All-Star Was I Wrong??

[pctmom]

I'm going to agree with Cheeranamo, when you are coaching a private you are 100% contracted to working with that child. If something comes up at the front desk it should have been the thing that waited. The mother is paying for YOUR time and not another coaches (or she would be paying the other coach). Apologizing and giving her their next private for free was the correct thing to to - however, the responsibility for this "cost" should just be placed on you it should also be placed on your Director for not having the front desk staffed accordingly.

 

[Cheer4ever27]

I think you did the right thing by making up the time. I do think it would be better if there were someone at the front desk in the future, though.

 

[notimeforthat]

my question is has this happened to this mother in the past? Could she have been on the brink and the disruption just sent her over the edge? I know for myself when I was not satisfied with the privates my daughter was having my blood was boiling as I sat and watched. I wanted to try a diffrent coach but my cp would say no , I don't like the way so and so spots, or so and so tells me to do it diffrently etc. So I would grin and bear it it till the next week hoping it would improve. Next week comes and its no better. Now I feel hostage to this coach. Eventually I put my foot down and take cp to a totally new gym for instruction.
New instructor is great!! Sometimes things happen and he may need to take a call or answer a phone but he always keeps us after to make up the time. I am not at all annoyed because its not the norm....
My question to you is what has this mothers experience bben like in the past? Maybe she really disliked whoever you asked to work with that child while you were away... Not all cheer moms are crazy and blab about everything that they dislike in the gym. Just a thought.... you did the right thing to make it up.

 

[Mamarazzi]

I don't necessarily think all of what you did was right or all was wrong. I think a great way to have handled this would be 1. Ask the director to, in the future, schedule your front-desk time around your privates time, or vice-versa, 2. If an unforeseen situation arises, take the athlete to the mom quickly and ask them both if it would be alright to take a 5-minute break so that you can briefly introduce the new parents to the gym, or 2a. Ask the new parents if they wouldn't mind giving you 10 minutes (or whatever) to finish your private with Susie, and 3. Not give your services for free.

Susie and her mom want you, not Coach X. Susie's mom pays for the work that's done and you deserve to be paid for the service you perform. Susie's mom might have had a tight schedule that day and even when you kept her after to make up for the break, it might not have been the best thing for her situation.

I think her remaining upset after this situation might be something you can call her about and say "Hey, I know you were upset after our last private, is there something else we can do to create a positive situation for Susie?" I wouldn't doubt for a second that Susie probably heard lots of negativity about you on the ride home. Nip all that in the bud.

 

[tumbleyoda]

How were you "pulled over?" Was it by another coach, worker or parent in the program? Did the new parent just catch your eye as you were working with your private lesson? Were you the only gym representative in the building in the time? If it was another coachor there was another coach in the building (which you say there was) they should of handled it to the best of their ability or told them that you would get in touch with them when you were availible. IMO every coach should be able to answer basic questions about their program. There is no harm in them saying "I don't know, let me get info and let me get the answer or put you in contact with someone who can answer it."

I don't think you were wrong. Some times no matter what you offer is not enough to some parents. Even if you gave her that lesson for free and the next one for free she still may have complained. The real solution is in actually having the front desk staffed with a dedicated person. From a business side that may not always be financially feasible and even though some parents would volunteer you have to be very careful who is running your front desk.

 

[ctwings]

How were you "pulled over?" Was it by another coach, worker or parent in the program? Did the new parent just catch your eye as you were working with your private lesson? Were you the only gym representative in the building in the time? If it was another coachor there was another coach in the building (which you say there was) they should of handled it to the best of their ability or told them that you would get in touch with them when you were availible. IMO every coach should be able to answer basic questions about their program. There is no harm in them saying "I don't know, let me get info and let me get the answer or put you in contact with someone who can answer it."

I don't think you were wrong. Some times no matter what you offer is not enough to some parents. Even if you gave her that lesson for free and the next one for free she still may have complained. The real solution is in actually having the front desk staffed with a dedicated person. From a business side that may not always be financially feasible and even though some parents would volunteer you have to be very careful who is running your front desk.

It was by another coach....he first came and asked me the questions that the parents were asking (he is new to the program) but when they wanted to pay by credit card that's when they needed me. I have told the ower for a year to please get someone for the front desk and his answer is "I can sit up here if you need me to" so when I tell him, I need you on Tues- Fri, it's like well I have a meeting or I have this. I know that he is a very busy man with owing the gym and 2 other business but so we both know that he will not be able to be at the gym every day. We have on coach that only works 3 hours a week, already knows how to do everything in the front and has aked about working...but my boss just keeps saying no

 

[ctwings]

I don't necessarily think all of what you did was right or all was wrong. I think a great way to have handled this would be 1. Ask the director to, in the future, schedule your front-desk time around your privates time, or vice-versa, 2. If an unforeseen situation arises, take the athlete to the mom quickly and ask them both if it would be alright to take a 5-minute break so that you can briefly introduce the new parents to the gym, or 2a. Ask the new parents if they wouldn't mind giving you 10 minutes (or whatever) to finish your private with Susie, and 3. Not give your services for free.

Susie and her mom want you, not Coach X. Susie's mom pays for the work that's done and you deserve to be paid for the service you perform. Susie's mom might have had a tight schedule that day and even when you kept her after to make up for the break, it might not have been the best thing for her situation.

I think her remaining upset after this situation might be something you can call her about and say "Hey, I know you were upset after our last private, is there something else we can do to create a positive situation for Susie?" I wouldn't doubt for a second that Susie probably heard lots of negativity about you on the ride home. Nip all that in the bud.

I didn't think about that, which is very true. I will be giving her a call...thanks

 

[ctwings]

my question is has this happened to this mother in the past? Could she have been on the brink and the disruption just sent her over the edge? I know for myself when I was not satisfied with the privates my daughter was having my blood was boiling as I sat and watched. I wanted to try a diffrent coach but my cp would say no , I don't like the way so and so spots, or so and so tells me to do it diffrently etc. So I would grin and bear it it till the next week hoping it would improve. Next week comes and its no better. Now I feel hostage to this coach. Eventually I put my foot down and take cp to a totally new gym for instruction.
New instructor is great!! Sometimes things happen and he may need to take a call or answer a phone but he always keeps us after to make up the time. I am not at all annoyed because its not the norm....
My question to you is what has this mothers experience bben like in the past? Maybe she really disliked whoever you asked to work with that child while you were away... Not all cheer moms are crazy and blab about everything that they dislike in the gym. Just a thought.... you did the right thing to make it up.

This was the first time this has ever happened...the mother has only been around for the past 3 months, it's usually the cp's aunt that brings her to anything gym related. This was the first time since the start of last season when I have been pulled away from her during our time

 

[ctwings]

If you just had someone cover I would say you should have done more because they have you as their private coach for a reason and maybe the kid doesn't work as well with other coaches but you also gave an extra 10 minutes which was enough. My concern now would be that now this mom knows if you ever get called out again even for a minute she can complain and get something for free. Maybe the gym could write something up for privates and have the parents sign ahead of time explaining how it will be handled if it happens during a private so that you don't have parents complaining just to get free lessons.

The coach that filled in for me is her weekly tumbing coah that (according to the cp) she loves, so I guess that's why I asked him to cover for me, because they already work well together. But it caught me off guard when she "went off" on me but everyone is entitled to a bad day, so maybe that was the case.

 

[ctwings]

I am going to disagree with the majority, I think looking from an athlete perspective it would have been a wrong thing to do. When I have privates it takes me a few minutes to warm up individually to the coach and become in synch, even if it was my regular coach. So having a new coach come in during a short private would totally throw me off for a good few-5 min which, depending on the time could actually be a lot. Then when the other coach would decide to come back I would have to get readjusted and also explain what happened with the other coach, another few minutes taken off the time. I understand new parents needed directions but you were being payed to provide a time commited service to one athlete and one athlete only, not the other parents. It is a sticky situation but in my opinion you should have had the coach who took over the private either help the new parents to the best of their ability or had him/her tell the new parents you were in a private and could help them when you were done or would call them ( if they couldnt wait) to address whatever issue when the private was finished. This would have shown the new parents that you are dedicated to your private lessons and could ultimately be a plus and book you more private lessons.

True, but would it make a difference if she was warming up with her backhandsprings and tucks?? I guess that's why I was so quick to ask coach x to cover for a second. We always warm up with 3 single bhs 2 double bhs and 1 triple then do the same with tucks and handspring tucks....she had just started on the tucks and when I came back she had finished her warm up. But you are right....but these (new) parents would have not wated (from the way coach x sounded) for another 20 minutes...I even told them that they could pay online (which is why I had to help in the first place) but they did not want to hear that, they wanted to pay as the mom said "asap"

I now see both sides and I now feel like I was in a loose, loose situation...I was going to make someone mad....I hope now my boss will just get someone to work the front so I don't have this happen again.

 

[shadow]

I have never been a fan of privates. I probably would be a little upset if the exact situation occurred with my child. Even though you tried to make up for it. When a coach walks away for whatever the reason there is always that feeling that their mind is elsewhere. Sometimes it can break the flow of the lesson too.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

No you weren't wrong. As long as you made up the time in the end, who cares if you left for 5 minutes. The mom still got what she payed for just in a different way.

 

[ctwings]

what exactly did the parent say to you?

In a nut shell she said that she is not paying me to have someone cover for me and that if I am to busy for her cp then I need to let her know so that way they can get someone that is not so busy.

I always talk to the parents after a private and I started the conversation with " I am so sorry that I was pulled away for those 5 minutes ,coach x does not know how to enter new people into the computer so he needed my help" I also told her that this was the first time this had ever happend and that usually the all star director or owner are here and could have helped the new parents.

I told her that the next one would be free because I really love working whith this cp and I don't want to loose that private (not because of the money I would do one with this girl for free every week)

 

[Fameous MOM]

I tink you more than compensated!!! The extra 10 minutes was very generous!

 

[ellie]

i think you did the right thing and more not only did u have someone cover for you for those min. you doubled the time you were not there in the end to work with the cheerleader even more.