I hope this email finds you healthy and safe.

This week’s update addresses a few points – survey results on the safety of CT YMCAs, arrival times for reservations, a notice on the upcoming storm event for early next week and an update on the reservation system.

Safety Survey – our YMCA is one of 43 different locations throughout the state that participated in a survey that included positive COVID-19 tests as compared to number of visits. Of 658,000 visits, the participating Ys had 42 positive test results for a positivity rate of .00638%. We will provide more information about YMCA safety on the website in the near future but the message is clear – people are neither contracting nor spreading COVID-19 at CT YMCAs.

Arrival Times for Reservations – the latest round of CT rules continue the ongoing focus of the compliance steps needed to manage the pandemic – face covering, occupancy levels and social distancing. Our tools to maintain compliance is to stagger, space and separate the various reservation time slots. While I know many Members like to arrive early for their reservations, we are facing occupancy level and social distancing challenges. As such, we ask that you arrive for your reservation no more than 10 minutes prior to your reservation. In this way, we can manage occupancy and flow throughout the Y.

Pending Storm Early Next Week – the current weather forecast calls for a significant weather event that begins Sunday evening and continues through Tuesday morning. We will be monitoring and will keep you informed. Please check your email, our website and social media for updates about potential early closures and/or late openings.

Reservation System Update – last week’s message discussed a time change for the opening of the Reservation System from 8 AM to 8 PM. I wanted to share that the Y has made the request of the App provider. As mentioned last week, the App provider needs to follow their protocols and approvals before releasing on the App. We will send a push notification through the App when the change has been approved.

On the subject of push notifications, after last week’s COO Message, we received an influx of feedback related to Members vying for the same reservation time slot, both being told that they have reserved the slot, only to have to learn (usually upon arrival) that the reservation was not for them. In a push notification through the App, we sent instructions on how to confirm whether the reservation belongs to you.  Further, we provided this link that explained the process in more detail. At the same time, we have raised with App Tech Support and they continue to work on a solution.

Apparently, many did not see the push notification; further, some were not following the suggested guidance and continued to face the same issues. As such, I edited the suggested guidance to hopefully make them easier to follow.

Outlined below is the guidance that one can find on the YMCA website.

We recognize that this is not the proper way a Reservation System should operate and hope to have a resolution in the short term.

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A multitude of Members are all vying concurrently for the limited resources we are permitted to offer at this time.

We have come to learn of multiple scenarios where two Members reserve the same time slot, including receiving a “Booked” confirmation in green in the upper left hand corner of the reservation screen in the App as well as reminder notification. However, upon arrival to check in, one of the Members learns that another has the reservation.

Such a scenario is obviously not appropriate and we are working with the App provider to resolve. In the interim, please note that you can perform the following steps (see screenshots below) to assure that the reservation is indeed yours.

1. After receiving the Booked notification (Screenshots 1,2 and 3), close the App (Screenshot 4)
2. Upon reopening the App:
   1. Select “Gym” (Screenshot 5)
   2. Select “View All Classes” (Screenshot 6)
   3. Go to your reservation – day/time/etc.
      1. If the Reservation says “Booked” in green, it is your reservation
      2. If the Reservation says “Full” in gray, the reservation belongs to another.
   4. The key indicator is the “Booked” under “View All Classes”
      1. Do not rely on the “Booked” tab
         1. Under “Find a Class”
         2. To the Right of “Upcoming”

Apologies as this is not the way a Reservation System should operate. We hope to have resolved shortly.  We recognize that these extra steps should not be necessary, but it is better to know your true reservation status before arriving at the Y.

We appreciate your patience as we work through the resolution.

Stay Healthy and Safe!

Michael Kelly,

Chief Operating Officer,

Greenwich YMCA