Keep standing up for your employees and make sure that you understand that you’ll probably get some distorted review of what happened and prepare to rebut what they post on social media.
No, you shouldn’t have hit him. You should revoke his membership and ban him from the premises, trespassing him if he comes back, and call the police. Any good manager should do this to anyone who abuses staff.
A clown like that isn’t worth a second thought. Move on with your life. If he tries to give you shit a second time just smile and say remember it closes at 5. That’ll probably make his head pop
Take care t outside bro
I wouldn’t have engaged with him a second time. But since he tried to escalate the discussion into something physical I would have his membership revoked if possible. The gym doesn’t need unhinged old guys running around starting trouble.