Y Rage: Using Guerilla Tactics to Combat Front Line Assault
Terri Stuart, YMCA Greater Houston
Volume 5 Issue 2 (2002)

It is a typical summer afternoon. Mom enters the YMCA with kids in tow. She asks if they may play racquetball. The YMCA Member Services staff greets them with a smile and says, “Sure, no problem.” The staff member then proceeds to give the mother two racquets, a ball, and safety goggles.

“What are these?” she asks.

“Safety goggles Ma’am,” replies the staff member. “We require that you wear them as a precaution to protect against eye injury.”

The mother is enraged. “WHAT? Why do we have to wear these? I have never had to wear these before. Ridiculous!”

The irate mother throws the goggles hitting the staff person in the head, grabs her children, and then drags them as she storms out of the building.

Unfortunately, this scenario plays itself out at YMCA’s all across the country. Everyday we hear about out-of-control drivers, shoppers, and airline passengers. In a time of pagers, cell phones, and high-speed Internet access, we have become a point-and-click society that at times lacks patience, grace, and manners. The instant-message mindset has minimized the basic lessons learned in kindergarten—such as standing in line and waiting your turn—and spawned the evolution of “Y Rage.”

Understanding the “Y Rage”
Every YMCA from Minnesota to Missouri, California to Virginia, and everywhere in between has encountered this “Y Rage” behavior. Those who behave this way are the 5% of our members, and they that take up 95% of our time. For example, the gentleman obsessed with the temperature of the hot tub or the woman who insists that “someone” keeps changing the clocks in the YMCA so the staff can leave early—individuals who, at the very sight of them walking through the doors and into the building, make us cringe. These individuals seem only content when they are making someone else uncomfortable. Rookie staff members are often driven to tears at first dealings with them. So, what is going on with these individuals? Why do they behave as they do?

Chances are these individuals are not angry with the YMCA but rather frustrated with other things going on in their lives. The man who enters the YMCA on a hot July afternoon only to find out that the pool is closed due to no chlorine is not really upset with the YMCA. He is probably frustrated with things that have nothing to do with the YMCA, such as job worries, money problems, and so on. He sees the YMCA as a brief escape from their troubles, and so when he arrives at the oasis and there is no water, he is bound to be upset.

Rage behavior goes far beyond the garden-variety upset member. Rage behavior is characterized by behavior that is over-the-top and completely out of context for the situation. YMCA’s typically see two types of rage behavior: face-to-face rage and telephone rage.

People who display face-to-face rage have no problem with confrontation. In fact, they are almost too comfortable with the idea. To these people, “chaos is order.” Staff members who are flustered and stammering away just to keep this person calm puts these people in a position of power.

People who engage in telephone rage can be characterized as individuals who rant and rave over the phone, yet are calm and cool in person. In reality, these people bristle at the idea of a face-to-face confrontation so they take out their frustrations on the first person that answers the phone.

What sets rage behavior apart from just “upset members” is the following. An upset member can show a range of emotions in response to stress; silence, frustration, aggravation, and full-blown anger. However, those individuals who truly embody the rage behavior typically show only one emotion in response to stress: rage. If each individual were likened to a radio—the upset member would have a volume that was easily adjustable where as the “Y Rager” only has one volume—full blast.

So, what is a YMCA to do? How does an organization that embraces values effectively deal with behavior that clearly does not? How do we maintain order in our YMCAs while still being member-friendly? What steps can we take to minimize the occurrence of “Y Rage?”

Handling the “Y Rage” One on One
The first response to a “Y Rager” is to calmly deal with these individuals on a one-on-one basis. Sometimes their frustration drives them to push buttons inside of you so you must refrain from getting involved in “kitchen sink” arguments (these discussions include “everything but the kitchen sink” in an attempt to distract you from the real issue at hand).
Secondly, talk in lower tone, because this instinctively makes an individual lower their voice. Thirdly, listen attentively. People feel that what they have to say is important so let them say it while keeping focused on the issue at hand. When the discussion continues in circles—try to remain on track to get to the heart of the issue. For example, “I understand your frustrations and it seems like we are discussing the same issues over and over again. How can we move on from here?” If the situation involves a mistake on the YMCA’s part, you should respond, “How can we make it right?”

Preventing “Y Rage”

Clear Communications
Everyone from therapists to CEO’s talk about establishing clear communications. In order to communicate effectively, we need to understand our target audience and how they process information they are given. Cognitive psychologists have examined how people process information, and they have come to some startling conclusions that can be directly applied to our work at the YMCA. First, people process positive information easier than negative information. Basically, this means that people understand rules, policies, and directions easier when they are phrased in a positive manner. For example, instead of a sign in the pool area that says “No running,” it would say “Walk.” Secondly, people process information based on present tense easier than past tense. This applies when explaining times or dates. Instead of saying “The YMCA will be closed July 4th but will be opened July 5th,” you would say “The YMCA is closed July 4th but open July 5th.”

Establish Expectations
Review branch policies and procedures with staff and members. New members should receive a detailed list of facility rules to make expectations clear from the beginning. There is not a more angry member than the one who joins “so the kids can swim while he works out” to be informed that his nine year-old cannot be unattended at the pool. Ensure proper notification of fee changes, schedule changes, and so on. Hang signs in high traffic areas such as locker rooms, lobby, hallways, and other high-traffic areas. If you are afraid that there are too many signs posted about the pool being closed due to chemicals, you better post two more. Drastic changes to fees and schedules call for multiple mailings or telephone calls to regulars.

Consistency
Enforce all policies and procedures consistently. If extenuating circumstances call for further evaluation, meet with these individuals separately. In incidents of “message versus manner” (when an individual becomes upset at the way or manner in which they were addressed), respond by acknowledging this person’s frustrations but remain steadfast in support of the branch policy and other staff members.

For example in the instance of a member upset with a front line staff person for prohibiting young children from being dropped off at the YMCA unattended, “I understand you are upset at the manner in which you were spoken to and I will address that with my staff person but the message is still the same. All children under age 10 must be accompanied in the YMCA by an adult age 18 or older.”

This response acknowledges this person’s feelings and addresses their concerns of “rudeness” but still supports the staff person in taking the initiative to enforce the rules.

Empowerment
Empower front line staff to make decisions, then use positive reinforcement to reward staff who “own the problem” and take initiative to solve it. If the situation needs to be handled differently next time, use it as a teachable moment in a staff meeting instead of correcting the individual in front of the upset person or other staff. The quickest road to improvement is through practice.

Mission-Based Decisions
Govern your decisions according to our values. In difficult situations ask the following questions:
• Are we being caring?
• How would I feel in this person’s shoes?
• Is this person being responsible?
• Have we shown respect to this individual?

Staff must walk the talk daily. We cannot hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves.

No tolerance policy
Establish a no-tolerance policy at your YMCA for inappropriate behavior such as fighting, cursing, and so on. Make consequences sure and swift to reinforce the severity of the violation. Use law enforcement personnel if necessary. The executive director should conduct incident reviews. Enlist volunteer support by establishing a standards committee comprised of volunteers and staff. Address repeat offenders through certified letter and/or direct counseling with witnesses.

Dealing with “Y Rage” is one of the many aspects of our jobs as YMCA professionals. The YMCA should be a safe haven for everyone. It is through effective communications, clear expectations and a no tolerance policy that we can minimize the negative effect this behavior can have on staff and members alike thus promoting a positive environment to help everyone grow in body, mind, and spirit.