Aqualibrium

[hippychick]

anyone knoe anything about the ruckus in the swimming baths on saturday afternoon?

something to do with an overrunning pool party and angry pre-booked swimmers refusing to leave the pool when they finally did get there swim and then they all got theur money back aftrer a fight with the manageress?

[witchnettle]

it was my friend who was the "ring leader" of the rebel swimmers, the 4pm swimming lot were not allowed in the changing rooms until 4.10 (because of this party) and they had to push hard to even get in then. They all informed the attendant that they were going to have their 45 mins swim. So at 4.45 a group of them stayed in and had their full swim. Half-way through their showers, (this was a group of about 12 people I think) the showers were switched off. Loads of them still had soap in their hair. The staff wouldn't put the showers back on, one man even jumped back in the pool to get the soap out of his hair. Eventually they all got out, and despite having asked to see the duty manager 30 minutes previously, there was no-one to help them. Eventually the duty manager turned up and at a request for a refund, she announced that they had had their swim and what was the problem. Even after being informed that everything had gone wrong from 4pm, no-one had thought to inform her, or perhaps they had and she wasn't bothered. It ended with my friend refusing to leave the building until she got a refund, and this included the four children she had with her and refunds for the other six local kids who were heading home with hair full of soap. The manager agreed to send a cheque as a refund, because they were cashing up, and she couldn't get to the money. Of course we are still waiting for the cheque to arrive.
So is this the future for the pool. Paying for a 45 min swim and getting 20 mins. Health and safety issues arising because people are not being allowed to finish their showers, (I personally think turning off the showers was very nasty). And then the final insult, instead of being offered a refund, you have to fight for it, apparently the duty managers' people skills are sadly non-exsitant, so it was quite a heated fight !!!!!!!!!!!
My friend is a visitor to the area, and she was shocked at the whole experience, i was embarrassed and cross, one of my children was one of the ones left with shampoo in her hair !!!!!!
LETS HOPE THIS IS A LEARNING CURVE AND A ONE OFF AND WILL NOT BECOME THE NORM.
x

[4th gen Suthen']

Nothing to do with me, and I know hee haw, but I kinda wondered, right from the start, if allowing bookings and pool parties in the first few weeks, when things were/are SOO busy was a good idea.

[Malky]

Half-way through their showers, (this was a group of about 12 people I think) the showers were switched off.

That's a bit mean

Not a good exercise in public relations

Malky

[jock the boat]

whitchnettle... your friends should have went to the loch to get the soap out if their hair..as you may or may not know that is where i live...edit Admin 3

[amron]

We have been going to the pool regular and some of the teething problems have been sorted out.

There are still a few that they need to address...

If there is a pool party it should be at the last session of the day at weekends then the above situation would not have happened. We were at the pool 2-3 on Sat and noticed that the party was late starting as the giant inflatables were not ready until about ten past 3
So the party probably didn't overrun they were just taking their full hour.

Still NO EXCUSE for the treatment of the people who had booked for the 4 o'clock session.

The biggest problem is the changing village......... there are alot of complaints that there needs to be supervision there are people hanging about some of them have been is swimming some have not and they are going through the lockers to see if they can get the £1 coin. Last week my friend opened her locker put her clothes into a cubicle turned around to get the rest of her stuff and her coin had been taken. Overheard some boys yesterday saying they had got £5 the previous day.
I mentioned this at reception and was told that this is reported daily and yet they still will not put any supervision into the changing rooms.

Did see that on a Sunday morning they now have a fun session for kids under 8 years and the floor is raised up for the smaller children you have to book your place all children have to be with an adult. So they are addressing requests and needs within the community.

I am still glad that we have this pool and that so many kids are using it. It is great to see many of them able to swim after only a few weeks.

[Ship called Dignity]

I've been asked by the management to point out that staff DO NOT have control over whether or not the showers work;

"The showers were not turned off on the public, but this is an ongoing technical problem which has been reported and is currently being dealt with and we have 2 engineers in the building today...the showers are an ongoing issue and that staff DO NOT have control over whether or not they work."

At the South Kintyre Sports Council meeting on Monday we agreed to try and collate any problems the public have and meet up with the management team of the Aqualibrium to discuss these points. Of course the public in the first instance should raise their points with staff at the Aqualibrium where we are sure you will get an answer. If however, you feel you wish to take a matter further and wish to do this through the Sports Council then please e-mail myself at david@campbeltown.info and some of the committee will arrange a meeting to discuss and report back. As mentioned before, the team at the Aqualibrium are keen to progress ideas and comments (its the only way anyone ever knows) but constant criticism can do more damage to staff morale in the long run as they have a hell of alot to deal with (no particular reference to this thread!)

[witchnettle]

thanks for this, and its great they are trying to sort out any problems, but it would have been good if someone had explained the shower situation at the time !!!!!!!!!!!! also we are still waiting for our refund cheque, nearly a week now since the incident. It's all very well saying, don't criticise, but we still have the right to expect a good service, and then for problems to be put right, not just for the public but also personally. I fully support the pool, but when you pay for a service, you expect a service, and you expect it to be professional. We would not allow any other service or facility to treat us in this way. i can only speak for myself, but i am disappointed. The mistake was made and that has been forgiven, but the fact that we are still waiting for an apology in the form of a refund, is pushing my patience. Perhaps i am being mean and not very community minded, and if so i apologise, but if these things happened to you, and you were being made to feel like the meany, wouldn't that annoy you a bit as well !!!!!!!!! Let the aqualibrium show me that they care about my business and I'll be happy to return to the pool. I have three children and as a family we love to swim, it would be a shame if our confidence in the pool was shattered at this early stage. I shall await my cheque and watch this space with interest. x

[ambrosia]

Is it me or is the water in the pool really cold. Have taken my little boy once and he came out after 20 minutes with blue lips and shivering!!

[Goldielocks]

What I would like to know is why everyone who use the pool are being so understanding when something goes wrong. yes we are all enjoying the pool and yes it is a wonderful place to go and long awaited, and yes once again something that was greatly missed. I for one have been using it (all be it took about two weeks to actually get into it ) and I do agree it is good to be able to go for a swim. But we are paying for a service which is not there, you book for a session which should start say at 1 o'clock but by the time you get the band it is 10 past one although you have been standing in the queue since 10 to 1, reason there is only one on the reception, then by the time you get changed and in to the pool it is 20 past 1 so hence you only get 20 mins of swimming,. They should have two on reception one for members who sign in and get the bands and one for the paying customer, this would reduce the time to wait reduce a lot of tempers and everyone would get there full time for the swim.
Also the pool is cold maybe it is because of the good weather we have been having I dont know, but the number of children I have seen chittering with blue lips, if you stop swimming for any length of time you start feeling the cold,

and is it not strange that the showers went faulty when they couldnt get the people out last sat well I think its strange.

[SmithD]

We have been going to the pool 3 times a week, it is a great facility that we have all been waiting for for so long. I agree that in the beginning there where teething problems, but have been sorted out.

But I have noticed that it's not very clean. Especially if you are in first thing. Surely it should be cleaned that night or before opening. Or a cleaner there all the time? Old bands from the day before in the lockers or cubicals. People are coming in with shoes on to a wet floor, so there are dirty puddles. The pool is cold, not for myself but when I take my kids in especially the younger is blue and physically chittering. Maybe there is no happy medium for temperature as they have to cater for swimmers too.

But all in all, we are enjoying having the use of a great facility which has been greatly missed.

[Hoopoe]

and is it not strange that the showers went faulty when they couldnt get the people out last sat well I think its strange.

Yeah, if the pool staff aren't in control of the showers then who is? Sounds like an excuse to me, to cover up someone's hissy-fit.

[lightning jnr]

i personally think people are going to the pool to look for complaints..there has been a lot of posts about the swimming pool and not many of them are giving the swimming pool much credit. i try and go a couple of times a week and i have no complaints. im still struggling to work out how a 45min swim can turn into a 20 min swim. get changed quicker?

[witchnettle]

well done you lightening jr. i am very pleased for you. I take my kids to the pool for a swim, and mostly its all fine, but sometimes it isn't and thats not good, perhaps we should all shut up and put up with it, and then the problems will never be ironed out. It is a fact that people complain quicker than they compliment, and that is sad. As for the changing, you get to the pool 15 mins before the hour, but you stand in a queue for 10 mins, then you have 3 kids and yourself to change, there's a good chance you will not get in the pool til 10 minutes past the hour, therefore you only have a 35 minute swim. In an ideal world, we walk in, and there are no queues, and any children in tow sort themselves out quickly, and efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world, and it doesn't work like this. All I'm asking is, do not presume we are all moaners, with nothing else to do, we care about this pool, if we didn't, we wouldn't bother doing this. I'm glad its all great for you, but use a bit of imagination when thinking about other peoples problems, and don't be so judgemental. x

[Malky]

.....then you have 3 kids and yourself to change ....

I used to hate taking the kids anywhere as it took so long to get them organised. There was also all the stuff you had to haul about everywhere. Then the little beggars would get tired and you'd have to carry them too

Malky