New to Personal Training? Avoid the Disrespectful Client Bear Trap
We became personal trainers for one reason or another. This can range from creating a side hustle to making health and fitness a career. Whatever the reason the fact remains, we still need to make a living. Bills need to be paid and families need to be fed which means we need to fill our books. For most of us, if we do not work, we do not get paid and that format of earning income is a hard way to make a living. In the beginning, it is natural to want to take on every single client possible, even the ones that are not considered “ideal”. There is a trainer for everyone who is seeking an expert in the health and fitness world but that does not mean that we should be everything to everyone. What does this mean? The jack of all trade’s trainer. Weight loss? No problem! Weight gain? Even better. Rehabilitation? Perfect. Youth training? Let’s go! Senior fitness? Of course! Online? Where’s my computer! Powerlifting? I do now. Crossfit? Bring on the Murph!
This is exhausting and unreasonable. Someone somewhere is going to suffer for this. It is mostly the clients because we are dragging g ourselves through the mud trying to do it all. Impossible task. We cannot be the one stop shop for training. I know there are others out there that profess that they can do it all. Good for them and I bet that the claims they are making are true. We need to make money, let’s not kid ourselves, but there should be a line that should not be crossed. Just taking money to pay the bills with no motivation to provide a top-quality service is completely unethical. It happens all the time in this industry and to be fair, I completely understand. I have become accustomed to eating every day and sometimes I have had to take on a client that was less than ideal in order to keep the lights on and put food in my family’s belly. After almost 15 years in the industry, and even opening a facility, I am fortunate enough that I do not have to take on a client that I feel will not be a good fit with my training philosophies.
It is not always the trainer’s fault. There are clients out there who just want the status of having a personal trainer to brag to their friends about. It is a status symbol for some strange reason. They do not want to put in any work or effort and just want to show up for their training sessions and leave. Some clients use personal trainers as therapists. Therapists/trainers seem to go hand in hand for some peculiar reason. I can help people get fit, not fix their marriage. I am woefully underqualified as a therapist.
As a personal trainer, it is important to maintain a professional and safe working environment. While it is not appropriate to discriminate against potential clients, there are certain behaviors or characteristics that may raise red flags. These can vary from trainer to trainer but after almost 15 years of being in the health and wellness industry, here are some examples of clients trainers may want to approach with caution or potentially avoid working with. These are my “red flags” that I look for when potentially working with a new client.
WHAT IS A RED FLAG?
Think of a red flag as an indication of danger ahead. For me, when talking to a potential client during the screening process, I ask specific questions and listen for warning phrases. These can be anything from “well, my last trainer” or “what I think I should be doing”. When I hear more than three red flags, I recommend someone else who I think will be better suited to their needs. Every trainer should have their own red flags. These are non-negotiable lines in the sand that will not be crossed or better yet, a wall of protection for the trainers, and clients, well-being. Here is what I found to be “red flags” in my business.
Clients who devalue: NEVER wheel and deal. Time is worth something. There is only a limited amount of time in the day and every second, minute and hour need to serve a purpose. I have seen too many trainers take less than what they are worth in order to fill time. Experience and expertise mean something and has value. If a potential client wants to negotiate and try to get a lower session rate, then they do not value training, and more importantly, they do not value the trainer. Have I taken less than my normal rate? Of course. These are rare occurrences but there are a multitude of circumstances that have led me to taking less than my normal session rate. Whatever the session rate is, stick to it.
Clients with medical conditions: While it is generally beneficial to work with clients who have medical conditions or injuries, it is crucial to have the necessary knowledge and experience to provide appropriate guidance. I call this the “stay in your lane principle”. The reason for physical therapy is vast but the fact remains, rehab should be left to physical therapists. We make people stronger. Specialists are there for a reason and they need to be used. Having a working relationship with people in the medical industry is vital and a great way to set up a feeding system for future clients.
Uncooperative or disrespectful clients: Clients who consistently disregard instruction, show a lack of commitment, or display disrespectful behavior can create a negative training environment. It is important to maintain mutual respect and professionalism. Clients come to us for a reason and if a client consistently fails to comply with guidelines or demonstrates disrespectful behavior, it may be necessary to terminate the professional relationship. It is the, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink” complex. Time and expertise are worth something and if a client has a total disregard for the service that they are paying for, it might be a good idea to recommend them to someone else. Do not take this personally or blame the client. Some personalities do not mix and maybe another trainer will have the ability to get through whatever barriers are being thrown up. Regardless, there is no reason to battle with a client to prove that the methods and programming they are being provided are correct and necessary. It is safer to just move on and recommend them to someone else. (Side note: if you do recommend a frustrating client to another professional, give them a heads up on some of the snags that occurred. DO NOT TAINT THE WATER!) Talking ill about a client is unprofessional. The client might be great for another trainer and the client needs to be provided with every opportunity to find someone to help them meet their needs.)
Clients with unrealistic expectations: Some clients may have unrealistic goals or expectations, such as expecting immediate or dramatic results within a short timeframe. We have all run into the client that needs to lose an extreme amount of weight in a short period of time for a wedding/reunion/vacation. It is important to set realistic expectations and educate clients about the time and effort required to achieve their desired outcomes. Clients are personal trainers’ business cards. They are a direct means of contact with the outside world and potential clients for the future. Most of the time clients with unrealistic goals blame their trainer. In fact, they are more vocal than a trainer’s best client. If a client is unwilling to adjust their expectations or continuously expresses dissatisfaction, it may be best to part ways.
Clients with a history of non-compliance: If a potential client has a track record of quitting programs or not following through with their commitments, it may indicate a lack of motivation or dedication. There are a couple of ways to decern if a client has a history of non-compliance. Asking detailed questions about their training history can help with determining if a client might have a history of non-compliance. For example, have they worked with a trainer before and for how long? How many trainers have they worked with? What is the reason that they are seeking a personal trainer now? Sometimes a client can look good on paper but start to show their colors when training starts to get going. A big indicator of non-compliance is constant rescheduling, showing up late to appointments or not showing up to appointments at all. All of us, or at least all of us, should give homework to our clients. This can range from exercises to perform outside of the gym to journaling food and water intake throughout the day. If a client continually fails short of completing these tasks, for whatever reason, it could be an indicator of non-compliance. Of course, we should not always take situations on face value and investigate further, but we all have our red flags and sometimes we need to see more to be sure those flags are being flown. While everyone deserves a chance, if their history suggests a pattern of non-compliance, it might be challenging to achieve meaningful progress with them.
Clients seeking unethical or dangerous practices: Some individuals may approach you with requests for unethical practices, such as promoting extreme dieting, performance-enhancing substances, or unsafe training methods. Everyone has their reasons for wanting to improve their lives and it can be argued that there is no wrong reason to want to get healthy. Whatever the motive might be for the individual, it is valid for them. The fitness industry is also flooded with magazine articles about new trends that pertain to diets, workouts, or supplements. We need to be guides to help decipher information that is out there. Most of us have personally partook in what could be considered unethical, from dieting to performance-enhancing substances. I have had to cut weight (up to 15 pounds) rapidly to participate in physical competitions. The weight loss mostly occurred to calorie restriction, but I knew fully well that once I returned to my normal caloric balance that I would gain weight quickly. Most clients are unprepared or ill-informed about some of these dangerous practices and it is our responsibility to let them know and give them all the relevant information that is available.
Remember, these are general guidelines, and each situation is unique. It is important to use your professional judgment and communicate openly with clients to ensure a positive and safe training experience for both parties.
