I work as a trainer in a “commercial” gym. What is happenening here is they are trying to raise back end profits. Simply put they offer you a “demo” session, now if the trainer is really good and you can actually learn something from him, you might logically buy. Chances are that is not the case, what will happen is you might be passed on to a “closer” who will try and get you to see the value of what you just had etc…Possibly even try to demoralize you and make you feel like you can’t do this alone. I personally refuse to take part in this area. I am the only one who does. I got into training because I like training and helping people, the former to me is not helping. I refuse to compromise who I am and my integrity to help a dirty industry get dirtier.
I would not accept a tip. Point blank. Period.
Now, if a client were to give me a gift I would accept it. For example, I had a client go to Puerto Rico and they brought be back a bottle of fine Puerto Rican rum. Completely acceptable.
Another client, I showed her son a basic workout for football on me. She brought me a $25.00 Starbucks card, also completely acceptable. Or if a client were to give me Redskins (or other) tickets when they couldn’t attend the game, again completely acceptable. But cash or check would not ever be acceptable in my opinion.
Off topic. Hey Prof X, lets make a deal. We both train each other for 6 months, then see who needs more therapy. Could be interesting…
in our gym when new people join up they meet a trainer for a ‘get results pack’ - the trainers do a free half hour with them after their intial program and induction on machine use
ive been in my place a while and have a good client base built mainly through word of mouth - rather than do the free sessions thing i tend to get new people to have a workout with me -
i get a spotter for a session and they see a trainer from a different angle
im not a hard sales trainer - if any thing i let peope go and do their own thing - this gets me business because they realise im not milking people for cash - my income comes from the fact that they maybe trained with me - got a few sessions to get started and ive meet up with them when they need to - not when my bills are due - they see body changes after just a few sessinos as they are going away and putting some time in themselves rather than seeing me for every rep
its funny cos the trainers in our place hand out free sessions and when the clients have finished with the one legged stork move with bosu squats and swiss ball throws they come to me to train properly !!
there is an ace qualified fat chick in our place who doesnt train herself - i get loads coming to me after their free sessions with her - because she is fat and sounds useless they seek a decent coach
[quote]X-Factor wrote:
I work as a trainer in a “commercial” gym. What is happenening here is they are trying to raise back end profits. Simply put they offer you a “demo” session, now if the trainer is really good and you can actually learn something from him, you might logically buy. Chances are that is not the case, what will happen is you might be passed on to a “closer” who will try and get you to see the value of what you just had etc…Possibly even try to demoralize you and make you feel like you can’t do this alone. I personally refuse to take part in this area. I am the only one who does. I got into training because I like training and helping people, the former to me is not helping. I refuse to compromise who I am and my integrity to help a dirty industry get dirtier.[/quote]
T-Man Ethics, Awesome.
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
I would not accept a tip. Point blank. Period.
Now, if a client were to give me a gift I would accept it. For example, I had a client go to Puerto Rico and they brought be back a bottle of fine Puerto Rican rum. Completely acceptable.
Another client, I showed her son a basic workout for football on me. She brought me a $25.00 Starbucks card, also completely acceptable. Or if a client were to give me Redskins (or other) tickets when they couldn’t attend the game, again completely acceptable. But cash or check would not ever be acceptable in my opinion.
Off topic. Hey Prof X, lets make a deal. We both train each other for 6 months, then see who needs more therapy. Could be interesting… [/quote]
Please explain the difference to me.
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
I would not accept a tip. Point blank. Period.
[/quote]
What if somebody said “Working with you these past few months has been awesome, I exceeded all my goals, here’s a couple hundred bucks in thanks.” You would not take that? As Sasquatch said, why not?
Well, I had the session this afternoon. Truthfully, I thought it would be a laugh - I’ve seen other people working w/ trainers in this gym and the level of exertion has seemed pretty minimal and it’s seemed to be all machines, all the time. And, the way the women get trained has looked even worse, so I thought I might end up on the ad/abductors.
Joke was on me.
She did a good basic intake about goals/problems, etc. She disclaimed any particular knowledge/ability of the olympic lifts, but said we could do a general strength workout. She had me start w/ some squat/jumps w/ a medicine ball. I think that was as much as anything to see if I could still stand up after doing 10.
It’s true she did have me do something on the ball, but it was dumbell benchpress and she gave me the choice of doing it on the bench if I preferred.
Most of it was free weights: bulgarian split squats, bent over rows (that was funny, the trainer was very small and while she could handle the weight, I kept expecting the 60 lb bar to pull her over) then SLDLs. Some weight machines, but I have to say they really got some muscles my regular workouts don’t target. She actually said she mostly didn’t use the ab/abductor leg machines, so that was encouraging.
The only thing that was kind of typical trainer bs was bench stepups to curl to press.
But, overall, it was an unexpectedly challenging workout. Afterwards, walking up the escalator on the Metro, I definitely felt it in my legs.
At the end, she explained the training packages, but no hard sell at all. I’m taking a seminar on the olympic lifts in November, so I said I was going focus on that until then, and she said to get hold of her after that if I was interested in doing something. The only pressure at all was to do the spinning class, which is free, and I think they just want to get some butts in the saddles.
Well, it is cool you were open to the experience. While trainers sometimes get a bad rap and some of them deserve it, there are a lot of good trainers out.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
arsefluff wrote:
ive been tipped but i wouldnt call it standard practice
I called that “a booty call”. But “tipped” actually sounds pretty damn cool.[/quote]
Although, you can’t sexually tip your trainer if you’re already living w/him and givin him the goods on a regular basis! Not that I would know!! LOL.
My time is already billed at $85/hour. That’s enough. I don’t really want or need any more of their money. This is why I wouldn’t accept a cash tip.
I have become friends with many of my clients, outside of the gym. With friends, gifts are perfectly fine. Gift being small items given, without much value on a personal level, not a professional level. To me this is the difference. My client who knew of my love for Carribean Rum brought me a bottle as a personal gesture, not for any reason other than she knew I would like it.
[quote]nptitim wrote:
TrainerinDC wrote:
I would not accept a tip. Point blank. Period.
What if somebody said “Working with you these past few months has been awesome, I exceeded all my goals, here’s a couple hundred bucks in thanks.” You would not take that? As Sasquatch said, why not?[/quote]
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
My time is already billed at $85/hour. That’s enough. I don’t really want or need any more of their money. This is why I wouldn’t accept a cash tip.
I have become friends with many of my clients, outside of the gym. With friends, gifts are perfectly fine. Gift being small items given, without much value on a personal level, not a professional level. To me this is the difference. My client who knew of my love for Carribean Rum brought me a bottle as a personal gesture, not for any reason other than she knew I would like it.
nptitim wrote:
TrainerinDC wrote:
I would not accept a tip. Point blank. Period.
What if somebody said “Working with you these past few months has been awesome, I exceeded all my goals, here’s a couple hundred bucks in thanks.” You would not take that? As Sasquatch said, why not?
[/quote]
I know you’re trying to sound smooth here, but get real. “I don’t want or need any more of their money.”
But, it’s ok to accept ‘gifts.’ Gifts cost money. Face it–you just took more of it from them.
Okay lets look at it this way, My good friend owns an Auto Sound and Security shop. He installed my new radio and alarm for me for free.
A month later, I was on vacation and found a greek wine I knew he loved but couldn’t find in the DC area, so I brought him the bottle of wine. Does the bottle of wine = payment for the installation? I think not.
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
Okay lets look at it this way, My good friend owns an Auto Sound and Security shop. He installed my new radio and alarm for me for free.
A month later, I was on vacation and found a greek wine I knew he loved but couldn’t find in the DC area, so I brought him the bottle of wine. Does the bottle of wine = payment for the installation? I think not.
[/quote]
equal-no—exchange for ‘friendly’ gesture-probably
tomaato/tammatto
I do see your point re: friendship, but the poster didn’t post with that premis andI would say it’s uncommon to become good enough friends to exchange gifts with most clients. A 2 way exchange is just that. One way and you’re on a slippery slope.
You’d be very wrong. Most of the long time, 20+ year trainers, at my location have become lifetime friends with their clientele. The trainer/client relationship, with a serious client and serious trainer can be very real. I have very good friendships with former and current clients. I’ve been invited to their parties, weddings, childrens birthdays, you name it.
Becoming friends with someone you work in close proximity to, is normal and human.
[quote]sasquatch wrote:
equal-no—exchange for ‘friendly’ gesture-probably
tomaato/tammatto
I do see your point re: friendship, but the poster didn’t post with that premis andI would say it’s uncommon to become good enough friends to exchange gifts with most clients. A 2 way exchange is just that. One way and you’re on a slippery slope.[/quote]
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
My time is already billed at $85/hour. That’s enough. I don’t really want or need any more of their money. This is why I wouldn’t accept a cash tip.
[/quote]
What do you do at Christmas time, the most common gift I get is a gift certificate to a fancy restuarant for 150 or whatever it is? Do you return that? General ettiquette is to tip at 1-2 times the hourly rate.
I have been given money, plane tickets, gifts, gift certificates and never thought twice about it. It was their way of showing me thanks for the service that I provided them. I also give them holiday presents and the like as a way for me to show them thanks.
Obviously you can do whatever works for you but I haven’t seen anything in your argument to convince me that taking a gift of X value is any different than taking a gift certificate or money of the same value.
I feel no need to argue it. I will not accept cash or check or whatever. Point blank.
Where is the need for an argument? I just simply won’t do it.
[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
I feel no need to argue it. I will not accept cash or check or whatever. Point blank.
Where is the need for an argument? I just simply won’t do it. [/quote]
I am not trying to argue with you. You explained your point of view and in doing so in my opinion it was inconsistent (accepting gifts but not tips). You seemed to be pretty adamant and comfortable with that policy so I asked you about it and have been trying to understand your reasoning for it and how you justify the difference. In my mind either you would accept nothing or pretty much everything. I was not expecting to change your mind because of our dialogue but I was interested to hear how you defended your position and I am glad you did.