All-Star Dear Cheer Coach....

[XtremeWpg]

Okay, since we're at this, I'm going to have to do a Dear Cheerleaders/Cheer Parents

Dear Cheerleaders/Cheer Parents

I really do appreciate your inquiry about our program. Please don't ask the same question 8 times. We've already indicated as much as we know. Asking 3 more times will not change what we've stated.

As well, right now we have the luxury of our Program Director being on maternity leave and accessable by Blackberry at all times....please do not take this for granted. She will go back to work, and your email response time will go down. We're not in a position to dedicate our full time to cheerleading. We actually do have (or will be going back to) full time jobs

Please know that there is a reason why you do not have our cell phone numbers. It is because my time is quite precious to me. I work 45+ hours a week, spend around 15 hours coaching your children and still want to find time to eat, sleep, see my family and maybe go to the gym or a movie. There is not a crisis that can befall you that warrants calling me at 4am or during the hours I am at work.

I love all of your enthusiasm and dedication. I love your pride in our teams and that you've taken a chance on a smaller team. But please, please, simmer down!

Love Always
XtremeWpg

 

[RaRaMama]

Okay, since we're at this, I'm going to have to do a Dear Cheerleaders/Cheer Parents

There is not a crisis that can befall you that warrants calling me at 4am or during the hours I am at work.

But please, please, simmer down!

DYING! Hahahahahaha!....although, in the south, we refer to this as 'simma down"

 

[KRECCheer]

DYING! Hahahahahaha!....although, in the south, we refer to this as 'simma down"

Moving from MD to VA does not make you southern!! Even though they are both below the Mason Dixon.

Seriously, please don't leave us. I'll miss you guys way too much to deal with right now.

 

[KRECCheer]

Please know that there is a reason why you do not have our cell phone numbers.

Lucky.

 

[XtremeWpg]

Lucky.

I have a strange area code from living up north (not just Canada, actual north) so people are usually frightened to call me anyway. Or they think I'm a telemarketer with my 867 area code. Its saved me a few times.

 

[RaRaMama]

Moving from MD to VA does not make you southern!! Even though they are both below the Mason Dixon.

Seriously, please don't leave us. I'll miss you guys way too much to deal with right now.

I am gonna miss you guys too....everything about this move seems perfect, except for leaving ECM

 

[CheerBank]

Dear Cheer Coach/Gym Owner,

Thank you for finally getting back to me and responding to all my questions. I also very much appreciate you giving me another email to which you have indicated you respond to much faster than to the one listed on your website. I'm much happier than I was 24 hours ago with you.

Love,
Happy CP's Mom (who still pays your bills)

Just a followup

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Nope, not to you at all-actually, not to any of the gyms we've dealt with in the last two years...when we first started checking out allstars, we had two gyms that did this, one that is pretty well known. I realize I am one mom, and my daughter is just one cheerleader-and I also realize that things gets lost in the shuffle, and my one email might be MIA. But when I call and can't get a response (can't even get anyone to pick up the phone), email 2-3 times and can't get a response, and go by the gym and set up a time to meet to talk with someone, I kinda expect that person to be there. Just frustrating because I am a paying customer-if I walk into Target and can't find a salesperson, can't find a cashier, etc....guess what? I'm not buying anything.

You were/are very helpful and great resource, thank you!

Whew!! I was kinda worried there for a minute..more like confused, lol! And I know exactly what you mean btw.

 

[JulieP]

Dear Cheer Coach/Gym Owner,

Thank you for finally getting back to me and responding to all my questions. I also very much appreciate you giving me another email to which you have indicated you respond to much faster than to the one listed on your website. I'm much happier than I was 24 hours ago with you.

Love,
Happy CP's Mom (who still pays your bills)

Just a followup

Pointing out that you pay our bills or, in my case, pay my paycheck, probably isn't going to go over well. I am well aware of how a business works- pointing it out is a powerplay on the parent(s) part and I think it's kind of rude. Not to memtion the fact that many of the parents who have pointed this out to me are the same parents that pay their tuition/fees late on a monthly basis. I can't count the number of times that I have wanted to point out that they haven't paid us anything in 2 months...

 

[TwistersPride]

In our defense, if you send me a particularly snarky email about what an awful coach/person I am, question my character/intentions, or address me in a completely off-color or inappropriate way; then I reserve the right to take longer than 24-48 hours to reply. I might take 3-4 days to reply, so I can calm down and make sure to address you in a more respectful manner than you addressed me because, after all, you are a customer...you're welcome, by the way.

**I shouldn't complain anymore. I don't get these emails anymore because all the parent emails go directly to our program director, TwistersPride... What a saint.

i'm not sure i should be called a saint. i can say, that i have let emails sit and simmer that are snarky, or ask the same question that i've answered three times, or ask, yet again, for information that i told you that i can not provide you because i myself do not know yet.

i also would like to point out that a good number of small gym owners/ directors only work at the gym part time and have other jobs. I have a full time job, work at the gym 10-20 hours a week (plus 5+ hours at home of work for the gym), have 3 kids at home (2,4,13) and have a husband with two jobs. I don't put that out there as an excuse, but just as an example. I try hard to respond to all emails within 24/ 48 hours, but sometimes i just can't get to all of them- especially this time of year.

 

[TwistersPride]

Pointing out that you pay our bills or, in my case, pay my paycheck, probably isn't going to go over well. I am well aware of how a business works- pointing it out is a powerplay on the parent(s) part and I think it's kind of rude. Not to memtion the fact that many of the parents who have pointed this out to me are the same parents that pay their tuition/fees late on a monthly basis. I can't count the number of times that I have wanted to point out that they haven't paid us anything in 2 months...

^^^^^ this.... yes you pay for the service and you are why we are able to do what we love. That being said- i don't ever hear people saying this to the cashiers at target, or any other place for that matter. It is degrading in my opinion.

 

[BlueCat]

Out of curiosity, how many hours a week do you (parents) think would be a reasonable amount of time for coaches/gym owners to spend talking to parents on the phone and/or answering emails?

I am going to guess that most parents would wildly underestimate the amount of total time that cheer gym employees spend doing this.

 

[notimeforthat]

Out of curiosity, how many hours a week do you (parents) think would be a reasonable amount of time for coaches/gym owners to spend talking to parents on the phone and/or answering emails?

I am going to guess that most parents would wildly underestimate the amount of total time that cheer gym employees spend doing this.

From a pretty subdued parent I can see both sides.... Some questitons are pretty silly and I could just imagine the eye rolls coaches are doing when reading them.

On the other hand we have all established that this sport is really not a recreation.... It is a lifestyle that interupts the typical comings and goings of daily life. Please be considerate of that! If it is something out of the normal schedule and I have a question please respond, even if you do not have an answer. There is nothing that frustrates me more than sending a coach am email with no response. Communication works both ways. A simple "got it" or "lets schedule a meeting" is not to much to ask is it?

Perhaps a solution would be to have a Q & A session early in the competition season to answer the typical questions. Maybe state the procedure you would like to have emails sent... to whom and a typical response time. I get that you coaches have other jobs and families. Sometimes that doesn't cross parents minds when something they take very seriously comes up and needs a quick response. My cp comes home from practice and may say something like.... "Coach says we may not be going to xyz comp next weekend" and my response would be "What? are you kidding? I wanted to work next weekend and requested off... really need to work if I can we find out what the deal is? " Email the coach and get no response. Thursday before comp get a team email stating we will not be going to xyz comp for blah blah blah reason. It may not be a important question to you... but it really messed up our family.
I think its a common courtesy to email/communicate with the parents you expect to commit to an all star program.... After all it is a business and we are customers.

 

[AllHeartxo3]

Someone else already said it but maybe keep in mind the amount of emails this person might be getting right now. Honestly, our gym owner probably get's about 200 emails a day. That's not including 300 texts a day. LOL Stuff can get lost in the shuffle just from simple human error.

I have to say I really appreciate how fast she responds! The first two weeks after tryouts I had so many questions and she always responded in a timely manner.

 

[SheCheers]

Out of curiosity, how many hours a week do you (parents) think would be a reasonable amount of time for coaches/gym owners to spend talking to parents on the phone and/or answering emails?

I am going to guess that most parents would wildly underestimate the amount of total time that cheer gym employees spend doing this.

I think what is "reasonable" depends entirely on the individual (gym owner/coach) for them, what else is going on in their life, etc. If emails and calls are encroaching on the unreasonable, then it's time for them to delegate or hire an additional body to take over something. If your gym has good communication between staff and parents, it's probably less of an issue than if there is poor communication. There are ALWAYS going to be people that overstep their boundaries and email/call to excess for things that aren't necessary. I'm sure good business people know how to deal with those types.