03-25-03


Hello SSQQ Hall Monitors, 

It has been about two years since I wrote a direct memo to your group, but the time has come. Since I have waited so long, I apologize in advance for the length of this memo.
…………….

What you may or may not realize is that I consider the SSQQ Hall Monitor position to be just as important as the role of any instructor. You are entrusted with the not-always-fun job of enforcing studio policy. If our students lose respect for our policies, then our studio is in serious trouble. The purpose of this letter is to inform all of you more fully what I want you to accomplish and how to do it. 

As a group, your performance in March could be described as rating a "C" at best. In March alone, there were four separate incidents that caught my attention. 
………….

Incident One

The first Sunday in March at 4:30 pm a teenage girl spent the entire afternoon sitting on a couch in the big room. Her mother brought her along. We have a specific rule that prohibits children… which includes teenagers… from being at the studio. I am willing to allow teenagers to sit on the couch in Room 6 for the duration on a one-time basis during the 4:30 Saturday and Sunday classes, but this is the only compromise allowed. 7-9 pm is not an option. Nor are small children an option at any time!! 

Now let me add this teenage girl did not cause any disruption at all. So why am I angry? Let's find out.

Here is the SSQQ Policy on Children: 

Children are not permitted to sit in SSQQ classes. We Do Not Make Exceptions. The moment we permit even one child to visit, then every other parent who has gone out of their way to respect our wishes is slapped in the face. 

http://ssqq.com/information/children.htm

The principle you need to convey to our customers is this: If we allow ONE child to enter, the 100 parents who are taking a class at the same time a kid walks around our studio are sent the clear and undeniable message that we disregard our rules. In other words, our rules are bullshit.

Let's chat. Personally speaking, I was willing to let Clara Harris off with a two-year jail term. The guy got what he deserved. But the point was made that if you let one person commit deliberate murder, then others are encouraged to do so as well. It is NOT a coincidence that two more cheating husbands have been struck by cars in the past two months right here in the greater Harris County area. So it is obvious that 'monkey see monkey do' is a clear and ever-present phenomenon. 

In retrospect, perhaps the decision to stick to the rules when it comes to Clara Harris makes sense. 

And for this reason I think it makes sense to stick FIRMLY to the rules at SSQQ as well. 
……….

Incident Two

On the first two Mondays of March, a woman named Kerry participated in a class without a receipt. On the first Monday she asked to go to the bathroom right behind the HM, then merged with the general population in Room 2. 

The following week she simply walked right past the Hall Monitor without a receipt. 

Susan Schroeder made it clear to all of you that you have one job to perform: Ask for a piece of paper.

If they have the paper, let them Pass. If they don't have a piece of paper, tell them where to get the necessary piece of paper. Send them to Susan or the appropriate person.

If it is Week Three or Week Four and they don't have the right piece of paper and you can't find them on the computer, then they are out of luck. It is your job to explain as nicely as you can that they will not participate at our studio that night. 

While we are at it, IT IS YOUR JOB TO PROTECT ME FROM GETTNG INVOLVED WHEN YOU HAVE TO SAY "NO". 

Let me explain. If a student gets mad at you for doing your job, they may be unhappy but it is likely they will respect you for following the rules whether they show it or not. 

But if a student knows that the Head of the Studio was consulted and they are still not given permission, then they have a reason to be angry with The Owner and consequently be far more likely to avoid the studio. 

Don't worry - I will back you up if you say "NO" and stick to your guns. I backed Bryan Spivey up 100% in an incident involving no receipt and no name on the registration list a year and a half ago. 

This said, you have the right to make a decision to contact me if you think it is in the best interest of the studio to do so. For example, one night a cameraman showed up unannounced wishing to do a story on the studio. Bryan Spivey came and asked me what to do. Thumbs up for Bryan. 

Another night a Hall Monitor came and said she had told a lady she would ask me if I would make an exception and let her girlfriend visiting from out of town come in and watch. Thumbs down. Bad move. 

Another time Hall Monitor actually was STUPID enough to bring a woman and her kid in the room to watch as she asked me to make an exception. What was I supposed to say? I was livid about that one. Triple Bad move.

If you are not certain what to do, ask the Instructor in Room 6 what to do. Do not mention me by name to the person at hand. 

If they insist on speaking to 'the Manager' and you don't think I am going to enjoy talking to them, then tell them to take a seat on the couch in Room 6 and I will speak to them at Break or at the end of class, whichever comes first. Then come warn me ahead of time so I can think about what I am going to say. The same goes for Judy or Linda if they are in charge.
…………..

Incident Three

On Wednesday, March 19, a Hall Monitor assumed they had the authority to pursue a creative way to ensure greater 'bring receipt' compliance… rather than look the person up on the computer as they were PAID to do, they thought they would be cute and issue a name tag that said 'I lost it' written on it. 

This has to be the single worst case of poor judgment I have ever encountered. And I doubt it will ever happen again. Therefore I am not going to say anything more about it.
…………..

Incident Four

A very nice man named Joe Garrett showed up at the studio on Wednesday in the third week of class. I happen to like Joe. Be that as it may, I still don't want people volunteering any night they have some free time on their hands. Without permission, the Hall Monitor found a course for him to assist with. Since it was a new HM and I happened to like Joe, I decided to look the other way.

Encouraged by his experience on Wednesday, Joe decided to show up again on Friday. Again he was allowed to volunteer on the spot despite the fact that the class the HM found for him had two more men than women. I know because I counted. 

Then to my consternation I saw him again on Sunday. Now he is coming every night of the week it seems. And our records What do they say about feeding a stray cat? And we still don't have a single record of Joe Garrett officially registered as a volunteer. 

That makes three HMs in one week who broke the rule: No piece of paper, no dice.

The point is - EVERY TIME YOU MAKE AN EXCEPTION, YOU TAKE THE CHANCE OF MORE OF THE SAME HAPPENING. 

Furthermore, the Hall Monitor position does not give you the right to assign people to classes. Joe came to talk to me about getting 'officially' signed in for April. An instructor who shall go unnamed happened to over hear the conversation. She told me after he left that he was not a strong enough dancer to be a volunteer in her opinion. 

So this means the HMs are assigning people to be volunteers. This is NOT part of your job. Thank you. 
………….

Situation Five

In February a young lady from Germany said her mother was coming to visit her. Could her mother come and watch? I said yes and asked her to email me. She did and her mother visited without a problem. 

I do make exceptions. I just won't make exceptions for someone standing at the door. As a Hall Monitor, you do not have the right to take their word for it. Without an email from me, you don't have to feel sorry for them. You may patiently explain they can email me for permission the next time. 
………..

Situation Seven

Staff ID Cards. No one is allowed past you without a piece of paper. 

For example, the person who decided to issue the 'I Lost It' name tags will not be allowed to continue as Hall Monitor. If you simply allow someone in because you recognize them, then you are NOT doing your job. Or say someone takes a month off as Hall Monitor but walks on by for free classes because you recognize them. It is your job to ASK!!!

· Susan may need to come up with a system to identify who is current and who isn't per each month. 

I know for a fact that our some of our staff shows you all little respect. They assume they can walk right past you. From now on, stop them. Card them. If they don't have a card, ask them for their driver's license and compare their name to a list of Instructors on the back of a printed schedule. Then write their name down on a list and email it to Susan and to me. 

· Maybe Susan Schroeder can set up an account for you to use on the laptop to make your reports. 

Then I will take care of the instructor for any discourtesy. In addition, you can email Susan and I reports of any problems you encountered while on duty. 

In conclusion, your value to the studio lays in your ability to say 'No' and stick to your guns. You don't have to be nasty. If someone is persistent, ask for backup - Any instructor in room 6 will do fine. 

SSQQ is described by many as one of the safest, most easy-going places in Houston. This is not an accident. We take great care to police our students and weed out people we don't trust. 

When you let someone in without a piece of paper, you are not doing your job. You are in essence saying this person who shows up out of the blue is wonderful, is a great dancer, and must be needed somewhere. That isn't right. Instead, give them my email address and have them apply the right way. 

I have to be able depend on all of you to guard the door. Every one of you is very important to the success of our program. 
………………

CHANGES

We need to make some changes in your duties.

1. Starting in April, During the peak period (6:30 - 7:20, 4 - 4:50), I want you to station yourself at the front door to Room 6 (Exception: Week One you will be at the traditional spot). We will give you a laptop out there to look up receipts for those who forgot theirs. In Week Two, there will be a Registrar out there to assist you. In Week One you simply tell the person without paper to go see the Registrar. 
2. In week three and four, you may need backup out there so I will address that issue when we approach those dates.
3. After the Peak Period, you may retreat to the comfort of the Registration Desks.
4. From now on, you must stay at your post until classes are over. Otherwise people coming in from the street for Practice Night enter Room 2 and make themselves at home. I do not mind if you participate in a class in Room 6 as long as you keep an eye on the door. You are not required to participate in a Room 6 class, but you are welcome to. 
5. I want you to repost yourself at the Front Door throughout Break. You do not need to card someone UNLESS you feel they are just now coming to the studio. Apparently Break Time is a favorite time for people to show up without supervision. 
6. If you need to go to the Restroom, you should alert the Instructor or the Assistant in Room 6 to assume HM duties in your absence. 


I realize these changes make your job less fun, but I think no one has bothered to tell you just how important your supervisory duties are to the studio. 

At some point in time when the war is over and the economy improves, there is a better than even chance that our studio will have more people wanting to take classes than we have room for. When that happens, we must have the tradition of strict controls already in place or we will have a lot of problems. 

I wish to finish with a story. I went to the Edwards Cinema early to wait for a friend. I began a conversation with the ticket taker. He said he was paid minimum wage. He was expected to pay for drinks and popcorn. He said he was allowed to watch movies for free. He said the job was boring beyond belief, but that he was not permitted to read. 

At SSQQ, you get paid more than minimum wage. You get drinks and popcorn for free. You can read on the job. You get to take classes for free - one lady took three classes last month. And at some point if you are a good dancer, you usually get recruited either to teach or to help with Registrar duties. So there is even a career ladder to climb! 

My point is - you don't have an easy job. Saying NO to nice people is not easy. But that is your job. You make the studio better by doing this.

As stupid as it is to have a Hall Monitor slogan, here it is:

No paper/no entrance. 

And remember you do not have the authority to make exceptions. At the same time you do have the authority to contact the evening's manager (whoever is teaching in Room 6 or Susan or a Registrar) for assistance when you a second opinion would help. 

· Maybe we need to identify one person per night to be the 'official building manager'. 
………………

03-25-03

Hall Monitors:

Through a written complaint from a student, it has been brought to my attention that some unauthorized methods are being used to enforce SSQQ's "no receipt; no entry" policy (such as making students without receipts wear a name tag to class with the words "I lost it" written on it). This attempt at discipline is not funny and is totally unacceptable. However well intended, under no circumstances shall any of our students be subjected to embarrassment or publicly humiliated for losing or forgetting their receipts. 

As Hall Monitor, your job is simple yet important -- I ask that you only check receipts or look the student's name up in the computer for verification if they've lost or forgotten their receipt. 

But most importantly, I ask that you treat each student with courtesy and respect.

Susan Schroeder SSQQ Registrar