The PT Service
This article has been a long time coming and is driven by hearing and witnessing people's experiences with "personal trainers" over the years, and how these fitness professionals are poorly representing this unique and essential health and fitness profession. As it goes with any industry, there are standards and levels of calibre of individuals. A personal trainer does not provide a service, a personal trainer is the service because they are the product, but it is much more than to help, coach, assist and advise. It is in the "how" the service is delivered.
We all hate when our computers or mobile phones lag and are slow to respond, or just freeze and need to be fixed. We pay a good amount of money for them and expect them to work properly and efficiently, and usually, you get what you pay for. If you want a faster product with more memory and better specs, you've got to pay for it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the product will work better. There are plenty of brands out there, with different quality products and models. Personal trainers are the same. You have cheap ones, you have expensive ones, ones who are fresh to the industry and experienced ones, vain ones and humble ones, ones which look the part and ones which should get personal trainer themselves. BUT the issue is not whether they are cheap or expensive, new or experienced, vain or humble, look fit or look unfit, it all comes down to the quality of the service being provided by the calibre of the trainer.
A client doesn't do a PT session, a client experiences a PT session. A PT session should be like going to a Michelin Star restaurant. Because it is exclusive you must book in advance, you arrive and you are pleasantly greeted with a look in the eye and a smile on the face, your coat is taken and you are escorted to your table. Once seated, you are presented with the menu and given a detailed description of the chef's masterpieces to come. The question of "Sparkling or Still" is asked and off the waiter goes, leaving you in a comfortable and acknowledged ambience. Your selection of courses arrive and each one is presented in such a way you are transported into a world of artistic perfection igniting all senses. As you immerse yourself in the taste of every bite, you consciously and subconsciously appreciate the mastery of the chef's work. As the evening concludes, you pay the bill and leave a tip without hesitation or a second thought, collect your coat and exit the restaurant like you've just been spoiled and pampered like a movie star.
In case you missed it, the restaurant analogy is about a personal trainer creating an experience through paying attention to details like etiquette, being present, responsive, genuine, attentive and interested. These are all very powerful human qualities used in face to face interaction that some individuals in the industry definitely need to learn. The personal training profession is difficult in the sense that many people have had an experience or even worse, their first experience with a personal trainer who is way below the bar, no standard, no professionalism and no service, leaving an impression that personal trainers are all meat heads with sleeve tattoos, drill sergeants with no sympathy, or fitness freaks who only drink protein shakes and eat grass all day.
If you currently have a personal trainer and witness that in your sessions they sit on equipment or the floor and play on their phone, lazily lean on the walls or equipment, doesn't carry your towel and water bottle between exercises, doesn't physically give examples of exercises they want you to do, always arrive late to sessions, doesn't stretch you at the end of each session, isn't well presented, has a case of bad breath and nauseating BO, doesn't provide a stimulating conversation at your level, makes you feel like it's not worth the money you've paid, then sack them and find a personal trainer who will give you the "Michelin Star restaurant" experience.
The personal training profession is very unique as it requires an individual to be a "Jack of many trades", not some, when it comes to service. It is also extremely essential to the population as a type of "medicine" and preventative, to combat the endless potential mental and physical health issues at any stage in our lives. Go into a gym and observe for 5-10mins and tell me people don't need the help, coaching, assistance and advice of a good personal trainer. The key is all in the delivery of the personal training service. Everyone wants a good reliable product and everyone deserves an amazing experience and service.