alfie Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Could anyone give me any advice about the following...... I have been running a successfull Muay Thai (Thai boxing class) at a certain school hall for 7 years now, i have built it up from nothing and have never had any problems until now. The school has a cartaker that lock/unlocks the school who lives on site. Over the past 7 years i have seen about 4 or 5 cartakers come and go but they have always unlocked the school hall for me with no problems or complaints. The head teacher of the school has always supported me and thinks my classes are great and help keep kids focused and off the streets. Up until last week there hasnt been a problem but i asked for an extra class in september (as I have always done over the years) and confimed this in july with the head teacher who said it was ok. I turned up to do the class and the cartaker wasnt there, i phoned him and he said id not told him the right time and hes shopping now so he isnt opening up for me, after abit of heated discussion with him i had to tell abut 12-15 people who had been looking forward to this for weeks we cant do the class. When i saw hi 3 days later at my regular class i tryed to be polite and apologise to him for getting abit heated about the situation. I asked him if i could do another class the week after and he said he'd let me know ( i can never get an answer straight away from him even though his diary said he was free he said hed have to check with his wife and he'd tell me after which he didnt), he also said was thinking of stopping opening up for the extra classes. I asked him that all id like is an extra class once a month he kind of agreed, but then went on to say that hes ok with my normal classes but somtimes occasionally i might have to change the time of which i start/finish this class as he somtimes does another little job on the night of my classes but it wouldnt be often. This has also never happened before. I have built these classes up from nothing, i have helped many kids and hav been doing so at this place for the past 7 years without any problem until now (I stated this to him clamly whilst i was talking to him about the above) I somtimes get paranoid that he is trying to push me out so he doesnt have to lock/unlock the school at night. This deeply worries me as it is not only my life but my living too. As mentioned before the headteacher supports my classes and is great with me i pay the school rent so it is extra income for the school. I am unsure if to go and talk with the headteacher about this/him as i dont like to talk behind anyones back but talking to him doesnt seem to be working, if he finds out about this he mite start making things more difficult for me, he's been ok up until the time mentioned above when we were all left outside. Alot of things he' says to me doesnt seem right, he keeps changing his veiws. one min he says could use the overtime/money for unlocking the hall the next minute he said its not worth doing. Could anyone offer any advice on what to do about the above as this is worrying me. Should i get and talk with the head teacher Any advice would be most appriciated P.s sorry about the grammer its not my strong point Link to comment
healthseeker Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Well, if you pay rent to run a biz...then you have the right to request the building to be opened when needed. You have already cleared the times with the headteacher...so I think the caretaker is not doing his job. You see, it doesn't sound like it is up to him and he seems to want to make the decision. Sounds like he also wants to keep you in limbo....I think he likes to play with this control that is not his to play woth in the first place? Link to comment
alfie Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 Hi thanks for the fast reply. I think your totally right in what you say and that is the case. But the head teacher somtimes says you have to check with him first. I think he likes to control everything. the head teacher is retiring at christmas so i wanna get this sorted as I dont trust him at all. Link to comment
healthseeker Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 This guy sounds like trouble and unreliable. I bet he doesn't last long...has he done this to anyone else? Link to comment
alfie Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 This guy sounds like trouble and unreliable. I bet he doesn't last long...has he done this to anyone else? Yeah i think he did it to a football team that uses the school field.Fancy letting all those kids down. I Think exactly the same, he is trouble, but i dont know if the head teacher see's that yet? Link to comment
healthseeker Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Cover your butt and report him before he does you. You have a right here! Link to comment
alfie Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 Cover your butt and report him before he does you. You have a right here! Do you think so? or should i give him the benefit of the doubt? I was hoping that it wouldnt come to that as i dont wanna come accross as talking behind anyones back, but i think its coming to that. Link to comment
Raiden1044 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 my advice is to politely but firmly tell him if he doesn't start shaping up that you're going to have a serious chat with the head teacher. If he continues to be disruptive, follow through with it. If things still persist even after having a chat with the head teacher, I might also consider asking for a key of your own since you've been there longer than the care taker has anyway/. If you're a man of good character (which I've no doubt) they might just give you one because you asked. That would be my course of action. He has basically two of these class periods to shape up or get bent. Hope this helps ^_^ Link to comment
healthseeker Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 Do you think so? or should i give him the benefit of the doubt? I was hoping that it wouldnt come to that as i dont wanna come accross as talking behind anyones back, but i think its coming to that. Yup...he has refused to do his job and hasn't given you a firm answer if he even plans on doing it in the future...take action now or this will get worse! Link to comment
alfie Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 my advice is to politely but firmly tell him if he doesn't start shaping up that you're going to have a serious chat with the head teacher. If he continues to be disruptive, follow through with it. If things still persist even after having a chat with the head teacher, I might also consider asking for a key of your own since you've been there longer than the care taker has anyway/. If you're a man of good character (which I've no doubt) they might just give you one because you asked. That would be my course of action. He has basically two of these class periods to shape up or get bent. Hope this helps ^_^ Many Thanks to you all, All this advice is really helpfull. PLEASE everyone more advice would be much appriciated Link to comment
BeStrongBeHappy Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 He sounds like a lazy and unreliable worker. Just take this up with his boss (the schoolmaster). Your business deal is with the school/schoolmaster, not the janitor, and you pay rent. thereforee this guy is breaching your contract by not letting you into the school. You have a perfect right to talk to the schoolmaster and tell him that the guy is refusing to open the gym for your classes. He's just a pissant janitor throwing his weight around and being lazy. Don't even talk to him, go straight to the schoolmaster. If the schoolmaster won't support you and insist the guy open the doors for all scheduled classes, then find somewhere else to rent. But i suspect he has no clue this guy is essentially not doing his job, so you should report him. Link to comment
agent1607307371 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I second bestrongbehappys post completely. My Dad is a caretaker for some buildings in town, and sometimes he gets called at absolutely stupid hours for people who've had a boiler explode or have forgotten their keys. He always goes because it's what he's paid to do. Link to comment
fragmint Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 i also agree with bestrongbehappy. this guy is just being a lazy a-hole about this, you dont need to talk to him. if the headmaster says its up to the this guy whether or not you can come in, then why wasnt it arranged at the same time you arranged to make payment to rent? business is business and you should talk to the headmaster immediately about this issue so you can either continue with classes or find another local place or school to rent for you. Link to comment
alfie Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 Thank you everyone, for the great advice. Every single person i have asked about this has said the same that i should go and talk to the head teacher about this. How ever i am a little worried about a couple of things. The first is that if the cartaker finds out ive been to see the head teacher this may make him be even more awkward with me about things (even though he has talked with her about this) So if he can voice his opinion why shouldnt i. The second and my main concern is that the head teacher takes sides with him, which i dont think she would but i am surprised that hes lasted this long at this job with her. I cant rent any other premises in that certain area either so all my hard work over the years would pretty much be finished. Does anyone have any veiws or advice about this? Link to comment
agent1607307371 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 If things become awkward between you and the caretaker, it is because HE made it so with his refusal to do his job and lousy attitude. I also doubt that the HT will take his side over yours as you make her money while he costs her money. And if he's not doing his job then he's losing her money. I hope you've not paid for any of the classes you've been unable to take because of him. Link to comment
karvala Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Well done for being smart and realistic. You pay rent to the school and you do have rights, but school caretakers are not easy to come by in the UK these days (which is why many schools continue to have lazy ones like this), and when push comes to shove, the headteacher is going to show you the door long before he fires his caretaker. She can't run the school without the latter (not even mentioning problems with the governors if she tries to fire him); she can run it without your rent. That doesn't mean you should do nothing; I actually agree that you should see the headteacher, but not to badmouth the caretaker per se, but rather to tell the headteacher that you don't want to inconvenience the caretaker by calling him out at odd hours unless he's obliged to do that (i.e. play dumb and innocent), but at the same time you do need reliability to run your classes, so could she please come up an alternative such as providing you with a key to be used at that time (which she'll undoubtedly refuse, but it shows flexibility on your side to ask), or else ensure that there are no problems with the caretaker. This way the caretaker cannot accuse you of telling tales behind his back, the headteacher realises she needs to sort out the situation properly, and neither of them feel overtly threatened or defensive. Link to comment
alfie Posted September 8, 2008 Author Share Posted September 8, 2008 Thanks for the advice everyone. I have decided that i am going to see the HM this week. One thing i meant to bring up and i know this mite sound like a silly or obvious thing to ask. But what exactly do i say to the HM? i want to ask her if we can come up with a solution and i dont really want to bad mouth the cartaker, however things he says arnt starting to make sense and it seems like he's telling some lies and bending the truth. Hes never said to me that the head teacher has said he can do anything other than open up, so im wondering if hes trying it on by lying. as first he was ok with it now he wants to stop the once a month classes but after i talked with him he said its ok so i asked him if i could do one next week to make up for the one he didnt open up for and he said he'd let me know after my class this friday, but i waited for 15 min for him and he didnt come and say yes or no. Any suggestions on how i should talk to the HM i know what i want to say but it mite make things worse. Whats the next thing is he going to try stop my one off classes is he then going to try and stop my regular class. Link to comment
BeStrongBeHappy Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 you just tell her the truth and don't embellish. Just say you've been calling the caretaker and making arrangements to have him open and he doesn't show. the best way to handle this is to set up an established schedule, where you say exactly what days in advance you will need him to open for. Print out that schedule each month, including date and time, and hand it to the HM and provide a copy to the caretaker. Link to comment
alfie Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 A new development! After all the great advice everybody has gave me i finally found time to ge and talk with the HM. I needed to see her because i also have to pay her rent for the hall. When i asked the secretary if i could pay rent & speak with the HM she said shes out on a head teachers course but she'll be around tomorrow morning. She also said witha smile on her face (as if she already knew why i want to see the HM) " Is it about the times and the cartaker " I said yes it is. and then thanked her and said i wll come tomorrow morning. so i think the head teacher and others are aware of the problem, but i just hope she favors me rather than him? as i want to keep my class and continue helping these kids. I know i mite be worrying too much but this is my life and my lively hood. Does anyone have any thoughts on the above? The next day! So today i went to see the HM about the situation described in this thread, i never bad mouthed the cartaker i just told the truth about the things that had happened and to my delight and releif she was very supportive and understanding about my classes and said that she is the boss its not up to the cartaker to say when and when not i can use her hall. she also said that he's been pushing his luck alot lately. She told me not to worry your classes will continue even after iv retired and she will have a talk with the cartaker. So thank you all for your great advice and support on this matter. If you guys had'nt advised me i mite not have done anything so soon. God bless you all. Alfie Link to comment
karvala Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Excellent news, well done! Firm and decisive, pleasant and polite, always an irresistible combination. Link to comment
healthseeker Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Great news! And good for you in doing the right thing... Link to comment
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