Reservations at the Bellamy Fitness Center

  • Published
The Commander' s Action Line is a forum for the Ellsworth community to make suggestions or voice concerns about Ellsworth directly to Col. Gentry Boswell, 28th Bomb Wing commander. 

QUESTION 

Col. Boswell,

I'm not one to complain, but this has now happened to us twice in the last two months and I see it's going to continue unless something is changed. I'm talking about Bellamy Fitness Center reservation system. Let me give my scenario and of what is happening. My coworkers and I like playing Wally Ball every Wednesday after work. I've been the one who has been making all the court reservation. On Wednesday when we come in to play I make the reservations for the following week. I watch them write it in their reservations book. They need my Squadron, Name and contact number. I can see no conflict in their book with the reservation; I watch them write it down. The following Wednesday when we come in to play they have given the court to someone else, because they overbooked it. The folks at the fitness center basically just say sorry we can't do anything about it and we lose the court. I can't believe it is that hard for someone to look in a reservation book and see that it is reserved. I understand they only have one Wally ball court at the moment the other one is a temporary racket ball court for the other courts are being redone. Why the folks at the front desk at the fitness center can't get this straight is quit frustrating. I also reserved the court last week and someone came in early on Wednesday to also reserve the court, you would think the person who reserved the court first would get it. This is not the case at the fitness center. The airmen at the desk suggested to me to reserve the court for a longer time, like through the end of December. So I did this and then she told me she'll write it in the book. I can foresee us having this problem again? What I suggest, the folks at the fitness center write a date down the day the reservation is made. This way when they overbook it again they can say sorry to the other folks, that they made a mistake and someone else reserved it earlier. That only if they have guts to confront the other party and tell them they made an error in their reservation book. This not only an airman problem for the first time this happen there was a female NCO who also refuses to do nothing.



Col. Gentry Boswell
Col. Gentry
Boswell
  RESPONSE

Thanks for your feedback on our racquet and wallyball court reservation process at the Bellamy Fitness Center. We owe you an apology and have addressed the reservation issues you highlighted. The Bellamy Fitness Center recently underwent a renovation project to upgrade facilities, including the courts. As a result, we reduced racquetball and wally-ball services down to one court each while the others were undergoing repairs; however, while doing so, we did not properly account for the pre-existing reservations that should have been honored and as you indicated, ended up double-booking the remaining courts. We apologize for the frustration this caused. The staff has addressed the reservation process and procedures have been put in place to prevent incidents such as these from happening again. Taking care of our Airmen and their families is a top priority, so thanks for your inputs on how we can improve. If you have additional suggestions or ideas, please feel free to contact our Fitness Center noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Tech. Sgt. Jessica Pinner, at (605) 385-2266.