Things started out great...but went bad and worse.
I was looking for an office space to work from in November 2016 when I learned that WeWork Harlem was opening up that December. It was conveniently just 15 minutes away from my home so it was perfect! I was one of this site's first members.
I started with a Dedicated Desk membership a shared office space $500 a month. However, I started to find the dedicated desk space to be a bit expensive for a table, chair & small drawer squeezed in between two other people so I changed my membership to Hot Desk - in which you're able to sit in the common area - $350 a month.
Around the time I downgraded, new community staff members were in & out. The friendly and more accommodating staff were almost immediately promoted OUT. The same with the staff that was brought in after them.The previous group of staff members were the least responsive & least friendly but have been kept there the longest (Julissa, Edwin). It seemed as if as soon as WeWork members began to love the staff, those exact staff members were moved to more downtown locations or other states/countries.
MY BAD EXPERIENCE BEGAN WHEN I threw my 3rd movie night event, utilizing the projector & benches in the common area as a sort of "theatre". This event was meant to be a collaboration however I received very little assistance with this crew as opposed to the previous staff members. They were to provide the snacks and drinks however I had to keep looking for them to bring out each snack and drink because they were TOO BUSY TRYING TO BRING IN NEW CUSTOMERS whom might I add were all white. I suppose the money provided by me, a person of brown complexion, was unworthy of proper service?
It got WORSE. After the film ended, some of the guests stuck around socializing, networking etc. A cleaning lady named Natalie was nearby and I could sense her hostility. She was cursing and slamming cabinets angrily. Noticing this, I picked up after my guests to make sure the area was neat and took them to a conference room where we would be out of the way. Shortly after this, the security was sent up, asking us to leave on behalf of Julissa Contreras, a staff member, whom by her mean looks I could tell did not have a liking to me. I couldn't understand this to be anything other than DISCRIMINATION, because
1) I'd never had an issue with anyone there before
2) We were not loud (as the door was closed), we were not messy (I'd made sure to neaten up after my guests), nor were we disrespectful or a bother (we'd been joined by other members)
3) Membership grants 24/7 access
4) We were a small group of black and brown professionals
I was very hurt, embarrassed to have been approached & asked to leave, for no wrong doing- as a long time PAYING member, a professional, a person of color, a woman, and just simply put, a HUMAN BEING.
It took me a long and hard try before being able to reach someone higher up at WeWork for assistance on my complaint. A few days later, a meeting was called for myself, the manager of the Harlem WeWork site - Edwin Henry, & the regional director, Victor de la Vega Ortiz. At the meeting, I was made to feel as if I was still the blame. Victor went on to apologize for me feeling the way that I felt. They also made up rules as they went, stating that it was their mistake for "not making clear to me" that I couldn't use the conference rooms without booking them...
(Mind you absolutely all of the members here pop into vacant conference rooms when the place is as empty as it was.)
...and for "couldn't have guests after around a certain time..." I definitely read the fine print of all paperwork and this was not in it before. They were simply making up rules as they went, to make an excuse for this situation. Of course they were not going to give my money back for this inconvenience so I settled for a few conference room credits although this really did not make up for my discomfort.
A few weeks later, I proposed another event - another movie night - promising to end it with group discussion (in case they thought my event was a measly waste of time) and I was TURNED DOWN FROM HOSTING ANOTHER EVENT. The first excuse was that they were all booked up and they suggested getting back in contact the next month, which I did sooner than later and was then TURNED DOWN AGAIN for that month. A few days later, after rejecting my event, the WeWork staff threw their own first Movie Night!
I started getting notified late about my packages or told they weren't there...My ability to book rooms after 6pm were even revoked and set as a "new rule". Half of the things I went through here are really worthy of a LAWSUIT. They want to bring WeWork uptown but reject the people OF uptown in the same breath. NOT COOL. read more