Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Fusion failure at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre
I went to the pool at Tottenham Green today, after a break of several months, and it is in a disgraceful state of disrepair. Almost half the lockers in the women's changing rooms are out of use ('unsuitable for using' as the notice would have it - actually just broken or lacking a key). The spinner for wet costumes is out of action, there is no hairdryer and the place was freezing cold (though the water erred on the side of overheated). Also apparently the disabled shower cubicle has no shower head.
I asked when the promised refurbishments would be taking place, as they are obviously letting it all run down to nothing, but nobody seemed sure - they mumbled something about 'next month' with a shrug which implied that they had heard that story before.
I think after more than a year, it is clear that Fusion are not a fit company to run a public facility like this - it's one thing not to spend any money on doing it up, but quite another to gradually allow the facilities to become unusable. After all, we are still paying to get in, and I wouldn't be surprised if Haringey council were still shovelling money into the service.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GillianM on
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Thanks for coming on TGLC. Could you let me know how often the beach pool has been open recently? After you took over the centre unfortunately my family stopped coming because of the number of times we would turn up and find the beach pool closed. We were told (do say if this is incorrect) that fusion required three lifeguards to be on duty to open the beach pool and it seems this was often not achieved.
Thanks in anticipation
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Permalink Reply by PaulG on
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Why can I not book swimming lessons on-line?
We have reviewed the system and currently can’t find any issues, nor have we received any other customer comments. If you experience any further problems please contact the centre directly on 020 8885 7300.
Dear Tottenham Green
Have you not read my comment on page one of this thread?
I have never NOT had a problem booking swimming lessons for my children. Each term I dutifully attend the reception and queue for ages until finally I am seen by someone who it takes around ten minutes to take payment and then finds they cannot book my children onto "the system". As I write I am still waiting for Roz to call me to confirm my younger child has been successfully booked in for next term, even though I paid sixty quid last Sunday to Fusion for this to be done. Last year parents were told - my wife was present - they had overbooked and children would have to leave. What exactly, may I ask, did your "review" entail?
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Permalink Reply by 2krk9tmn7vups on
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We value the feedback we receive and continually look to improve the service we deliver , however we do not monitor forums on a regular basis. As such we would request that you contact us directly via the following channels, so that your query can be directed to the correct person and answered as swiftly as possible:
Online: Completing a feedback form here - http://www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/Tottenham_Green_Leisure_Cen...
Email: Send an email to Haringey.redev@fusion-lifestyle.com
Telephone: Speaking to a member of the team via the following telephone numbers: http://www.fusion-lifestyle.com/contracts/Haringey_Leisure/Centres
In person: Speaking to a member of the team in centre or completing a customer comment feedback form
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Hi, Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, nice to see you online. You make a fair point and I appreciate that the Council and its contractors cannot monitor dozens of community websites.
However I do think it would have been courteous and helpful if on this occasion when posting, you had at least acknowledged Paulie's comment above. Try to "get with the program". Go on. You'll like it once you're in; the water's lovely.
For members of HoL who haven't seen it before (and apologies to those who have) below is a diagram from Clay Shirky (amended slightly by me) which suggests how things have changed.
Stage 1 Is the traditional hierarchical model. The centre or 'top' speaks; the many are supposed to pay attention. In political terms the rulers talk at, or "inform" the governed. (The Mighty Oz speaks.) Stage 2 is where the many "talk back". There's some degree of "feedback" from (mainly) individual citizens. Stage 3 is where citizens begin to share information and views online with each other. We build our own collective judgements.
In my view, in this discussion about Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, the implication is not that HoL members must revert to Stage 2. Nor that we talk among ourselves online and vaguely hope that someone "up there" is listening in.
My suggestion is that we use the tools we now have which make it quicker and easier to do both. Tell Fusion what's happening at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre - positive as well as negative - and tell other members of HoL as well.
This of course, is old Shirky. He's saying lots of interesting new things. In fact I'd invite you to read his latest blog entry. (19 November 2013). At first glance this is about a limited topic - the technical problems of President Obama's Healthcare.gov website. In fact there's a lot more. And not just some implications for Ian Duncan Smith's Welfare deforms.
Shirky raises a fundamental question about how organisations learn - or fail to learn. He describes an approach to planning new projects using a "Waterfall" model.
"Like all organizational models, waterfall is mainly a theory of collaboration. By putting the most serious planning at the beginning, with subsequent work derived from the plan, the waterfall method amounts to a pledge by all parties not to learn anything while doing the actual work. Instead, waterfall insists that the participants will understand best how things should work before accumulating any real-world experience, and that planners will always know more than workers."
He asks: "When trying anything new, 'When does reality trump planning?” For the officials overseeing Healthcare.gov, the preferred answer was 'Never'."
Which nearly summarises the judgement I have on Haringey's political leadership. If you substitute the word "Spin" for "Planning".
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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I would echo Alan's view expressed earlier that you include Richard Watson in any discussion. In my limited experience of dealing with him, he is one of the more responsive members of the Party and should be kept up to date with the problems. As Alan suggests, let us know how you get on. I asked his permission to publish his responses over libraries which he readily granted, so be sure to alert him to your intention to share your experiences with a wider audience.
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Yes, Richard Watson is standing down because he's moving out of Haringey. But in the meantime he's very much still tackling the job. Which included a meeting with Fusion to discuss the comments made in this thread.
As you might guess, Richard is one of the few Labour councillors I retain much respect for.
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Permalink Reply by Liz Carter on
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Dear Tottenham Green. The booking system for swimming lessons is a total failure and last week resulted in my daughter being extremely distressed because non of the teachers wanted her in their group. This was despite us queuing up and booking her into a new class at reception and talking to the teacher before she got in the water. She was ignored for the first ten minutes and then was told she was in the wrong group. It turns out the reception hadn't booked her into the new class, even though the teachers checked the register at the beginning of the session and her name was on it. No it doesn't make sense to be either.
I look forward to a response to my complaint which I have emailed to you. I tried to use the complaint form on your website, but guess what? It doesn't work!
If you can't find my email to respond I would be happy to post it here instead, but be warned it is very long! Liz Carter
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Liz, I don't know whether anyone at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre monitors this website. Or if they do read it, whether they'll pick up a comment posted within a thread from last year.
So can I suggest you copy your emails to Cllr Stuart McNamara who is the "cabinet" councillor whose "portfolio" includes the Leisure Centres. His email is Stuart.mcnamara@haringey.gov.uk and his other contact details are on this page of the Council's website.
I'd advise copying in your own three ward councillors as well. If you're unsure who the new ones are, find out with your postcode here.
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Thanks Alan. I did actually send an email to head office too. I just saw that they had responded to comments on here before so I just wanted to have a little rant. Anyway they might get an email update when someone responds on a thread that they are on. I know I do.
To be fair I did actually get a very quick response to an email that I sent to their head office and hopefully the bookings issue has been resolved. Ros who is in charge of the swimming was very helpful and the teachers are very nice, It is just a shame that the whole place is so chaotic - and not just because of the refurbishment. I am always happy that (in theory) we have such a great facility right on our door step and then I go there and it is rarely an easy or enjoyable experience.
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I think Fusion at Tottenham Green deserve praise for posting this detailed and prompt response on a publicly accessible website. Also for their frankness; being honest about what they are and are not able to provide currently. (Admittedly this is by contrast to the smug self-congratulating PR which has become the main house-style of the Council itself.)
Can I suggest Tottenham Green Centre users respond in the same spirit. If raising issues with staff on duty hasn't solved a problem, or if they're "mumbling something" unhelpful then please ask the managers. Notify Fusion using the phone number given; the customer comments cards; or the email address above.
If you go to one of their "Meet the Manager sessions" it would be interesting to read your reportback on HoL.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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There are notices on the lockers asking customers to "bare with us" while the new facilities are built!!
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Lovely! Please post a photo
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