DO NOT WORK HERE - Unless you are desperate for a minimum wage job - Member Service Representative The Y (YMCA) Employee Review

1.0
Aug 15, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most of the coworkers are great. Easy to make friends with people. Free gym membership and discount on programs

Cons

Where do I even start? Horrible pay (minimum wage), why is it that slide attendants make the same amount of money as member services representatives who literally have the HARDEST job in the whole building?? Constantly dealing with RUDE people. I thought working at a recreation center would be great, what could people complain about? WELL LET ME TELL YOU. I don't think I have worked a single shift where I haven't been yelled at over someone else's mistake or something completely out of my control. Huge conflicts with people downright threatening you are almost a daily occurrence. I know several staff members who have had to take a leave of absence due to deteriorating mental health because of their job. Upper management is a joke and enjoy using fear and intimidation to get employees to do what they want. They are beyond unorganized, causing customers to complain and take their anger out on member services rep's because they think it is our fault. They also don't back up their front line staff. I have had customers threaten me and when I tell a manager, instead of banning them from the building, they apologize for the inconvenience. They also thought it would be a great idea to cut the member services hours, leaving maximum 3 people on at a time in the evenings. When it gets busy, as it usually does in the evenings, people can't even go on their break because they are trying to deal with the large line ups and constant complaints from customers upset they had to wait in line for 20 minutes or more. Oh ya, and while this is all going on, there are constant phone calls that management expects us to answer. Try answering the phone when there are 20+ people in line waiting and see how long it takes for someone to yell at you. Please. With the volume of calls the YMCA has, a call centre should be implemented if you want to cut everyones hours.

Explore other reviews about The Y (YMCA)

5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great communication from supervisors and staff. A very welcoming environment, making it easy to reach out and ask questions if needed. Overall, a fulfilling experience.

Cons

I have no complaints from my experience. Come to work energized and mentally prepared as working with youth takes a lot of energy!

3.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The team members/ coworkers and administrator (team lead) that you work with on a day-to-day basis are the ones who will make or break the experience. Obviously working with children, one must have patience, be flexible, creative - there are some days that test all of those skills! lol! But when you have a great teaching team to work with, your program can run like a well-oiled machine. I loved the time I had working with this program!

Cons

The pay is very low, I do understand with the YMCA being a non-profit, but at the same time when a position is responsible for young children, the pay should be higher than a fast-food chain, to attract and keep higher caliber staffing. - If you already work at a school, it's not a bad gig to make some extra money for coming in a few hours early or a few late. But if you are driving more than 5min, to work 2-3 hours for a ridiculously low rate I would say pass. I was not doing this for the money - I truly loved my coworkers and the kids that attended my school. Unfortunately, some of the other cons are: poor communication (very poor), lack of SOP's when it comes to how teachers should be handling situations for their own personal safety and unrealistic expectations (of us to do marketing, surveys collecting demographics, and pushing for financial donations). The last few things listed is what ended up driving me to resign.

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