Weellllll....all star cheer is a private club business. So it's not exactly like walking in to Ulta and buying some cellulite cream that the salesgirl promised would make you look like Jessica Rabbit.
It's part of our parent and athlete code of conduct that you don't post complaints on social media. So it's more like being a member of a country club where you pay dues and agree to follow club rules than it is a chain store with a "no shoes, no shirt, no service" sign.
I'm all for customers asking questions to determine if they're being treated fairly but you can do that without complaining publicly. And I also believe it is the customers responsibility to know what they're getting into. Questioning something you already agreed to isn't fair to the other party. It was spelled out for you and you signed on the dotted line...would you buy a car or take out a loan without understanding the costs and what you'd be responsible for and when? Probably not.
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(Loooooooong answer. Sorry. But you have to remember, you run one of probably less than TEN gyms in the entire country that is run like you like your customers.)
Well first, I spend about as much at Ulta as people spend on cheer, so I ought to be in their private club... [emoji15] [emoji15] [emoji15]
Now, someone at a country club may not complain on social media, but that's because they're not using social media. I assure you - if they thought they were being ripped off, their complaints would be loud and everywhere, not just at the club (#UsedToWorkAtAPrivateClub #TrustMeTheyComplained).
I just don't get the whole culture of cheer. It is literally the only industry where people are terrified to voice their opinion. Should she have asked the gym first? Probably. But that's the whole problem with cheer in general - why should the CUSTOMER feel like they can't ask the gym a legitimate question? ("Why is this so much? What is this money for? Why do I need to pay for the coaches fees?" <----- reasonable questions.) *Disclaimer - I definitely think parents should pay coaches fees, but it's still a reasonable question to ask. I've been in enough gyms to know that the answer to these types of questions is often, "Because that's how much it is. If you don't like it, you don't have to be on the team, because there are 20 other girls here that are dying to go to worlds."
However, to your last paragraph: it doesn't sound like this was something she agreed to. It sounds like she agreed to pay for Worlds, and then just got hit with the amount this week.
It's more like she bought a car and was told she'd be responsible for the annual tune-up, but when she got to the dealership the tune-up was $5,000. It's one thing to "know what you'll be responsible for and when" - it's entirely another thing to find out the amount. And LOTS of gyms will absolutely not give you that information when you sign up.
I know I'm responsible for paying for idp's nationals. I've paid for the travel part of it already, but nationals aren't until June. I WORK at the studio, and I still don't have the foggiest idea of how much that's going to be. If they hit me with some number like $1000, there's gonna be some words. Not words on social media, because I actually am an employee, but there will be words.
