Have you been emotionally attached to a client? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[zoggy]

Hi, I am new here, saw a great article, saying us pt need to be part of a support pt community, so I searched the net and found myself here....

feel i need to talk to those who would understand, other trainers... sorry about the long post........

Do you get Emotionally Attached to clients- seems I have..

Ok I am a freelance pt and have been doing pt on and off for several years, but this year I decided to get more serious and established quite a few clients
Some are hard work others are more fun…
I had this one client for the last 6 months that has done very well, never complains, hardly ever misses a session, she was training 3 times a week every week, a lot of fun and we became friends. She made real positive changes to her health and fitness and always talks me up to her friends and family

She said she wanted to give it until the end of October initially a few months ago, before finishing up, I was ok with that, BUT, managed to (so I thought get her to continue beyond that).

Then after completing a 10 k fun run and some other high quality workouts, she said not to worry, “she wants to keep me’ long term, so I thought good. Then she also said she wants to get to her goal before finishing which would be another month or two, she even said after that she wants to go down to weekely sessions.....all good so far

well today she said she wants to finish next workout, going back to the end October date……..I usually I ask clients for a couple weeks notice before finishing, and reminded her of that, to which she replied it is not her problem….I said no, but it is polite, our talks are informal as we are on quite friendly terms…

My question is after spending so much time in the last 6 months, she become fit enough that I did workouts with her at times….but I feel really empty losing this client, weird…

I mean yes it is a big chunk of money suddenly gone (but I can and will replace that), but the thought of not training her or with her anymore, just feels like it stopped short of the goal…. feeling kinda down
I’m a bit annoyed at the comment, considering I gave her a good deal and lots of other advice

Whenever I lose a long term client I do feel a little down, but it goes away quite quick, but this is worse, maybe because it was 3 times per week, I feel I got emotionally attached, big mistake, I will move on of course, but is this normal? I feel really down and shouldn’t as I picked up 2 more new clients, last week. That covers most of the money, but not the empty feeling. We have one last session in 2 days time.

Maybe because she didn’t give me more notice, that’s my fault as I should always take a deposit, one week in advance for this reason….
Has anyone else felt this and how did you deal with it? I know time will pass…..was just hoping the end would be more of a joint decision seeing we became what I would call friends…
Am I mad? is this normal?

N

[Christina]

Hi zoggy and welcome. I had a real hard time with this when I first started training. When someone would drop out I would beat myself up and wonder what I had done wrong. The bottom line is, we run a business. Your client is not paying you to be her friend, she is paying you to train her. I know it is hard to lose a client -- I also lost one recently that I had been working with 3 days a week --but at the end of the day, that's business. It's nothing personal.

Christina

[mikeperryfitness]

I know how you feel. It is the same for all good trainers, when you lose a good client and you feel that they weren't quite ready to be let loose on the world of fitness on their own. Aside from the financial impacted, it's the trainer/client relationship that you will miss. I have found that in the past people who you may train for awhile and then they leave you a little prematurely, usaully come back after awhile when they made start to gain weight or realise that they weren't quite prepared enough to 'make it' on their own.
Rest assured that there are plenty more clients that will fill in your time and as Christine said, it is a business you are trying to run, so you need to keep focused on supplying a service and try not to get to attached.

[zoggy]

thanks guys, that does help heaps. I am much better today

"Your client is not paying you to be her friend, she is paying you to train her"

Christina sooooo true.....need to keep reminding myself

and yeah, it was premature, from a financial perspective, i will be gettig them to pay a week in advance and sign a form stating I need 2 weeks notice before ending, then they can use the deposit for the fnal session, if the cancel withuot 2 weeks notice i keep the deposit.....

I did pick up 2 new people in the same week, if i pick up one more, I am actually making more money because no disooucnts for once a week people...

Mike, thanks and you are right, I am sure she will be back, because I know what her real goals are and she is not there yet....but even if she isn't no biggy, besides very possible I will be booked out....

I find many more through word of mouth I dont do much advertising, as I only take around 7-9 clients at a time, never more than 10. (yes I do this part time)

But thanks guys your input helps....

keep it pro.......

[kaiserS]

thanks guys, that does help heaps. I am much better today

"Your client is not paying you to be her friend, she is paying you to train her"

Absolutely.