I received a Servus Credit Union Place e-news bulletin recently. On the front page was a link to the facility director’s message, which asked, “Has coming to Servus Place affected your life in a positive way?”
Well, I can’t say that my experience at Servus Place moved me in a positive way, but I can definitely say that it moved me. Have you heard of the random thefts that plague Servus Place? Be aware! Security is poor. You could be the next victim and dissatisfied member.
As a resident of St. Albert, I have held a Servus Place membership for a number of years and my young children and I use the facility frequently. I have found the staff to be very pleasant and helpful in all instances. That said, a recent experience has left me very dissatisfied with the obvious lack of security and respect for members who express their concerns.
In late April while working out at the gym, my locker was broken into and personal possessions were stolen. The lock had been tampered with. I immediately reported the incident to the nearest staff members. They seemed concerned and helped me search the change room. I informed the front desk staff downstairs that I had been the victim of a crime on the premises and left my contact information.
Three days later, when I returned to Servus Place for a workout, I left all valuables locked up in my car and asked the staff if any of my items were found or turned in. One of them commented, “Oh, you had some stuff stolen on Friday as well!”
So here’s my question: if other members had reported items stolen the same day, then why weren’t warnings posted or given verbally to everyone upon entry to the facility or gym? And why is the security so inadequate? Why have lockers at all if nobody is responsible for ensuring they are not vandalized?
I have since filed a personal loss report with Servus Place, an action that was not recommended to me until three days after the incident. I also reported the items stolen to the police and wrote a complaint letter to Diane Enger, facility director, and to the head of security. It took them 10 business days to respond. In a word, unacceptable!
Servus Place showed me nothing but disrespect by the time they took to respond to my concern, their lack of sympathy for the loss and their failure to resolve the situation to my satisfaction and for the benefit of all members. Nearly two months have passed since the incident and I have still not had the issue resolved.
So be cautious and leave your belongings at home, securely locked in your vehicle, on your person or in a sports bag in plain view at all times.
And to all Servus Place staff, remember who pays your salary — the citizens of St. Albert through taxes and members through their annual fees. It is time to make security a priority and ensure that anyone using Servus Place can enjoy the amenities without worrying about whether someone has just robbed them. Furthermore, when a wave of incidents occurs, you have a civic and civil responsibility to inform your clients and respond to their concerns in a professional and timely manner. We deserve to be informed of any and all risks. Don’t hide the truth, share it!
So I pay a hefty membership fee to use Servus Place, helped subsidize this facility through my property taxes, and am out close to $1,000 in personal belongings, but no one at the facility seems to care.
Anatole Nykolyshyn, St. Albert
