Reference no: EM132227442
CASE: Inappropriate Client Behavior
The management of Peak Performance Health and Wellness Club has received several emails and verbal complaints about an unidentified male club member allegedly masturbating while using the equipment in the club. The only description they have of the accused is that he is an older, white male with glasses.
Jim Roberts is a personal trainer and is just about to start a morning session with a client. A young woman he knows and trusts comes up to Jim with a frantic expression. “Come quickly.” She can barely get the words out. “There’s a man on the stationary bike who is staring at a woman’s chest and masturbating.”
Jim excuses himself from his session and goes to see for himself. The member points out the accused male, and Jim immediately contacts his department head and another male trainer, just in case there’s an incident.
Jim taps the accused member on the shoulder. “Can I have a word with you?”
The older man agrees, and they step over to the side. Jim knows this man and has had conversations with him in the past regarding his joint surgery and his postoperative rehabilitation. Jim believes he should be able to get to the bottom of this matter quickly.
“A member reported to us that you were touching yourself inappropriately.”
“What’s inappropriate? Your definition of inappropriate and mine might be completely different!”
“Were you fondling yourself?”
“What’s fondling? I don’t know what that means.”
“You had your hands in your pants.”
He shrugs. “So, we have to adjust ourselves. I can have my hand in my pants.”
At this point Jim becomes frustrated and just comes out and asks, “Were you masturbating?”
The member becomes very defensive and says, “I never do that, I can’t believe you accused me of that, I’m offended !”
Jim asks the man to stay where he is. He knocks on the general manager’s (GM) door and quickly fills him in on the situation. Jim and his team escort the accused member to the GM’s office.
The GM repeats the same line of questioning, and the man gives verbatim answers to the ones he gave Jim. Eventually, the GM gets as frustrated as Jim was and asks, “Were you masturbating?”
The man puts his hand on his chest and an indignant expression on his face. He shouts, “I NEVER DO THAT! I demand to face my accuser; I have the right to face my accuser. I’ve been a member since this club opened! I can’t believe that you would suggest this.”
At this point the GM is not amused or buying his story. He simply tells the man his membership will be on suspension pending an investigation.
The member continues to argue but eventually calms down. He then asks, “How will you let me know your decision?”
The GM tells him that the club will call him. “Can you e-mail me instead? Let me give you my personal e-mail.”
The GM agrees and tells him that he’ll have to leave. After the member leaves, the GM tells Jim to close the door.
He looks at Jim with a wry smile and says, “That guy is so guilty. He wants me to e-mail him privately so his wife won’t find out.”
Jim goes upstairs with his boss to speak with the female member who reported the incident. When he finds her, she is with another female member. The second female member tells Jim that he was the same man that she saw masturbating on a treadmill and wrote an email about. Jim’s boss takes statements from the two female members so Jim can return to his now shortened session with his client.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the facts in this situation?
2. Should anyone who observed the behavior feel obligated to report it? Why do you think only female members reported the behavior?
3. Is this a criminal activity and should it be reported to police?
4. Should the club install video surveillance equipment to deter this and other inappropriate member behaviors? Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Do you think this situation was handled properly? If yes, what were three things that were done right? If no, what do you think should have been done differently? Provide a rationale for your response.
6. How could these types of behaviors be prevented in the future? Provide your reflections and personal opinions as well as your recommendations and rationale for what, if anything, might have been done differently in this case.