How to tell a client no
I feel like a client is taking advantage of me. She only signed up for a limited number of sessions and doesn’t want to continue because she feels she doesn’t come often enough to gain benefit. Yet, she wants me to give her a list of all of the exercises I’ve done with her and provide a second routine. I want to tell her no in a way that will maintain a relationship with her even though she doesn’t want any more personal training. Any suggested language?
Hi Jayne,
I think you could provide the client with the exercises you have gone over–if you feel comfortable that the client can do them safely and in good form on their own. These days, that would be expected for any client since they do have to workout on their own. For my own clients who request the workouts (this is for my own in-home business), I will provide them with the routine/exercises only if I have actually gone over the routine and/or exercises with them and know their form.
However, I make it a rule to never give a client a workout that I have not done with them. It makes it easy for me to say to a client that I need to instruct them, monitor form, and ensure they can safely do it on their own–something you can tell your client as well. So, I would not give your client a second workout if you haven’t gone over it with her.
You can give a little, keep it professional, and still hold your ground at the same time.
Hope this helps and good luck…
Christine
Hello Jayne Powers,
This is when being professional will pay off; clients will respect you more. Try to explain that your business is not able to afford certain things (your choices) and that you spend many hours of your unpaid time working for them. Now, put yourself in the client’s shoes, would you do that to someone and consider it to be fair?
Take care,
Natalie aka NAPS 2 B Fit.
I’m going to disagree with all the above advice and suggest that you over-deliver to this lady.
I don’t think her requests are out of line, or that you are being taken advantage of.
Give her her list.
Give her an alternate workout.
Check in with her in two weeks to see how she’s doing.
I will encourage you (and everyone reading this thread) to take a long-term and wide-angle view on serving people. Until you are booked so full and your time is in such demand that you literally don’t have 15 minutes to donate to a client, you should spend some of your non-paid time putting out good material and advice to your clients (both present and past) and your followers.
You will make a pile of money over the course of your career. You will spend a pile of time doing things for people. It evens out in the end. Don’t nickel-and-dime everyone to make some sort of statement that you never do anything unless you get paid for it. In my opinion (and I’ve been very successful in this industry for 22 years now, so I like to think my advice and perspective should warrant at least *some* consideration), being stingy is bad business, bad mojo, and bad attitude.
-Dan DeFigio,
https://gettingfit.com
http://beatingsugaraddiction.com
You have gotten yourself into a situation that is not a big deal, but could be handled differently in the future.
I always make sure to ask my clients what they want out of the time we spend together. I specifically ask if they want to learn to workout on their own or if they want me to be their regular guide at workouts.
The ones that want learn a workout routine/program that they can do on their own get a copy of the workout, but they fill in all the information they need to remember how to do the exercises. It takes longer to cover the material, but they are responsible for learning the workout.
Those that are coming in for sessions under my guidance can still have a copy of the workout, but we don’t spend time on the education aspect. We get in the gym and get the workout done. Rinse and repeat.
If a client tells me after a while that they want to have a copy of the workout with explanations to do on their own, it can go one of two ways. One, they were an excellent client for a fairly long time and I do it for free. Two, they were difficult or missed sessions (etc.). Then they can get a copy of the workout without explanations or they can do a few more sessions and take their own notes. I spend a lot of time designing a program for each client. That time goes into my fees accordingly.
All of my clients know their options. And when they want to change things, I explain their new options. You could still approach this client in this manner if you haven’t made a move on this yet.