I've just come from one of those situations where the custodian of a church hall has complained that ballroom dancers and their shoes ruin floors. This seems to be a fairly common complaint from custodians.
In my experience as a school teacher custodians could be broadly classed into 2 groups:
a. The most incredible workers who took pride in their work and were consider family by the teaching staff. IMO these people deserved much more than they were paid. No party, dinner or special event failed to envite these people and their families.
b. Those, who for whatever reason, tried to magnify their position by complaining about everyone else. The "Gym Floor" was always a special concern for these people.
The particular concern we received in our contract renewal was our shoes damaging floors, especially our "stiletto" heels. (Funny, because the women in our group wear practise shoes). So I took the contract down to the church secretary and pointed out that our practice group of 3-5 couples use sueded shoes and that any damage would come from other groups tracking mud, dirt, pebbles and rocks in. I also pointed out that we routinely ask for a broom so we can pre sweep the floor but it is rarely left for us. I then showed her my shoes which have just been re-soled. Her jaw dropped when she saw the suedes and I got the disctinct but subtle impression from her that this custodian is a bit of a pain.
The reason I bring this up is that last year my wife and I were teaching a class to adult beginners for our Dance Society at a church hall we had never used before. Our society is 12 years old and teaches every week in about 20 different locations throughout the city.
For the first time ever we received the complaint that we were putting a thick "powder" on the floor, damaging it and they demanded $50 for repairs. When I asked to see the damage they couldn't show it to us. They also claimed it was not a dust but a:
"...thick white powder spread across the entire floor. It had to be us because it hadn't happened before we started using the hall."
No amount of protestations from students who saw us sweep the floor before and after class could convince them otherwise.
We even arrived to nasty notes taped to the floor from the custodian like:
"No Powder On Floor!
Tom the Custodian"
To which I replied, "You're absolutely right Tom, there was no powder on the floor."
I also pointed out that if he worked for me and did that to one of my customers he'd be looking for a new job.
Our Society also uses the largest hall in the city for a monthly dance. Our president contacted the custodial staff there about the mystery powder. The staff laughed:
"We've never had powder from the ballroom society but we're always cleaning it up from the country dance groups."
What was most bizaare is that over the previous 2 years this church had become the Country Dance Centre in the city. When we pointed this out the church's reply was only again,
"...It had to be us because it hadn't happened before we started using the hall."
Needless to say when the term was up I told the Society I would not teach in that location again. Our Society, in full agreement, refused to renew the rental agreement.
So long story but I'm curious if others have encountered similar situations and how you deal with it.
OB
