Handling Lateness
You and your clients lead very busy lives. Inevitably, there will be times when one of you is late for your appointment. You have to handle these situations in a way that is comfortable for you and fair to both you and your clients. Whatever you decide, put your policy in writing and discuss it with your clients. You may even consider writing it in the form of a contract, describing the responsibilities of both client and trainer.
Alert
It is easy to confuse being taken advantage of with providing good customer service. In a misguided effort to keep clients happy, trainers can become overly accommodating. If you understand and behave as though your time is valuable, your clients will also. If, on the other hand, you sacrifice your schedule too much, your clients will not respect your time.
When the Client Is Late
While your clients may make every effort to arrive at their appointments on time, there will be times where they arrive late. If this is a rare occurrence and you have the time to do so, you may choose to allow your client to stay beyond the scheduled hour and finish the workout. This is an example of going the extra mile to provide good customer service. However, by doing so you are going into the next time slot. If you have someone scheduled for that time, you will simply need to complete as much of the workout as possible in whatever time remains. Keep in mind that you do not want this occurrence to become a habit. If a client is chronically late, make it clear that her scheduled time is for a specific hour and does not begin when she arrives for the appointment. If your client schedules an appointment for 10 A.M., she is paying you for your service from 10–11 A.M. You may not have a client at 11 A.M., but you will likely have something else you need or want to do at that time.
When the Trainer Is Late
If you know you will not be on time for an appointment, contact your client to let him know you will be late. Try to give an approximate time for your arrival. Your clients' time is just as valuable as your own, and you should respect their time as much as you expect them to respect yours. You also need to be accountable for your lateness. Ask your client if they still want to keep the appointment or reschedule for a more convenient time.
If you and your client both have the time to extend the appointment, this is the simplest solution. If you are more than fifteen minutes late and the client is unable to make up the time, either do not charge for the appointment or offer a discounted rate. If you have really put your client out, you might consider offering him a free session. Your ultimate goal is customer satisfaction, so you need to do what it takes to rectify the situation in a satisfactory manner.
