The Complaint Department

Dealing with, deflecting and preventing unreasonable parent gripes

By Brian Payne

CBN Oct/Nov 2010

Certain fixed costs probably won’t change during times of economic stress for cheer gym owners. Your landlord usually won’t give you a break on the rent during lean months, and the electric and water companies won’t charge you less if you’re not using less.

Cheer gym owners usually have a formula for making rent, paying staff and covering necessary operating expenses. That formula involves the number of students per hour, times tuition per hour, minus staff salary, minus an estimated 28 percent in taxes, minus one-seventh of weekly operating expenses, or something similar. Every student counts, and once the season is underway, it’s important to maintain your squad numbers since you’re more likely to lose skilled athletes during the course of the season than you are to gain them.

Some coaches and gym owners are faced with cheer parents who openly question the expense of the activity, sometimes to the point of becoming a negative force within your lobby or parent observation area. A cheer parent who complains aloud to a coach or the gym owner about costs is probably not going to win any popularity contests and is usually wasting her breath if she expects special treatment, a discount or a free ride. More often than not, the staff member who’s being confronted isn’t in a position to change things anyway. Read on to find solutions for dealing with the problem parent who says, “This is too expensive; we’re leaving…but not yet.”

Imagine this scenario: A parent has two children in an all-star program, each pulling double duty on two squads. It’s a month before Nationals, and the single mom hasn’t been contributing to fundraising efforts on a regular basis, and the final bill is due for her kids’ entry fees, hotel and charter bus. She has a meeting with the gym owner regarding the balance due, saying it’s too much, and the only option is to pull both kids from the program. The coaches of the four squads affected by her children’s absence have two practices a week for the next four weeks to rework all the stunts, pyramids and formations.

If this happened in your organization, would the results have been disappointing? Devastating? What safety nets should be in place to avoid a situation like this under your own roof? Try these on for size:

1. Education and Information: During your next parent meeting, make sure the expenses are up front and easy to follow. Nobody wants to scare away potential stars because of the bottom-line dollar amount, but parents have to understand the investment in order for their child to participate. A complete calendar of events, the cost per event (including transportation and lodging) and all the uniform expenses (even hair bows and special team-colored shoelaces) have to be shown. Then, take the big scary number and break it down into quarterly and monthly increments.
2. Plan B: Many gyms offer a package for athletes who want to go to a few competitions for the experience and recognition, without the high cost. These non-traveling (or “hometown”) squads understand that they’ll represent the organization in local, one-day events. The uniform will still be team colors, but budget-conscious and practical. For lower-level squads and first-year athletes, this makes a lot of sense for parents to find out if their children like the activity without a major investment.
3. Fundraisers: Prior to your next parents meeting, ask some of your loyal customers to provide testimonials of successful gym fundraisers and what the possibilities are for new members to reduce their expenses or earn back some of their original investment. An important attitude for parents to maintain is that fundraising allows other people to pay for their children’s fees, rather than themselves.
4. Progress Reports: Have a trustworthy, seasoned veteran parent of each squad serve as your extra eyes and ears, documenting attendance and participation of parents in fundraisers, social events, etc. As the business owner, you need to know who’s struggling to fit in, who’s a go-getter and who’s falling behind on their obligations. Many dropouts can be prevented if you know someone needs support or a little encouragement. Those individuals who are financially well off may be in a position to set up a scholarship or “adopt” a cheerleader with financial need.
5. A Positive Outlook: Some parents are born to complain, but you don’t need it in your gym or in front of new cheer parents. Lead by example, and make sure you’re praising the positive aspects in front of the group, acknowledging not just the top fundraising parents, but also the best efforts of first-timers and most improved since the last fundraiser or event. Some parents who complain about expenses are just asking for someone to justify the worth and value of the financial sacrifice. Be ready to redirect the complaint and instead highlight the benefits of all-star cheer, such as the value of fitness, sportsmanship, bonding, educational travel, teamwork, discipline and overcoming adversity. What price can be put on these life lessons?