The rebook

[chren03]

I need HELP!!

I am very good at getting clients to rebook. I am in my 6th year of practice now and was up to 15 clients a week by the time I was 18 months into my brand spanking new fresh out of school practice. The majority of my clients are 75% women 25% men and the majority of them have every day aches and pains. Most are seeking stress relief first and formost. Currently I bounce between 15 and 25 clients a week.

About a year ago, I decided to hire an employee. I was hoping by now, she would have a steady 5 to 10 clients a week. We (my pt receptionist and myself) have given her lots of new clients. She has a difficult time getting clients to rebook. VERY DIFFICULT. It is to the point I don't want to give her new clients. In general, I can get about every third client to rebook. She is batting about 1 in 15. This week, I could have given her two brand new clients, but they ended up fitting in my schedule. I was able to get each of them to rebook. With Heidi's batting average, I doubt she would be able to get them to rebook. Right after Christmas, Heidi asked to cancel an appointment with a client she got to rebook. The client wanted that day and time and I had an opening, so she went with me. When it was time to rebook, I gave this client the option to book with me or with Heidi on the day and time she wanted. She chose me. My session with her was QUIET. I remember when Heidi first worked with this woman in November. When the client (lets call her Tanya) was dressed and in the front area, Heidi told me, "Tanya is a school teacher in ABC City (40 miles away) but lives here in this city. She was going to a spa in ABC City but decided to try a place closer to home."

I know what part of the problem is though. She talks to much in a session, that is the largest part. She also asks wrong. But then, I don't blame clients for not wanting to rebook when they can't relax because they are being asked all sorts of questions.

And yes, I have discussed this with her back in the summer. Once in a while she will work on a client who doesn't like to book ahead. If I am in the clinic, it is often when she says something like, "Did you know So and So has a sister in XYZ City?" or "I found out that So and So works at the same place my cousin works." :shocked: I mean, I know some things about my clients, but that usually is over the course of multiple sessions. I don't pull out life stories in the course of an hour session. :roll: And some of my clients I barely know anything about because they only want a really good massage, not witty conversation. And trust me, I am plenty witty! When these clients call again to rebook, they have learned to specifically ask for me. When offere an appointment with Heidi, they will decline and book something with me that fits into their schedule even if they chould have had something much sooner with Heidi.

I know some clients talk during a session, but it seems to happen with a lot more of Heidi's sessions than with mine. When we spoke of it in the summer, she told me in school (the same school I went to 2 years before her) they were told if the client talks, they they can talk. She claimed, that she doesn't initiate the conversation, but then I doubt she lets it die down much either. I have also told her not to simply ask, "Do you want to rebook?" I even have a cheat sheet for her with suggestions like, "A lot of our clients book ahead so they can lock in the appointment time that works best for them. Most of our clients book 2, 3, or 4 weeks ahead and we recommend at least one massage a month. Would you like to book ahead 2, 3, or 4 weeks?" Or something to that order. Even when I am standing right next to her after one of her sessions and tell her to go for the rebook, she still says, "Do you want to rebook?" :irked:

I complained to a non massage friend (who knows a lot about this business because we talk often) about this situation and she said, Shipshape, "I think Heidi is costing you money."

I was pissing and moaning about this with my wonderful husband. He thinks that I need to sit her down and tell her this is about business. That she has been here nearly a year and it is obvious she has a problem getting clients to rebook. If she doesn't shape up, she will have to go. That I should sit her down and tell her this is my livelyhood and she isn't cutting the mustard. That giving clients what they want in a professional massage so they want to rebook is as important a skill as giving a kick ass massage.

Heidi is forever complaining about not having enough money. She has a part time retail job and applied at a library for another job. I am not sure if she is thinking about quiting working by me or if she is looking to quit her other part time job if she gets the new one.

What my business sense is telling me is to lay it out for her and tell her I will be looking for another MT to join us and when that happens, she will have her scheduled days cut. Currently, she is available Monday through Fridays 1pm to 7pm roughly. This week she had nothing on the books and next week she has one appointment (a talkative woman who followed her to my office from her private practice). Farther out than that she has zero appointments on the books. To give you some perspective, the week of December 29th I had 15 hours scheduled over 3 days, the week of January 5th I had 17 hours of massage scheduled over 4 days, and this week I have 16.5 hours ischeduled over 6 days and still have openings on Friday and Saturday. I figure I will pick up 2 or 3 more hours for Friday and Saturday yet. I recently sent out a mailing to all of my clients plus about 200 businesses in the area.

Can you tell I am fustrated?? t100

I need to crack the whip, but I don't know if it will do any good. It might just make her really mad at me. t079

What do you think about making her tell all of her clients that talking is up to them. If they think she is talking to much, they shouldn't feel bad about telling her to shut up.

 

[thatashleychick]

From the sounds of it, you may just have to let her go.

BUT - If you want to give her one last shot - you may tell
her that you will role play being a client for her to practice her appointment rebooking skills on - a few times.

Beyond that you could tell her you've had a few of her past clients mention that she's been talking to much & that was their reason for not re-scheduling with her...Maybe it will get through to her. Otherwise, as you already know, she is costing you money & you will have to make some tough decisions. Do her one favor though be very up front about why you've made the choice - perhaps she'll come to realize that a job requires certain skills & that if you don't fulfill what's expected you cannot hold any job for any length of time! You can't be worried about "making her mad at you" when it comes to your business & making a living!

 

[Ruby.fuse]

Well, I have noticed that people either "have it" or they don't when it comes to rebooking. I don't think the talking is such a big deal. Some clients don't like talking, some do. I think it's more about general professionalism. I have TRIED to teach good rebooking skills, and have never had much luck. Some therapists just think that it is unimportant or they are scared/lazy/shy/unmotivated, that is generally WHY they are employees and do not have their own biz. I would say that 25% of clients need to be rebooking within 6 weeks or she's out. How long have you had her?

 

[saraapple16]

I understand your frustration. I agree with natural healing, people either "have it" or they don't. It is a very difficult skill to teach.

The suggestion of role playing is a good idea. It will be something that will have to be done often though in order for it to become second nature for her. This may take considerable time on your part to work with her on these sales skills. If she is a really good MT she may be worth your time and effort.

Another option would be to seek out programs or courses that teach basic sales skills. It sounds like she needs assistance/work on addressing client objections, phrasing the rebooking question correctly and on closing the sale. There are sales programs available on DVD and "books on tape" formats -- you should be able to find them at a local library or via Amazon dot com.

I've tried to teach these skills in the past to a couple of MT's but have found that if they don't fully believe in themselves, the service they offer or the packages/product they are selling it is hard for them to sell or rebook clients.

 

[RUDY]

She has been with me for nearly me a year.

I spoke with her today about this. I bought Todd Brown's rebooking program called "The Massage Client Retention Formula."

First, we are going to go over Todd's information. Secondly, we are going to exchange an hour of massage a week. Third, I told her things have got to change and she is going to have to start doing things my way.

When I see her on Monday, I will let her know I will be cutting her hours and looking for someone else if she doesn't turn around.

I think I know part of the problem. She said she thinks that a lot of people think massage is too expensive. She is more concerned about the clients wallet than her own. A few clients have used money as an excuse for not coming in. I believe Heidi is afraid she will push the client into booking a massage they cannot afford.

Needless to say, she has got to get over this and see the true value of massage if she is going to get clients to rebook. I think clients are picking up on her bad vibe.

 

[Kirby]

In addition to your practice sessions, it might be wise to set specific goals regarding rebooking and talking.

While I personally have no ethical issue with chatting, (and many of my clients are chatty,) my practice is very different than yours. If you wish her to follow your standards of being quiet and keeping things neutral, you may wish to insist that she review Nina McIntosh's book, especially the parts that address personal chatter.

Perhaps you should set a rebooking target of x% (say, 1:4, 1:6 who rebook more than once,) a target to be met by the end of a certain week period.

I learned this lesson myself awhile back. I wish I had followed my above advice, it would have likely been better for both of us.

 

[b_witch]

What a timely topic! Over the last month or so, we've been looking at which of our MTs get requests, and how many. It's fascinating to see which MTs get the most requests vs those who do not.

Group A gets just a couple requests per month.

Group B gets gets nearly 4x as many requests as Group A.

Group C gets nearly 10x as many requests as Group A.

As an employer, it's obvious that those in Group A, B, and C all contribute to the business in different ways. It's also obvious that those who get the most requests make the most money for themselves and for the business. Those in Group A will always struggle unless they have another primary source of income. Those in Group B will be okay in good times but more likely to struggle in tough times. Those in Group C will always be okay.

Ideally, I'd love to see everyone move into Group C. As an employer, I really want to figure out what it will take to make this happen. Realistically it won't, but we are studying our MTs and their clients to learn what separates each group from one another. As we better understand how Group C gets so many requests, we hope to help those in Groups A and B become more successful.

All of our MTs are skilled, reliable, and fun to work with, but we are running a business. Being a successful MT must include a significant ability to generate repeat business over time.

 

[Lindsay85]

About talking during the session.

On Monday we reviewed some information from Todd Brown. We did not cover talking during sessions. We sure did after the session because I could hear her talking in the room through the closed door.

Sitting at my desk, I clearly heard her ask the client, "So, where do you work?"

There was more talking that I didn't pay attention to. A while later, I walked up to the closed door and heard tidbits like, "My boyfriend is a firefighter paramedic. His first night on the job he was called to a car wreck and saw someone with bones sticking through their skin. Another time he was called to a car accident but that guy was already dead when he got there." :shocked: :irked:

Isn't that just a nice thing to be thinking about when you are getting a nice relaxing massage??

So, after the client left, we discussed the matter. Heidi told me the client was the one who brought up the gory details. I told her I heard her ask the client what her job was and if she had not began the conversation about work, the gory stuff probably wouldn't have come up.

Heidi said the client said she liked the massage, and I heard this too. The thing is, MOST people won't tell you they don't like a session because they don't want to hurt your feelings.

ACKK!! :shock:

I think I finally got through to her though. I told her how I mm hmm and ah ha when clients talk. You know? I acknowledge, but I don't converse much with 90% of my clients, at least not during a session. Any conversation is usually limited to the first 5 minutes and then lips are zipped!

geez!

 

[ixia]

One thing I try to keep in mind [that you may want to pass on to your associate] ... I NEVER ask "conversation starter" type questions [where do you work, etc] ... I let the CLIENT ask any questions they want to, and I'll respond briefly, but other than that, I don't offer information about myself (not because I'm being secretive, but because they aren't there to fill their head with 'my' details). I've had the occasional first client (first massage ever) who will make chit-chat, and I'll respond with some getting-to-know-you info, etc. But if/when they reschedule, at the beginning of their next session, I'll say something along the lines of "now that we had a chance to get to know each other a little at the last session, for the benefit of YOUR relaxation, I'd like to recommend that we keep conversation to a minimum, so you can clear your mind and focus on your healing/relaxation/etc". Every one of those newbies has seemed relieved to have 'permission' to be 'selfish' and not have to make conversation.

 

[grace]

I have to wonder if she's not fully engaged in the process...in other words, bored out of her skull and looking for a way to make the clock hands go round. Not a good sign.

 

[care]

Three things come up for me about your description of her conversing with the client. The first, Razor could be correct and she may very well not be engaged in what she is doing. The second is she may be uncomfortable with silence. The third is she may not even realize she has diarrhea of the mouth during the session.

The latter two are things that can be worked on but if it is the first and Razor is correct...yikes.

If you think it is either of the latter two maybe some focusing/grounding techniques would help her in this situation.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Three things come up for me about your description of her conversing with the client. The first, Razor could be correct and she may very well not be engaged in what she is doing. The second is she may be uncomfortable with silence. The third is she may not even realize she has diarrhea of the mouth during the session.

The latter two are things that can be worked on but if it is the first and Razor is correct...yikes.

If you think it is either of the latter two maybe some focusing/grounding techniques would help her in this situation.

Yikes!! How do you find out if she isn't well engaged??

One thing I have to say about her, when she went to school, she took a lot of NMT and deep tissue classes. But in practice, she does mostly relaxation work. I asked her to incorporate some MFR, stretching, and not be so quick to grab the oil so she could work deeper and not slip all over the place.

I also have to pay $400 for another year of Workman's Compensation. I mistakenly thought I would get some of last year's premium back because I came up short of what I thought I would pay my employee.

To top this all off, I asked a friend to fill in for one session as an IC when Heidi cannot. My friend called me today and pretty much demanded the full amount for the session. :irked: I guess 80% wasn't enough. I am pretty much over a barrel and she knows it. Anyway, all this crap has finally convinced me that I need to get another employee, and fast. I think this is my friends way of telling me she doesn't want to do this again. Let me tell you, that is one couples massage that will be uncomfortable to get through.