Personal Training: 6 Secrets of Award Winning Customer Service

Would you believe that your ability to provide qualityclients have to say, help out without leaving your
customer service to your clients is at least asprofessional boundaries, and let your clients know
important as your ability to get them results fromthat you care about what happens to them, not just
their training program? Did you even know thatabout what happens during the training
customer service was going to be part of yoursession.FlexibilityAlthough a trainer's day is usually
business model? After all, what does personal trainingdictated by a preset schedule, if you paint yourself
have to with customer service?The answer:into a corner with your calendar, you will quickly find
everything. Remember that your clients are peoplethat some of your clients can't stick with their
first, and their status as one of your clients comesprogram because their schedule is just not that black
second. Knowing how to tend to the needs of yourand white. In today's world of the ever-changing
customers will literally make the difference betweenlandscape of professional as well as personal lifestyle
a long and prosperous career in the fitness industry,factors, many people have trouble doing the same
or a short-lived stint that leaves you wondering whatthing day after day, and week after week. In order
career path you should try next!In order to assistto keep your clients happy and on track with their
you in walking down the success path, here are sixprograms, you must "roll with the punches" and
methods that you can use to "WOW" your clients onexhibit some flexibility when it comes to scheduling
a regular basis, keeping them happy, loyal to you, andand training issues.It is a very good idea to have a
engaging in long-term prosperous businessrunning cancellation policy for your business, and it is
relationships. In no particular order they are: contact,an equally good idea to educate your clients on the
date and event recognition, listening, flexibility,need for regularity in their training program. However,
forward thinking, and over-delivering.ContactWhenbeing so inflexible that you charge a client $50 every
you get a new personal training client, many peopletime they get a flat tire, have to work late, or have
will still second-guess their decision to hire you. Aftera family emergency will quickly eliminate any
all, a personal trainer can be an expensive asset, andprofessional bonding that your clients may have
your clients need to believe that they made the rightpreviously felt was a part of your working
decision. One of the easiest ways for you to easerelationship. Enforce your policies, but be realistic
their mind in the beginning as well as during theabout the fact that life is just not as black and white
course of their training program is by simply staying inas it may have been 20 years ago.Forward
contact with them.Most clients will see you at most 3ThinkingThis is as much of a sales technique as it is a
times each week, and some clients even less thangreat customer service tool. In a nutshell, it means
that. With at least 4 days in each week when yourthat you should always be planning for the future
clients don't see you, you are influencing them lesswhen it comes to your clients. Talk to them about
than 50% of the time! Many clients hire a personalhow you are going to start running with them once
trainer because they need constant guidance andthey get their weight down enough for their knees
support, and less than 50% could hardly beto handle the stress. Explain to them how much fun it
considered constant.An easy solution to this is towill be when you can start taking them through the
send your clients a few emails a week, or mail themnew training protocol that you put together. Get
an actual snail mail letter once in awhile. Clip anthem excited about how good they are going to look
appropriate article from a magazine and make copieson the beach this summer after several more
of it to mail to your clients, or email them the URL ofmonths of working out with you, or about how their
a great motivational story about weight loss that youcousin Sally is going to be so envious at Christmas
found on the Internet. Forward them funnytime this year when she sees how much weight your
anecdotes about health and fitness, or drop them aclient has lost.All of these things plant the seed for
postcard congratulating them on their latestyour clients that you are thinking about their future,
progress.For that matter, pick up the phone! Calland not just taking them through a workout. Let
Suzie Client on Saturday to let her know that youthem know that you have great plans for them in
just got done updating her client record and hadthe future, and that you can't wait to see their
reason to again marvel at how great she is doingresults when they get to a certain point in the
with her program. You just can't pay for the type ofprogram that you have them on. Again, your clients
customer feedback you will get from something likeare people, and they want to be made to feel
that!Stay in contact with your clients in betweenimportant, needed, and
training sessions, and the increased attention willrespected.Over-deliveringOver-delivering value to your
remind them on a regular basis that in the beginningclients is probably the most important technique out
you committed to a one on one training program forof any that have been listed so far. It is last in our
them, not just to stand there 3 times a week whilelist of customer service secrets so that it is the one
they exercise.Date and Event RecognitionRecognizingthat you remember the most!Over-delivering is just
special dates in your client's lives is another greatwhat it sounds like - giving your clients more value
way to show them that you are thinking about themfor their money than they originally expected to get.
in between training sessions.- Send your clients aIn fact, all of the items listed above are great
birthday card, or even a small but thoughtful gift.examples of over-delivery. Do you think that when
- Congratulate them on their wedding anniversary, oryour clients hired you they expected to be getting
even send flowers or a card to their house.gifts on their birthday, expected you to be excited
- Ask them how excited they are about theabout the graduation of their children, or that they
upcoming graduation of their child from high school orcould vent to you about their mother-in-law during
college.training sessions? These are all examples of the
- Have a special token of your appreciation sent toinfinite number of ways that you can over-deliver
their home or office after a set amount of time thatvalue to your clients.In addition to what has already
they have been training with you - maybe annually orbeen listed, you can get much more specific with
semi-annually.your over-delivery efforts. Each of your clients has a
- Give them a special award every time they lose 5very well defined fitness goal that they are diligently
pounds, or drop a percentage of body fat.working towards. As a fitness professional, you
- Attend the race or other fitness event that youshould be regularly keeping up with the latest news
have been training them for.As you can see, thestories about health and fitness, as well as getting
possibilities are limitless. The lesson that you want toContinuing Education Credits.Put that information
take away from this section is that you went abovedirectly to use for your clients! How impressed do
and beyond the call of duty to recognize a date oryou think your client would be if their fitness goal is
an event that was important to your client. Theyto be a competitive swimmer, and you take a course
won't forget that when it comes time to decideon training competitive swimmers? What about if you
whether or not to keep working withhave picked up some clients who are over the age
you!ListeningThe fact that you should listen to yourof 55 and you start reading books and clipping articles
clients should go without saying. If your title ison Senior Fitness? How about a bonus training
"Personal Trainer", please take a moment at this timesession that you give your client when they reach a
to re-read the first word! Too many trainers fall intogoal? What about if you have a client who is on the
the familiar trap of just taking their clients throughhigh school wrestling team, and after working with
workouts. Your clients aren't paying you to workouthim for 2 months, you offer to do a free class for
with them. They are paying you to give themhis entire team? The teenager becomes a hero
dedicated one on one service, and the actualbecause his personal trainer gave up some winning
workout is only one part of that.In addition to thetips before the big meet, and you get a boat load of
exercise programming, you must again think aboutfree publicity!ConclusionThe pattern developing here is
the fact that your clients are humans before theyclear, and the above examples are only sketches of
are clients. As humans, they have as many outsidethings that you might consider. Remember that every
considerations as you do. If you are only seeing themsuccessful personal trainer runs a business, he or she
3 hours per week, that leaves 165 hours each weekdoesn't just workout with their clients. Get under the
when you are not around, and the lifestyle eventshood of your business, tinker around with the wiring,
that happen during that time will spill over into theand find ways to "WOW" your clients
training sessions.Your clients will talk about their jobs,everyday!Aaron Potts is the author and creator of
their spouses, their relatives and in-laws, their childrenThe Ultimate Complete Personal Training Business Kit,
and their neighbors, their gardener and their mailman,a quick-start kit and business guide for new as well
etc. Any good personal trainer realizes that althoughas seasoned fitness professionals. Aaron's experience
we have no business actually dispensing professionalas a Fitness Professional has included management
advice on personal or spiritual matters, we are a 3positions with local and nationally known fitness
time per week sounding board for our clients, andfacilities, as well as in-home and outdoor training with
that is just part of the job. Listen to what yourclients from all walks of life.