AIPT

By Paul Timms
Personal Trainer
CEO of Australian Institute of Personal Trainers

For me, it happened late on a Friday night. I had returned to the studio to pick up a pair of sunglasses, when I saw that the lights were on and it appeared that someone was inside. As I approached, I saw a client that I had never seen before. A little surprised, I entered and introduced myself. My trainer then returned from the toilet and had a look of shock, and quickly ushered the client into the training room. I picked up my sunglasses and checked the diary. No mention of the client coming in for a session - strange.

After the session, the trainer offered a reasonable explanation however, it seemed clear that there was something not quite right. After further investigations, I uncovered a trail of dishonesty over the past 3 months which included:

 Taking clients “on the side” (off the books).
 Not delivering personal training sessions, but still charging the business.
 Taking cash from the register.
 Swapping personal training sessions for services (such as massage or lunch).
 Not charging the clients the full amount.

The actions that I took were:
 Asked him to return all money taken.
 Contacted Fitness Australia (and reported professional misconduct).
 Contacted the Police (reported the theft).
 Fired the trainer.

The situation created quite a challenge for me and the business. The trainer was well liked by his clients, and I had to ensure that the relationship with them was managed, while I found and trained a new trainer. At times, I was certainly angry, frustrated and lost motivation.

After a couple of weeks, the situation was stabilized and I had the chance to reflect on how I could take responsibility for the circumstances that lead to the trainer being dishonest.

Spot the warning signs!

 Your trainer is dashing off to appointments throughout the day or week.
 Your trainer starts to withdraw from team activities.
 Your trainer is not available to meet with you.
 They are seen training at times when the studio is officially closed.

How to protect you and your business.
Here are some tips on how to prevent you finding yourself in the position I did:

 Have a secure employment agreement in place.
 Conduct a thorough induction explaining the consequences of dishonesty.
 Implement a direct debit billing system (eg EziDebit).
 Manage your client base with a good software system (eg Client Connect).
 Maintain a relationship with all the clients in your business.
 Don’t ignore the warning signs!

Of course, this only relates to a small percentage of people however, installing these protocols will help to prevent any uncomfortable situations and protects not only you and your business, but just as importantly, your team and your clients.

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