We Came To Get An Exercise In Futility

I was working in a women-only fitness center on a Saturday morning. Today, we closed at noon, and had a sign on the door asking patrons to please plan their workout so that they would finish by closing time. 

I was by myself with two “outspoken” patrons. It was 11:45 (so fifteen minutes to close), and two MORE women came in and headed for the dressing rooms. The space was not well-insulated, and everything could be heard everywhere.

Outspoken Patron: “They’re late.”

Me: “I don’t mind. I have to clean up anyway, so it’s no problem at all for me to wait for them to finish.”

Outspoken Patron: “Well, they should still be respectful of your time.”

Me: “I promise I’m okay with it. It’s fine.”

At this point, the two women who’d been in the dressing rooms came out and walked straight out the door. They didn’t say a word to me (and hadn’t returned my greeting when they’d come in either), and I didn’t have time to say anything to them.

Me: *To myself.* “That was weird.”

Outspoken Patron: “That was weird.”

I was off Monday. On Tuesday, I came in, and my supervisor told me:

Supervisor: “You’re being written up for being rude to patrons.”

Me: “Can I ask for the details?”

Supervisor: “Two ladies who came in on Saturday.”

I explained that I had DEFENDED them and that it was the other patrons who had been rude.

The supervisor told me she actually knew that. [Outspoken Patron] had been in the fitness center when the late patrons had called and complained. [Outspoken Patron] went to my boss after she got off the phone and “told on herself”, explaining that SHE had been defending me, and that I had been 100% on the patrons’ side.

Supervisor: “I can’t write up another member, and the ladies canceled their membership, so the owner says I still have to write you up because you should have done something.”

Me: “Like what?”

Supervisor: “I don’t know. Something.”

I quit not long after. That was beyond ridiculous, to get in trouble for doing the RIGHT thing.