Time is Valuable
Dear Client or Future Client,
Now that we’ve been working together for a bit, I want to discuss our time.
I’m a bit frustrated right now and I’d like you to understand why. If you’ve ever tried to schedule clients or schedule time with friends, I’m sure you can relate to this in some way. We’ve all dealt with someone who never seems to make certain things/events a priority…that thing being you and/or the service that you offer.
In a world like personal training where one’s income is based on the number of clients they have and meet with each week, it’s pretty unnerving when even just one of them cancels. It’s even worse when they cancel on a regular basis.
Those working as personal trainers or any appointment-based profession do the following each week and month:
- Build a schedule around our clients,
- Plan our expenses around the income that we are expecting that week based off of the number of appointments had,
- Work OUR personal lives around our clients schedules (i.e. doctors appointments, meet ups with friends, family events, vacations, etc.)
It really sucks when you cancel and the number that was being relied on changes…and not positively. It sucks even more when it’s expected that you’re going to cancel because you’ve done it so many times.
I don’t want to lose faith in you! Please don’t make me do that.
It’s a loss of income for us as professionals. I’m not in this profession to gain as much money as possible, I’m in it because I love working with people. I absolutely love the time that I spend with you and my other clients. But this is my livelihood and that income is needed.
When you cancel, especially within a 12-hour window, you’re still paying for the time that you are missing with me. You are making a choice.
Every week, for 1 or 2 sessions in that week I carve out time for you. That time is only for you. So when you cancel, and with little notice – yes it’s great I have an hour to myself, BUT I am unable to fill that time with another client.
When you cancel on a regular basis, I start to have little faith in you. I start to expect it, and I don’t want to do that! I understand things come up and certain circumstances may prevent you from coming to your session (i.e. being sick, unexpected health/family situations, etc.), but if you cancel because you aren’t managing your time properly, shame on you.
I may not be your #1 priority and I don’t expect to be, but if you request an hour of my time and you don’t utilize it, that sets us up for failure. My job is to hold you accountable and when you choose to cancel or not show, you’re proving to me that you aren’t ready to make a change in your life. We are in the real world, there are consequences. It’s not a free ride. Playing with my time is like playing with someone’s heart. Don’t do it if you aren’t serious.
I want you as one of my clients to understand that I have blocked out time for YOU. I have written a plan for YOU and you choose to cancel or not show. Time is extremely valuable and I can’t cater directly to you 24/7. I value our sessions together, I love learning about you and watching you make progress. So it frustrates and hurts me in many ways when you can’t see that for yourself.
So please, before you decide to take on personal training or any sort of commitment, choose your priorities. And if fitness is not one of them, take a step back from the personal training. Save yourself the money and focus on what you need to. That way I can focus on what I need to and not be frustrated / resentful towards you.
I love my job and I love the beautiful humans that I work and meet with each week. You are one of those humans, so please value yourself in that way and the time that we spend together.
With all the love and encouragement.
Your Trainer,
Mariah
