Strongly Worded

Ask and You Shall Receive

So I am constantly telling my students and fellow females about the need to negotiate and ask for what we want. The brilliant book Women Don't Ask addresses this phenomenon, and points to lots of shocking research, including the fact that women will pay, on average, over $1,300 to avoid negotiating the price of a car.

I belong to a fancy gym with flowers in the locker room and free tampons. I have the cheapest membership, which means I can't go to the gym during "prime time" hours (after work or Saturday mornings), but it's worth it. I love my Advanced Step and my Step 'N Sculpt, and I love watching America's Top Model while on the elliptical (though I'm concerned because it seems to be the only show ever on MTV/VH1).

One of my favorite aspects of the gym is the steam room, in which I revel in 120 degree heat and moisture (I know everyone hates that word), which is just the thing for my constantly cold body and parched skin.

A few weeks ago, after announcing the annual increase in fees, the gym also announced the complete renovation of the "wet area" (showers, steam room, sauna, whirlpool). To compensate for a whole month without these amenities, the club is offering everyone "all club access", which would grant me my steam fix if I drove to one of the other clubs (all at least 45 minutes away from both my home and work). That would just never happen.

This sucks, and it nagged at me. I knew I needed to request an alternative, but felt embarrassed to bring it up. Today I forced myself to email the manager and I suggested that I could get "prime time" access for the month of December, to compensate for steam-free workouts. She immediately agreed and I feel so, so pleased.

Posted by Dori at 10:38 AM