I’m always interested in/slightly appalled at how normal people (aka, non-rhetoricians) try to up their persuasion game in the normal world, and how bad -- or at least limited -- they are in what they try.
Which brings me to my gym management, at 24 Hour Fitness, and their ongoing battle with controlling the behaviors of gymmers in the dry sauna and the wetter steam room.
Specifically, the management wants to prohibit behaviors, which include -- pouring water on the thermostats, spraying scented oils inside the rooms, not bringing workout equipment into the rooms, and the biggie -- not wearing your damn workout shoes into the heat!
It’s this last one that has brought out the big guns in the management’s persuasion game. There have always been signs -- “No workout shoes allowed in steam room or sauna.” And, of course, at least half of the people ignored that sign. So management decided to intensify the persuasion -- with threats. And cringy creativity.
The signs became:
“The steam room and sauna will be shut down if members continue to wear shoes in these spaces!”
(Really? You’re going to shut down a service that’s in your contract? Even though most people follow the rules? Ummm…)
“Don’t be tools, follow the rules.”
(That’s the cringy creative. Just… don’t, y’all. Just stop it.)
So threats, and cliches.
That’s the best you’ve got?
Apparently so.
I guess I could approach them with a consulting offer. Help them design some other persuasion strategies. Or at least write better creative. (“We’re trying to keep these rooms clean. Don’t de-feet us by wearing shoes!”)
But I’m too busy disappearing into the steam to think about their battle. So I try to ignore the sneaker squeaks. And not read the clumsy signs. And not think about the managers sitting around, brainstorming solutions -- “Put up mean signs. That always works.”