I think everyone at one time or another has encountered a difficult person at work. Dealing with a demanding boss or an ornery co-worker is one thing, but what if the difficult person is your client. The person paying you money for your services. How do you go about establishing "who's boss" (I'm not talking about Tony Danza:) without coming across as overbearing, too bossy, or arrogant? And, how do you deal with those difficult clients and keep them happy without becoming a pushover? Do you "suck it up" and deal with them because they are paying you, or do you fire them as clients?
This is a question that thankfully I don't have to deal with that often. 99% of the clients I have worked with in my 5 years of teaching Pilates have been a joy to work with. We smile and laugh a lot, we work hard and reap the benefits, we keep ourselves open to learning new things, and most of all we stay humble. I use "we" because I have a deep investment and committment to my clients health. I really have a fantastic job.
But.....every once in a while a client comes along who pushes every one of my buttons, pushes my boundries as a teacher and business owner, and feels like he or she has nothing to learn from me. I get so annoyed with their arrogance or difficult personality that I am tempted to ask them why they are paying me to teach them in the first place. At the moment where I am about to lose my cool, I remember something. I only have to deal with them for this one hour. Their families and people close to them have to deal with them ALL the time. Their poor attitude probably has nothing to do with me. This is the way they live their lives and relate to the world.
I had a client like that recently. No matter what I said or asked of her, it didn't work for her. She had an answer, or rather, complaint for EVERYTHING. About half way through the hour long session, the longest hour of the day, I addressed the issue. I didn't get upset, or thrown off my game by her negativity, nor did I take her complaints personally. I simply said, "ya know, there are more ways than one to skin a cat. I am just trying to teach you something new here, and that is what you are paying me for, right?" Right away she changed her attitude and the rest of the session went relatively well.
I think I did the right thing by addressing it and maintaining my composure, but by the next session she was at it again. Oh well, I am not going to bang my head against a wall trying to change someone's attitude who is unwilling. I am just a Pilates instructor.
How do you deal with difficult people? What about clients who are paying you for your services?
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Hmm, tough one Julie. You know, as someone who has given private piano instruction for the last twenty years, I can tell you that I have had my share of ornery children and adults, students that thought they knew more than me, knew the best pedagogical method to employ for their learning, or some completely disinterested all together. My experiences have made me better equipped, and more informed teacher over the years, but I am still learning. What I've found is that students I have had who take on the "know-it-all" persona are often the ones that: 1) are the most insecure about their learning, or 2) the are like children who seek constant approval from their parents. They want to show you they "get it" before you can explain it to them. Of course, they are not mutually exclusive,
ReplyDeleteHang in there, sometimes these students become shining pupils!