Some people are more than a little too big for their britches, and we all love the opportunity to bring them down to size.
And you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you read this story from Reddit.
Dive in now and see what happened!
Gym member flips out at me for not knowing who he is. Months later I get to call him out for it in-front of people who matter to him.
“My first week on the job at the gym.
One of the front desk girls needed to use the bathroom and asked if I would cover.
Just take their card, swipe it, and offer them a towel.
If they dont have their card, look them up on the computer. Can do.
I swipe a few people in, its around 4:30 and some people are coming from work.
An older guy, probably in his 50’s, think this actor but shorter, walks in.
Hmmm…
He is in his suit, indicating he is coming from work, with a gym bag over his shoulder, and the angle at which he is walking indicates he has no plan at all attempt to swipe in.
I professionally say “Excuse me sir, can I see..” and he glances at me and continues to walk into the gym.
Keep in mind, I was new and I had gone to a 3 day training on different ways to sell the gym, and one of the key points was safety.
Saying things like “we only let members in, we have everyone’s licenses and information on file”, etc.
I think of these points so I come out from behind the desk, thinking I will gladly look this guy up if he forgot his card.
As I approach him I start to again say how I need to swipe him in and he FREAKED OUT.
He let them have it.
The main points were he comes here every day, he never swipes in, and everyone knows who he is, and I am an idiot – all as loud as he could be, in my face, and very aggressive. I am completely taken back, embarrassed, and angry.
The gym manager comes out of his office and settles things down and tells Gene he can head on in.
The manager tells me Gene doesn’t like to swipe in, and that when they see him they just search for him and let him walk on.
I’m mad, but the manager seems to just accept it as something that happened.
I continue to work at the gym for 6 months, seeing Gene a few times a week and never saying a word to him.
Eventually while I was gone one of the other sales reps took one of my prospects and signed them up.
The sales girl told the prospect she was my manager and she would make sure I got the commission.
She was not a manager and did not.
The only reason I know is because the gym member told me. I call her out on it, she defends it.
They were ready to go.
At this point I had already put in my two weeks notice and the manager tells me not to come back in. Fine with me – that place was TOXIC.
4-5 months later I get a job at an asset management company and I am thrilled. I like my work and the boss who I directly report to is pretty high up in the company.
I work on a building that has 16 floors and the company I work for occupies the floors 14, 15 and 16.
I rode the elevator with my boss a few times and saw him interact with the big-wigs from the other companies that are on the other floors of our building – they had an informal group that would often go golfing and to dinners with each other.
One day I am waiting for the elevator to leave for the day when my boss come out and get on the elevator with me.
We start to go down, picking up more and more people who are trying to get home, and 3 of them are executives in my boss’s social circle.
He’s back!
We stop at a floor and who should get on the elevator, complete with his gym bag, was Gene. He and my boss shake hands, begin discussing weekend plans, etc.
My boss then introduces me to Gene, and I give zero *****. I’ve been thinking about this guy for months.
Me: “Oh Gene and I have already met” (I say in a tone that dictates Gene and I have some history)
My boss is taken back by my tone. Internally I hesitate for a moment, but my boss likes me and this guy mortified me. I had been in enough customer service/retail jobs since I was 15, I’ve taken a lot of crap.
But this guy was one of the worst, it really stuck with me, because it was completely and totally undeserved. I was just trying to do my job.
Gene is having trouble placing me.
Time to let Gene know what was up.
Me: “I worked at (INSERT GYM NAME). My first week there you berated me with obscenities at me at the top of your lungs because I asked you for your membership card when you walked into the gym.”
Gene’s jaw has now dropped – my bosses head turned from me to Gene. Gene does not try to deny it, he stammers.
Gene: “I…I never bring my card and everyone there knows me so I always just walk in.”
Me: “Yep. The manager told me after our incident. Anyway, like I’ve said, we’ve met.”
I just go back to riding the elevator. No one is speaking. Elevator gets to the ground floor we all go our separate ways.
It felt good, but I was regretting it now, because we are going into the weekend and I will have to wait until monday morning to see if my boss is upset with my behavior or not.
I still waited tables, went right to work, told my co-workers what happened and we proceeded to get trashed in my honor once the restaurant closed.
Monday morning I get to my desk and eventually in my travels through the office I have to pass my bosses office, who calls me in.
He asks for more details about my encounter with Gene.
Here’s the deal…
Me: “I pretty much gave all the details in the elevator.
It was my first week selling gym memberships (he knew of this job, it was on my resume), I was covering for a front desk person who needed to use the restroom.
Gene walked in and I was told to scan EVERYONE into the gym, I tried to tell Gene this and he went off on me.
Honestly I’ve been thinking about him for months and was blown away when he got on the elevator.
I’ve never really said anything like to that anyone and I didn’t plan on it, it just came out as soon as I saw his face.”
My boss was blown away that it happened, and that Gene’s excuse on the elevator was “Oh yeah I never bring my card.”
I said yeah he could have said that, he could have explained it to me, could have told me his name, could have said talk to the manager everyone knows me, but he chose to explode over something like this and a 22 year old just trying to do his job.
Eventually my boss told the other executives and they cut Gene out of their circle.
I got on the elevator a few times with me and Gene only and each time I was sure to give a smile and say “Hi Gene!”
He got what he wanted – I never forgot who he was.”
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Don’t you know who I am?!?!
No good conversation ever started off that way.
Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.
