According to the Boston Herald, a Planet Fitness member recently had her membership revoked after breaking the club’s “no cell phone use” policy.
The Boston Herald reported, “A Westwood woman learned there’s a limit to how much free speech you can exercise at the gym, after Planet Fitness yanked her membership for yakking on a cell phone while working out. Tina Santoro Asmar said she got the boot after answering an unexpected call from her doctor’s office while training on the elliptical at the Planet Fitness in Dedham on Thursday.”
This situation brings up an interesting question — how should you approach “rule breakers” in your club? What’s the most effective way to do so?
Jeff Ritter, the fitness director for Newtown Athletic Club, discussed NAC’s phone policy. “We encourage members to use their cell phones for texting and actual calls, only in common areas of the club that are public,” he said. “For safety and courtesy reasons we discourage their use in the fitness center. Cell phone use is also not permitted in the locker rooms for obvious reasons.”
“Needless to say, these guidelines are hard to enforce,” Ritter continued. “We have posted signs in certain areas that indicate no cell phone usage allowed. For the most part, we don’t experience much behavior that is disruptive. If a person is lingering too long on a machine or is too loud on a cell phone in a quiet area of the club, we politely ask them to stop.”
However, Ritter did suggest approaching a member politely, after they’ve hung up the phone. According to the Boston Herald, a Planet Fitness manager approached Asmar while she was still talking.
“We wait until after they’re done talking to remind them of our policy,” said Ritter. “However, it’s usually not an issue.”
Rachel Zabonick is the Assistant Editor for Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.
