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.

I think he is out of order “pulling you up” on cancelling if you’ve paid for the sessions but I do think you could have given him a bit of warning about your plan to take the summer off.

My PT has a science degree and MSc and used to work in the field of environmental protection. She does this now because it suits her life better. You may have implored dim PTs in your gym but it’s not inevitable.

I've probably cancelled last minute less than 5 times in a year.
i always show up to the sessions high energy and work really hard.

you seem to be projecting on to me for some reason.

I’d not reply to his message, no need. For me there wouldn’t be a ‘next time’ after an unwarranted (though mild) text admonishment.

If he wants notice of non-renewal at the end of blocks of sessions he should put that in the contract terms/conditions.

Under his current contract details, I doubt many clients informally notify him that they don’t plan to renew, much in advance of the final session, due to this kind of awkwardness.

He’s unwise business wise if he assumes clients will renew before they pay for the next block of sessions.

5 times cancelling at short notice in a year is a lot IMO.

So what do you propose OP does when her children are sick?

How many PTs really expect their clients to continue month on month ad infinitum by the way?

I've worked with my PT for about 7 years. He has clients he's trained for over 10 years. He's an exceptional human being though.

I'd never treat him the way you have treated yours @filionj, nor talk about him the way you do.

Well, so be it. I can't help having two young children, one of which changed nursery settings and went through a hard period of settling in illness. To be petty, I think it's actually 4 times in the last 12 months. All of which I paid for.

I disagree with this.

Firstly, it's irrelevant about the sick child, as the PT has already been paid and it's only the OP that looses out.

Secondly, if the OP paid in blocks then that's what the OP paid for and got. No need to renew the block if they didn't want to. And also, if you're not renewing, then the PT might not be as motivated and bothered.

Lucky you!

I meant I'd forfeit what I'd paid in advance, as you did.

I still think that if you aren't going to continue an arrangement it's courteous to give as much notice as possible, but he should put that in his terms and conditions really. As I said, it's month at my gym, and they put the terms and conditions in place.

This is incredible. It’s not relevant to him whether you have small ill children or not. And if every client expected him to be this “flexible” his income would really suffer. Saying sorry does not pay his bills, and I would imagine that he has already built in time for going to the supermarket, doing his own workout etc. Seriously over-entitled attitude.

I PAID FOR EVERY MISSED SESSION!

Well I spent half the first page of posts thinking you were talking about a physiotherapist, followed by a brief moment of thinking maybe you meant private tutor, before finally realising it’s personal trainer (I hope), so your unreasonable for not spelling things out for people like me who have never had any reason to know about personal trainers! (said in jest, before anyone takes offence)

There are actually similarities though, and I’ve been a private tutor so I’m going to continue with that. He’s being massively unreasonable to complain about you cancelling last minute when you’re still paying him. I’ve been cancelled on plenty of times, life happens, I’m still getting paid so why would I care? If he wasn’t so unreasonable about that I’d have said you should have given him more notice of taking a break. Not that you are in any way obliged to, just that since you clearly knew well in advance that you’d be doing this, and the information would obviously have been useful to him, it would have been nice to give him that information. Since he’s a dick about getting paid for doing nothing though I don’t think he deserves any niceties from you so just walk away, and go back to the gym you prefer. You’ve done nothing wrong, and he doesn’t seem to understand how a client/trainer (or tutor) relationship works.

Or maybe he doesn't have the necessary skillset to be self employed.

If he's selling blocks of training sessions, then the sensible thing to do is to ask the person a couple of weeks before the block ends if they plan on continuing and if so, to get a deposit/payment to secure that. Any class I've attended or my dc have attended, has taken that approach. Very presumptuous of him to assume the op would just continue.

This is fair.

Ive since replied and apologised for cancelling somewhat out of the blue.

i wont be returning in sept though. My feelings have irrevocably changed!

You're right, saying sorry doesn't pay the bills. However, the op paying for the sessions she cancelled does pay the bills.

Yes, DC being ill can’t be helped, you don’t have your partner there or childcare and you complied with the contract terms by paying for the unused sessions.

It’s nonetheless understandable for the PT to find short-notice cancellations annoying. His choice whether it was enough for him to end the contract - and he chose to continue.

Were you expecting him to keep a space for you until September?

It's that time of year where a lot of people will start being flaky with personal trainers (and other similar professions) and messing them about.

By asking to take a break, maybe he's thinking (or you've suggested?) That he needs to keep space for you without payment. That obviously wouldn't be reasonable.

I'm a tutor and my cancellations go up massively in this last half term and then over the summer too. I have T and Cs in place to protect myself but I still get a lot of people expecting exceptions and causing me stress.

Is it possible you're the 10th person to have now renewed this week and he's just a bit fed up? Not your fault personally but a possible explanation?

👏🏻

No, I said I'd contact him in sept. So he could have said no I'm giving your slot away etc

I think you’ve been v generous to apologise: you did nothing wrong. His contract terms didn’t require notice.

Christ. The comments on this thread have infuriated me on your behalf OP.

Firstly, if OP is such a poor client why did this PT not drop her as a client?

Instead not only did he keep her on, he’s reprimanding her for not booking more classes, which suggests he seems put out that she dropped him.

Secondly, PT sessions should not infinitely run. If you have a goal in mind, you usually do achieve it with the right PT. At the very least, you develop the form and knowledge to be able to complete the exercises yourself and figure out your own routine. So it doesn’t sound like his PT was good at his job and was not delivering results.

He doesn’t even sound pleasant to be around, considering OP said their sessions have become uncomfortable.

So I’m fully on your side OP, get a new PT in the future should you need one.

Thank you for your comments. I thought I was going bananas.

Lots of people work with coaches on an ongoing basis. Goals change, people progress or they need the accountability to maintain things if they’ve achieved what they want to. I’ve been with my PT for 2.5 years and we have progressed so much, why would I stop?