My PT is annoyed I haven't given notice...

[filionj]

But, I pay in blocks. I've come to the end of a block and I'm just not renewing until Sept. (Or ever now).

I can't see how I have to give notice? I don't have a contract?

Thinking he's not for me, he pulls me up on cancelling short notice when my children are ill despite the fact I've already paid for the session. I think he expects to be able to fill the slot and get double bubble.

What a shame, we get on fine etc but this all leaves a very bad taste.

From the title, i thought this was a teacher resignation thread, as in Scotland PT= Principal Teacher = Head of Department.

As it is, your PT is an annoyingly entitled man - he feels entitled to your money and entitled to tell you what to do. You're not obliged to respond to him at all but there's a good suggestion upthread if you do.

I'd be tempted to reply to his message with a simple "piss off" but I'm aware that's not very mature of me.

I would text around 7am, session not until 9:15am

You've done nothing wrong - that's how blocks work, ideally you'd have both communicated your plans a bit better but it was on them to ask you your plans to continue.

Can I just say, I hate the pricing structures PTs seem to use. I used to pay mine in blocks, then she strong-armed me into paying monthly. Monthly was the cost of 4 sessions and because there are 4.35 weeks in a month she said this included her holiday time. Which was a bit vague but OK, we met on a Thursday and there are 3 months this year with 5 Thursdays instead of 4. But she'd just take a day off whenever she felt like it with no keeping score. I gave up after the third month in 6 months where I'd paid for 4 sessions but only had 2. Aaargh! Just either a) charge per session b) make the monthly cost a more accurate 4.35 x weekly session price, and c) say how many weeks holiday you will be taking over the year.

I would still expect to pay in this scenario tbh though

Exactly. I've never expected to rearrange or anything

I'd certainly have to pay if I gave that kind of notice, whatever the reason was.

All of the PTs are really struggling due to people cutting back, I would imagine the response has come from a place of panic rather than malice and he’s just lost another client.

The block system really doesn’t work well as no doubt that money has gone already to rent and bills.

and no way of knowing if you were going to carry on.

So I’d maybe be kind in my reply, coming from a business owner it’s bloody awful out there right now.

It sounds like there was no condition about providing notice before a block ends (ie no obligation to renew otherwise) so legally you are right.

It would have perhaps been helpful and polite to tell him so he could manage his waiting list, but really that's on him for not enquiring and for giving you "off" vibes that probably meant you found him unapproachable.

As for short notice cancelling sessions, he gets paid anyway so he can't really moan. The only thing I would say would piss me off would be if I had to pack up kit and drive to a specific venue specially for the session and get a text 5 mins before that you aren't coming. Though if it's something like one of your kids throwing up just as you're leaving, very short notice is sometimes unavoidable.

Don't bother renewing in September. He doesn't sound great. He told you he doesn't have space so presumably he's not short of willing clients anyway.

I pay by the month and of course some months have 5 Mondays. We keep track of it and it tends to even out given the odd session that both of us know in advance one of us can't make.

I have a huge tendency to ruminate
Go for a run - two birds, one stone

This is good - but I think it's too kind.

I would change 'a little more understanding' to 'a more realistic expectation' and I would also add that having changed gyms and conceded to a regular time slot, as well as committing for over a year, you would have expected to be treated like a valued customer rather than be pressured and guilt tripped.

I would also finish by saying "unfortunately this means that the two month planned hiatus is now going to have to be permanent, which is a shame'.

And I did.

I did expect to pay. In fact I had already paid for the sessions in advance.

are people not reading?

He's trying to make a living.
Had you given him the heads up, out of common courtesy, he could have filled your spot.
He is now X amount down until he can find someone to fill your slot, I understand his ire.

But the Op is paying. He is still moaning.

It is the equivalent of my boss texting me at 7am and saying “you are still being paid from 9am but no need to get into work until 10am”.

Obviously I’d prefer to have the text the night before so I could have a nice lie in but I reckon I could still use that extra hour pretty productively.*

*Or possibly squander it on a cheeky extra episode of Law and Order.

I think some PTs aren’t great at customer relations OP.

I saw one once in a studio on a special offer that came to about £50 per month for 3 months. At the last session she gave me a really hard sell to continue, which came to about £150 per month for group sessions (which I did not want!) or about £150 per week for private sessions (which I could not afford!). Plus the entire thing was sooooo complicated with different service levels and different prices for different times of days. She was really pissed off when I told her I couldn’t afford £150 per week and I couldn’t commit to group sessions without studying the complicated pricing structure and checking my diary. Her bad attitude left a very sour taste (plus she was distinctly average as PTs go).

I can't be responsible for managing someone else's life and choice of career honestly

Oh dear, you seem to lack any understanding of being self employed.

He is well rid of you.

I’m petty and I don’t like passive aggressiveness so I’d give him some feedback and leave it there so that he has a response instead of feeling smug about giving you a telling off.

He’s not unreasonable in wanting some notice but then he needs to put it as part of his contract - ie please advise within two weeks of finishing your latest block if you’re not renewing. However with his attitude his business will suffer regardless.

And of course it is a transactional relationship. You’re paying for a service.

👍🏻

OP PAID IN ADVANCE. He lost nothing!!!! He gained free time.

But OP has paid for these sessions? So the person missing out by cancelling is her. Yes the courteous thing to do is give as much notice as possible but it sounds like OP has done that. You can’t forsee illness etc.

They don't necessarily want free time though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ha, this story rings a bell to me!

I had a contract, back in November got a life-threatening diagnosis, told him and stopped going. They charged me December (ok, think about the 1 month notice, they could have been more compassionate though).

But then they charged me January too and I went ballistic asked for immediate stop and refund. As the direct debit didn’t appear on my banking app, I ended up fighting with a monumentally idiot bank employee who said he couldn’t do anything , until he did and blocked future payments.
But the refund didn’t appear either until I went there in person and threatened to go to small claims and to all social media.

Got the January refund and told the PT I wasn’t going back. He had the audacity to say that if I did, I would get the first month for free with the December money. The diagnosis in the end was wrong and I would be now good to go, but no thanks.

I now refuse Netflix, Amazon, Spotify. I want to buy things one off not Subscribe to anything!

Strong in the arm thick in the 'ead . . . he's a PT because he doesn't have the brains to do anything else!