Twenty five years ago there was really only one well-known massage studio in town. They had about eight regular MTs and a long list of Rules.

That list was the angriest looking piece of paper I had ever seen. It had all the things this studio was not and did not do. Of course they had the obvious policies about sex (not here), payment and cancellations. This list was typed and went on thoroughly for about 20 items. Fine. A little strident, but fine. it’s good to be clear.

Then there were the “impulse” rules. Evidently one MT or another had been offended or angered by a client. So that MT marched on out and wrote a new rule on the list. Or the MT had heavily underlined or circled a part of one of the typed Rules.

There I sat, reading the Rules, getting tenser by the minute, absolutely convinced I was going to offend and have a special rule put on the list just for me. Not a good atmosphere for client or therapist.

I’m older now. I’ve been in customer service for a while. I get where they were coming from. But now I know no one has to go there. And I really don’t think any one should.

Complaining about a client to your clients poisons your business. Posting a vent on your business’ blog or sending a “firm” letter to “clear things up” to all your clients is a really bad idea. While you may not be angry at all your clients, your anger is what they all take away from it.

Your clients may agree with you, but the subconscious questions seeping into all their future dealings with you are, “What does he/she say about me when I’m not around? Who do they talk to about me? What happens if I do something wrong?”

Trust is eroded and the comfort level takes a nose dive. That’s not what you are about. Is it?

I’ve been reading a lot of vents lately on the forums. That is the appropriate place for them. Being a healing arts therapist can be a lonely job and you need a place to blow off steam. It’s healthy. But then, my darlings, you have to let it go. Make it better or quit picking at it. Dwell on it too much and you sink.

You will always have One of Those Clients. Through experience (occasionally painful), I have learned that often Those Clients truly have misunderstood the Rules (whether it was an offer or a policy). More often I have found that it was me completely misunderstanding what it was Those Clients were asking for. I blew it. It was my bad. I either missed an email or wasn’t listening or was distracted by a shiny object. And you will always have A Client that you just cannot work with properly.

Yes, there are people out there who will take advantage of any little loophole. They are fewer than you think. More often you will find that Those Clients simply see things differently than you.

And for the Buggers who are out to pull a fast one, they are your best teachers. They teach you to be clearer and they teach you to be gracious. We can all use a little refresher on those things.

We’re coming up on a busy time for all of us. You will be talking to your clients a lot; creating offers for your gift certificates sales and thinking of ways to attract clients’ attention. Be positive, think your offers through, have a friend read through your stuff for loopholes.

Take it easy,
Eileen

Forecast: I think I’ll list some ways to talk to Those Clients. Any body have any good phrases they want to send in?