All jobs and industries carry their own frustrations and annoyances. Working in a float center is no different. Everything from customers to cleaning can fall into this list. We've been able to gather a few of the most frustrating and annoying things about working in a float center.
Check out our corresponding article covering the other side of the coin, the 5 Joys of Float Center Employees.
Frustration #1: Customers arrive late to their appointment, especially new floaters
Sticking to a strict schedule is critical to run a successful float center. Customer's arrive, go orientation, float for 60 minutes, then spend some time cleaning off and showering. All of this occurs on a very regimented schedule. If somebody arrives late, all other tasks get shifted back to accommodate. If this happens a couple of times in a day, you can end up substantially off schedule. Smaller float centers are particularly susceptible to this.
And this is particularly frustrating when the latecomers are new floaters. New floaters have to go through a process and orientation program that generally lasts about 15 minutes. This extra time further compounds the time shift that occurs when somebody arrives late.
The solution? Try to always arrive to your float appointment 10-15 minutes early. And be particularly mindful about the scheduling if it's your first time floating at the facility.
Frustration #2: The cleaning and maintenance at a float center never ends
Cleaning and a float center go hand in hand. Cleaning the tank, cleaning the shower, cleaning the floors, cleaning the towels and robes, etc. Even though it's part of the job, the non-stop cleaning requirements can be taxing. The showers collect hair and soap scum. The floors can get soaked with salty tank water, especially when in use by new floaters. And the towels and robes need daily washing and drying.
It's hard to get any sympathy for this one due to the nature of the business, but it's difficult to see a dirty shower or floor just hours after you recently cleaned it up.
Frustration #3: It can get pretty boring and lonely in the lobby
Working the front deck can be somewhat slow when things are clicking along nicely. Time can move somewhat slow when your customers are all on time and experienced floaters, and the cleaning duties are minimal. In these situations, float center employees find themselves either looking for things to do to pass the time. Generally, staring at your phone is frowned upon, so we often find ourselves daydreaming for the 60 or so minutes between floats.
Until the next round of cleaning duties, that is.
Frustration #4: Customers not listening to new float orientation
This is a big one that affects not just float centers, but ever service industry out there. When a new customer comes in for their first appointment, one of the initial onboarding steps is to run them through orientation where we discuss safety, procedures, and other important items. It can be quite frustrating to find that your new customer is not paying attention, or worse yet, acts like they already know how everything works. We understand that sometimes an experienced floater makes an appointment at a new center, but there are often certain quirks or ways that each float center does things, and it's only in your best interest to know and understand these items.
This frustration seems to be most common when groups of people come in together. When we're explaining the onboarding process to 2-3 people at once, it seems that at least one or more individual will be off in their own world, or interrupting the onboarding.
Please try your best to not be that person.
Frustration #5: The heat and humidity, even in the spa lobby, can be uncomfortable
This is a lesser known frustration, but the lobby of float spas can be quite uncomfortable. Hot, humid, and stuffy would be the best way to describe it. Some float centers have air conditioning and other climate control measures in place, but more often than not, the room is subject to the temperature and humidity generated by multiple float tanks.
The heat and humidity in a float room are also generally quite high. The tanks run all day and often at night. This keeps the temperature and humidity high, so the physical efforts of cleaning often come at the expense of your comfort. Sweating during cleaning goes without saying.
It seems that not much can be done about this frustration, other than lobbying float spa owners to spruce up our working conditions.