Me vs a Pushy Receptionist

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PRmerger

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So there’s a new policy in the business I frequent which requires my picture to be taken for an online ID. It supposedly facilitates online signins.

At first, I demurred due to the fact that I was not pleased with the way I looked and would prepare myself for the photo next time.

But I kept forgetting to make myself pretty 🙂 so would decline each time I signed in subsequently.

Now it’s becoming a line in the sand for the receptionist.

And kind of for me, too.

She’s being forceful and officious.

That makes me want to resist.

What are your thoughts?

I acknowledge these points:
  • She’s just doing her job. (Although her manner of conducting is abrasive to me).
  • It’s really not that big a deal for me to have my picture taken, even when I don’t look my best
  • This is the most insignificant issue compared to the great concerns we have for our world today. I get that. But this is a forum to discuss minutiae and I have the time to discuss this so…
 
I think you choices are:
  • stop doing business with them
  • make your position known to the management of the business that you do not want your picture taken, if they don’t change the policy, see #1 or #3
  • get your picture taken and stop arguing with the receptionist
 
I’ve been a receptionist. I understand the temptation to be forceful and officious when people continue to give the runaround for really inconsequential reasons. There’s no reason for you to be making her life harder. It should be over and done.

If you have a legitimate complaint about doing it, she’s not the person to be complaining to. Ask who you should be directed to instead, and make them deal with it instead of her having to be stuck in the middle.
 
pensmama87 said:
I’ve been a receptionist. I understand the temptation to be forceful and officious when people continue to give the runaround for really inconsequential reasons. There’s no reason for you to be making her life harder. It should be over and done.

If you have a legitimate complaint about doing it, she’s not the person to be complaining to. Ask who you should be directed to instead, and make them deal with it instead of her having to be stuck in the middle.
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So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
 
I wouldn’t want a photo taken just to use a gym and surely its up to you how you sign in online.
 
I’d just keep saying no then. It’s a good opportunity to practice politely declining which is a valuable skill
 
PRmerger said:
So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
Click to expand...
I would be concerned about the security of the images+names they’re storing, too.
 
My thoughts? Have you actually signed any contract with them? If so read through it. Maybe they have the right to request this of you, maybe not. I’m guessing they likely do but if it continues to be something of a problem, base any further arguments on what you find in the contract that may be likely to work in your favor. Otherwise or if there’s nothing there of the sort, get your picture taken and forget about it. 🤷
 
The receptionist is doing her job, and you are just making it harder. Frankly, I doubt she gets paid enough to keep putting up with that kind of nonsense. If you genuinely have a problem with the policy, stop being passive-aggressive and ask to speak to a manager and deal with it.
 
PRmerger said:
So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
Click to expand...
Realize that she does not have the authority to let you off the hook, so be nice. You’ve kept promising her that you’d do something and then repeatedly failed to follow through, so it isn’t right to act surprised that she’s beginning to lose her patience with you.

Ask her to point you at whoever DOES have that authority to let you off the hook. Talk to them, and decide if they have the authority from their membership contract with you and/or a legitimate reason to actually require this. As for me, I do not have a Facebook account and I do not want my photograph made available to the whole world on the internet. Privacy is not too much for a gym client to ask for. I would draw a line in the sand over this, but that’s just me.

As 1ke pointed out, you have to be prepared for this meeting by deciding what you are going to do if the person who is actually in charge won’t budge. Are you willing to change gyms over this? Maybe you are. That’s up to you, though.

If that is too much hassle, then for crying out loud do what you said you’d do, go in, get your picture taken, and live with it. Mind your manners, and it won’t show up on the local evening news, LOL.
 
ConfusedLucy said:
I wouldn’t want a photo taken just to use a gym and surely its up to you how you sign in online.
Click to expand...
Perhaps it is somewhere like Planet Fitness, where the photo is required in order to make sure you’re not just passing around your gym membership card for others to use.
 
PRmerger said:
So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
Click to expand...
It all comes down to contractual obligation.

If you pay as you go and are not “a member” then I would say no go on the picture.

If you signed some sort of a contract that gives some sort of discount or monthly membership, then it might be in the fine print. And I can see them requiring a picture to keep you from loaning your membership to a friend.

Basically, no contract then they are no different than you buying something at Walmart. Now Sam’s Club that’s totally different, membership and picture required.
 
PRmerger said:
So there’s a new policy in the business I frequent which requires my picture to be taken for an online ID. It supposedly facilitates online signins.

At first, I demurred due to the fact that I was not pleased with the way I looked and would prepare myself for the photo next time.

But I kept forgetting to make myself pretty 🙂 so would decline each time I signed in subsequently.

Now it’s becoming a line in the sand for the receptionist.

And kind of for me, too.

She’s being forceful and officious.

That makes me want to resist.

What are your thoughts?

I acknowledge these points:
  • She’s just doing her job. (Although her manner of conducting is abrasive to me).
  • It’s really not that big a deal for me to have my picture taken, even when I don’t look my best
  • This is the most insignificant issue compared to the great concerns we have for our world today. I get that. But this is a forum to discuss minutiae and I have the time to discuss this so…
Click to expand...
Odd that you think she is the one who should change her behavior instead Of you complying with the rules.
Take your picture, and buy her a coffee for being “that guy”
 
PRmerger said:
So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
Click to expand...
Why do you get to be the exception?

As someone who has worked in customer service ( I think everyone should) this type of behavior really gets my dander up…
 
AnnArbor said:
Perhaps it is somewhere like Planet Fitness, where the photo is required in order to make sure you’re not just passing around your gym membership card for others to use.
Click to expand...
That wouldn’t be putting the photograph “on the internet.”

If the club has to have identifying information in order to keep people from abusing their gym memberships, they have a duty to keep that personal information private from the general public, too, and even from hackers. I wouldn’t go to a gym that insisted on violating my privacy by publishing my private information (including a current photograph) on the internet.
 
PRmerger said:
So here’s the thing…I don’t really want my picture to be taken. It’s not necessary. I pay for my classes. I sign in. I work out. And then I leave.

There’s no reason for my picture to be “required”.

Receptionist: “You HAVE to do this. It’s REQUIRED.”
Click to expand...
She’s not the one requiring it. One of her supervisors is, or it’s the company policy if it’s a chain. Someone, not her, made the rule.

You’re making her life harder because she’s asked to do this as part of her job. Take it up with the people who actually have the policy, or leave the gym. Don’t take it out on this poor woman or treat her as if she’s the problem. She’s not.
 
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