I came across this collection of stories after a client at my gym shared some tales, and I realized I had the perfect addition to the mix. I’m a staff member at my gym, handling everything from training to cleaning. On this particular day, I was cleaning the machines when a couple in designer workout gear came up to me, visibly upset.
Gym Member #1: “You idiot! You ruined our TikTok! Now we have to start over!”
I wasn’t exactly a social media enthusiast at the time, especially before TikTok was a mainstream sensation, so I was a bit puzzled.
Me: Confused “Uh… what?”
Gym Member #2: “We were about to finish shooting the perfect couple workout video, and you had to ruin it!”
Then I spotted their phone on a tripod, and it clicked.
Me: “Oh, I see. Well, I work here, and cleaning the equipment is part of my job. If you don’t want me in your shot, you can either change the angle or wait for me to finish.”
Gym Member #1: “You wouldn’t be talking to us like this if you knew how many followers we have!”
Me: “And you wouldn’t be saying that if you knew I was the owner of this gym. Would you like to be banned?”
They froze for a moment, clearly shocked. But then they tried to outsmart me.
Gym Member #2: “Bulls***! No gym owner would be cleaning. That’s for the janitors.”
Me: “And comments like that show me exactly why you need followers to validate yourselves. I’ll cancel your memberships without cancellation fees, but you’re both leaving now, thank you.”
They started arguing and demanded to speak to the real manager or owner, but it didn’t take long for them to back down when they realized I wasn’t budging and actually was the owner.
Owning a small, non-chain gym in a rural area, where the closest competitor is miles away, I never worry about running out of clients—nor do I hesitate to send the entitled ones packing.
