Navigating Patron Hostility | Challenges & Solutions for Recreation Centre Staff

Patron Hostility in Recreation Centres

Recreation centres are known as community hubs for fitness, wellness, and family-oriented activities. Though, they have increasingly faced a rise in patron hostility in recent years, placing significant strain on staff who often bear the brunt of these escalating tensions. Employees across various roles, from lifeguards and gym attendants to front-line customer service staff, are finding themselves in challenging and even confrontational situations with patrons and the public. This spike in hostility, which has notably worsened since the onset of COVID-19, can create barriers in fostering a safe, welcoming, and positive environment, often affecting the staff.

Increasing Tensions Since COVID-19

Since 2020, there has been a noticeable rise in the number and intensity of incidents. The pressures of the pandemic and related restrictions seem to have amplified patron frustrations. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about drastic changes to recreation centre policies, including capacity limits, mask mandates, and other health measures. Although these rules were intended to safeguard patrons, they often became a source of frustration and resentment, leading to a significant uptick in hostile encounters. Even routine issues—like refunds, class cancellations, or minor conduct policy enforcement—can lead to unexpectedly aggressive responses from patrons.

The Impact on Staff

Recreation centre staff represent a wide demographic, with employees ranging from teens in their first jobs to experienced individuals who have worked in these centres for decades. This diversity, while a strength, also means varied levels of experience and comfort with managing frustration or confrontations. Some staff may feel confident using de-escalation strategies, while others may lack sufficient guidance or the confidence to handle aggressive patrons effectively. This variability in response can sometimes unintentionally escalate situations, leaving employees feeling fearful or anxious in the aftermath of incidents.

Lifeguards: A Frontline Position

Lifeguards are responsible for the safety of all swimmers, particularly children, but often find themselves caught in confrontational situations with patrons. For example, lifeguards regularly enforce pool closing times, which some patrons attempt to disregard, demanding more time in the water. Other common challenges include patrons ignoring designated swim lanes, parents leaving young children unattended in the pool, and lifeguards witnessing/responding to reports of locker theft or inappropriate behaviours in changing rooms. These varied situations require lifeguards to balance safety enforcement with effective conflict management, remaining calm under pressure while ensuring a safe environment for everyone. 

Gym Attendants: Navigating Equipment Etiquette and Conflicts

In the gym, attendants often face challenges with patrons disregarding equipment etiquette, such as failing to return weights to their proper place or loudly slamming them. These actions are disruptive and can lead to further tension when attendants must intervene. Conflicts between patrons, often stemming from gym etiquette violations, require gym attendants to de-escalate situations tactfully to prevent altercations.

Frontline Customer Service: Managing High Demands and Expectations

Frontline customer service representatives often bear the brunt of patrons’ frustrations. Issues with refunds, payment disputes, and cancelled or full classes are common sources of anger. For some patrons, these inconveniences become grounds for hostility, with demands for compensation or continued complaints that can lead to escalated confrontations. Staff are often required to enforce policies regarding these issues, which can make them targets of patron frustration.

Maintenance Staff: Caught in the Middle of Tensions

Maintenance staff can be exposed to incidents of vandalism, theft, and other disruptions. Though their primary role is upkeep of the facility, they may be called on to support their team members trying to manage escalated patron behaviours. They can also encounter hostility when addressing issues that arise from misuse or damage to the facility as well as engaging rowdy teens or people hanging around the outside of the building.

Instructors and Skate Patrol: Enforcing Safety Protocols

For instructors, particularly those in activities like skating, enforcing safety rules can be a challenge. Skate patrols often face patrons who refuse to adhere to helmet requirements or skate dangerously, moving too fast or against the flow, posing risks to others. Enforcing these rules is critical for safety, yet it often draws hostility from patrons who resist the regulations, putting staff in uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situations.

Addressing Patron Hostility | Preventing Violence in Recreation Centres

In order to maintain a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment that communities can depend on for fitness and relaxation, recreation centres would benefit from having a comprehensive Violence Program, as required in most provinces and territories. An effective program should include ongoing and interactive coaching for staff, ensuring they all have the skills needed to safely manage and de-escalate confrontational situations effectively. There is also a need for policies such as, respectful workplace, centre conduct, banning, and violence prevention policies, as well as written procedures for patron conflict management and violence prevention. Additionally, staff benefit from open communication channels and post incident debriefing. This along with honest supervision that provides employees with feedback outlining if best practices are being applied during patron interactions can help staff feel more prepared and less isolated in facing these challenges.

In an ideal world, recreation centres would serve solely as spaces for relaxation and fitness, but today’s realities require a proactive approach to managing patron hostility. By prioritizing staff training, safety protocols, and supportive policies, recreation centres can strive to maintain the safe environments that communities depend on.

ARETE’s Role in Violence Prevention Training

For over thirty years, ARETE has provided de-escalation, personal safety, and violence prevention training for municipal recreation employees throughout British Columbia and across Canada. As reports of patron hostility have surged, so has the demand for this specialized training. ARETE’s programs equip staff with tools for de-escalation and conflict management, helping them approach confrontational patrons with strategies to reduce risk and keep both staff and patrons safe.