After a nerve-wracking interview with the owner of the company, I got the job. I was thrown into the thick of things before I had time to ask what a back hip circle is. During my first week in the office the facility director was dealing with the sticky situation of an instructor who went on vacation and never came back. It was but a small taste of what lay ahead.
I learned two all-important lessons during that first week.
#1. An office staffed exclusively with females = drama.
#2. A shockingly large number of parents are, if not actually psycho, terrifyingly close to it.
The two intersected and became especially problematic when said females had to deal with said crazy people.
I don't claim to defy any stereotypes of emotional women. But I do have a sense of humor. When Mrs. Difficult Mom complained that she didn't know her tuition was due, after we had painstakingly called every single parent to remind them... TWICE... I pasted on my smile, apologized, took her late payment, and then had a good what-can-you-do-about-it laugh when she was gone.
Let's just say my coworkers took a less lighthearted view of such situations. Perhaps cynicism comes with time?
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3 comments:
Hahaha!
Wow, that sounds funny. The places I've worked so far were quite male dominated, so I didn't experience any of that, though I could imagine what it would be like. :P (Guys have their own issues though too... :roll: )
Psycho parents, huh? :) Maybe only the ones that go to a health club. ;)
Glad you're enjoying your job! 8)
Maybe the parents need to remember the "Fun" part of "Fun and Fit." =D
Ha! I must admit, I now have a MUCH better understanding of dealing with the public. However, I must say I don't envy you a jot when it comes to dealing with parents who are doing stuff for their kids. Seriously, that's the worst. Keep up with your sense of humor. As long as you're able to keep laughing, I think you'll become too cynical. The public = crazy funny. You should start listing all the funny conversations you have. :-) I'm sure you'll have some great ones. I know I've collected quite a few in the last ten months!
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