A gym worker’s TikTok about workplace boundaries and stalking has gone viral after they revealed how they received an unsolicited Instagram direct message from a client.
In the video, which has amassed nearly 250,000 views, TikToker and gym employee Andraya (@thatgirldray) revealed a worrying message she received from a prospective client, who appeared to have found her personal Instagram profile based on her work email address.
@thatgirldray_ I wonder if he follows me on here too 🙃#men #customerservice #storytime #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Andraya
Speaking to the camera, the TikToker says in the video, “Customer service workers should not be forced to wear a nametag with their name on it if they do not want to, nor should their public work email be their first and last name.”
“I currently work at a gym,” she explains. “And I had this guy sign up online for a membership. So I reached out to him through the work phone, and I let him know that I needed him to come into the gym to sign some papers to get his membership completed. We scheduled an appointment, and when we scheduled an appointment, it goes through my work email to send him a confirmation for the appointment.”
While the interaction seemed fairly normal, the TikToker pointed out that her work email contains her first and last name, and that her first name is uncommon.
“So, if you have my first name, it’s very easy to find me on social media,” she continues. “Let alone if you also have my last name, you will 100% find me.”
It seems the client did indeed search for Andraya’s profile, as she received an Instagram direct message from the person. She shares the screenshot in the TikTok.
The direct message read, “Not sure if you’re working tomorrow, but I can be in tomorrow to sign my corporate paper. Sorry I figured it’s easier to let you know via message, either way stoked haven’t been in like… 2-3 years it’ll be good to be back.”
Andraya adds, “I would just like to know how it’s easier or appropriate to message me on my personal Instagram account with matters regarding the gym/work. So that message alone freaked me out.”
The TikToker explains that she also had “this exact same issue” at another job, where a customer contacted her on Facebook based on information from her name tag.
“I ended up going to the cops about it, and found out that this guy had like a list of priors, like the cops know about him. It was this whole thing. So seeing this message from this guy, my personal account really freaked me out.”
According to the TikToker, she has a mutual Instagram follower with the gym customer, who she reached out to after he sent her an unsolicited DM. “This girl comes back to me and says, ‘Run, this guy’s crazy. He’s a stalker. He’s obsessive,’” Andraya says.
She continues, “And now he has my information. He knows my name. He knows where I work. And he can literally just show up to my work anytime he wants because I work at a gym.”
Reiterating that her job shouldn’t have made her share her name with the customer, many users in the comments section agreed, sharing their own identical stories of how customers push boundaries.
“When I was waitressing, my bosses had to change my name on the receipts because it got bad,” one commenter revealed.
“He would show up at my work and it did not go away until I changed jobs,” another claimed.
The TikToker said they intend to speak to their manager to file an incident report. The Daily Dot has reached out to Andraya via TikTok comment for this story.
