How To Avoid Difficult Massage Clients- For Good!

Weve all had them. You cant please them; they are always late then have the audacity to complain about your massage room, the oils, the curtains, your music, or whatever they can think about that doesnt meet their standards of perfection. Theyre never come for their appointment on time, they leave their money at home, they never refer anybody to you.the list goes on.

I had a client once who was always clinging on to her Asthma for an excuse for everything. After 20 minutes into the appointment she arrived late (couldnt find her puffer), doesnt apologise (why should she, she was an asthmatic) and still expected her hour treatment (because Asthmatics need a full hour) and then criticised me for not using X,Y,Z technique, after all her last massage therapist did it (she die of asthma if I didnt and it would be my fault).I wanted to strangle her. But I didnt because I wanted her business.

Then one day she forgot her purse at home (her puffers made her do it) and said Ill be back in ten minutes with the money. I didnt see her again. By this time I was so sick of it that I wrote her a letter. I was polite yet assertive. In a nutshell I was sick of being walked on and treated without respect. After all her breathing had never been better like when she was seeing meI dont mean to big note myself but it was just a fact. I deserved better.

About a week later I wrote her a letter explaining that I felt disappointed and hurt that she didnt pay me because it was like she did not value me or the good work I was doing and to please pay within 7 days of getting this letter otherwise I shall seek legal action. As any normal business person would.

Well you can imagine what her reaction was. Because Id spoken to her in an assertive way she was very angry after all she could have had an Asthma attack and died. She accused me of being unfair and didnt want to see me again. Phew! I was so glad. She sent me a cheque pretty quickly though. And that was all she had to do. Frankly I didnt want her back. And I was not being aggressive, I was being assertive. (There is a huge difference.)

Question: What went wrong? Why did this person give me grief?

Answer: because I let them.

I just wanted to make my massage business to work and I thought I had to accept new clients just because they gave me business. I thought that a big part of making my massage business work was accepting clients that came my wayANY clients.

But I learnt something very different (and extremely valuable) from that experience. That was to value myself as a person and a massage therapist. So I made the decision to never let another client treat me like that again. I would recognise the signs of a difficult client and nip it in the bud, so to speak and stop it from getting stressful. (After all the difficult client doesnt feel stress; YOU DO!)

I devised a mental formula to prepare me to terminate difficult relationships without delay. As soon as a new client displayed any of the signs of being a difficult client, they were referred to someone else instantly. I had a mental checklist and used it actively. Since then I was able to recognise difficult clients and make the conscious choice of self value and my life would be so much better. After all who needs it for $70?

If you have had an experience like this then you know the headache they can cause you. So the first thing to bringing fabulous, regular, appreciative clients into your life and get rid of the difficult ones, or disconnect them from your life. To do this you need to recognise the signs of a difficult client.

Checklist to avoid:

Believe it or not their behavior is not personal. These people are like this because they dont like themselves and have a difficult time with self value and respect. This manifests into insecurity and a difficulty in relating to other people in an honest and respectable way. They have not learnt to show others respect. They are like this to everyone, you just have the unfortunate situation dealing with them right now.

If a client displays ANY of these things you can handle it effectively for yourself by making the decision to be assertive. My advice to you is that they are just not worth the stress or headache. You are a valuable person and a very important massage therapist who deserves the very best that clients can give you and should not take any less, consider yourself to accept anything less. You are here now, doing something incredibly good for humanity so value yourself for it.

And think of this; if you charge $70 per massage treatment then you are putting up with all of this for $70. Is it your happiness more to you than $70? If it is, tell these people to see someone else. You are worth more.

Best wishes,

Related Links:

What is Massage Therapy?

Any method of pressure on or friction against, or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding, vibrating or stimulating of the external soft parts of the body with the hands or with aid of any mechanical electrical apparatus or appliances with or without rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powder, creams, lotions, ointments or other similar preparations used in this practice, under such circumstances that it is reasonably expected that the person to whom treatment is provided ...
Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. A form of therapy, massage can be applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.
The manipulation of skin, muscle, and joints (usually by hand) to relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, improve circulation, and eliminate wastes. Over 80 types of massage are in use today. Various forms include: acupressure, athletic, polarity, reflexology, rolfing, shiatsu, sports, Swedish, traeger, and watsu.

What is Massage Therapy?

Any method of pressure on or friction against, or stroking, kneading, rubbing, tapping, pounding, vibrating or stimulating of the external soft parts of the body with the hands or with aid of any mechanical electrical apparatus or appliances with or without rubbing alcohol, liniments, antiseptics, oils, powder, creams, lotions, ointments or other similar preparations used in this practice, under such circumstances that it is reasonably expected that the person to whom treatment is provided ...
Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints. A form of therapy, massage can be applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.
The manipulation of skin, muscle, and joints (usually by hand) to relax muscle spasm, relieve tension, improve circulation, and eliminate wastes. Over 80 types of massage are in use today. Various forms include: acupressure, athletic, polarity, reflexology, rolfing, shiatsu, sports, Swedish, traeger, and watsu.