Have you ever felt like your clients were being moved to other therapists in some kind of switcheroo?
Why does this happen? There could many reasons. The first and most likely is it was a mistake, maybe you were not available to be scheduled, the spa may be trying to protect you from being overbooked, maybe the receptionist was being spiteful, or the spa was performing a client scramble.
What is the client scramble?
This is the process of increasing the likelihood the company will retain your regular clientele after your employment ceases. This is accomplished by placing your clientele with other therapists to determine if they can provide an experience comparable to yours. If the client enjoys the service from another provider, it increases the likelihood they will remain with the company after your employment ends, thereby maximizing client retention. This preemptive precaution helps ensure the company will remain operational even when turnover is high.
What are the consequences of the client scramble?
Though it may increase the likelihood a client remains with the company, it will lower employee morale. From the perspective of the business this is a worthwhile sacrifice. They want to survive, and since the turnover rate is a fixed calculation of their business model it must be accounted for, especially at facilities that are not owned by LMTs. Unfortunately, the client scramble damage is not limited to the employee it specifically hurts. As massage therapists we are emotional creatures, and we love to talk. When an LMT has a sour mood, their energy will infect everyone else. When they have a legitimate complaint other practitioners will feel it, and this will raise the hostility level of the spa. As a consequence, the entire facility will suffer.
When massage therapists perform services on the public they need to be supercharged with positive energy. They need to feel loved, seen, and appreciated. When darkness enters an LMT’s heart it can be felt through their fingers and the clients will notice. This is an instance when transference and countertransference play a major role in a treatment session. If the LMT is hurting the client will feel it, and it will diminish the quality of their visit. In the short term this may lead to a lower quality massage experience and a bad review. On the long term it may reduce the public’s appreciation for massage and weaken the likelihood they will book another appointment.
In effect, as the company attempts to protect themselves from losing clients from high turnover, they increase their turnover by hurting morale. As a consequence, they lose more clients.
Though I do not use this tactic at my spa, I understand why the client scramble is used. A company invests thousands of dollars a month to bring in new clientele, they do not want to watch their money burn before their eyes. Unfortunately, as LMTs we do not have the ability to see the amount of work and investment our employers have put into the facilities we work at. This because we are cloistered within the four walls of the treatment room and were never taught how a business actually works while in massage school.
This lack of business knowledge adds friction between LMTs and employers by breaking down our ability to empathize with each other. This is a two-way road. We cannot understand what it takes to run a business because we were never properly taught, and they cannot understand what it takes to be a massage therapist because they never attended massage school.
I believe this empathy breakdown can be resolved by improving the business education students receive in massage school. On the flipside a non-LMT owned chain owner could bridge the gap by going to massage school to see the world through the lens of their workforce.
As a business owner I work between 85-100 hours a week. I understand how difficult it would be to go to school while trying to run a monolithic organization, but if you want to be a true leader, if you want to capture the heart and mind of your team, they need to see that you are willing to experience the industry by walking a mile in their shoes.
The first step is understanding why we are working at the facility we are employed at. As massage therapists if we are employed by someone else, we should be working for them because it is the right place for us. This is a personal calculation that transcends the amount we are paid per hour. We are emotional creatures, if our heart is not right, we will never be able to practice with the air of excellence we aim to achieve. If the vibe of your spa is not perfect ask yourself, why? Then empathize with each member of the team to see the world through their eyes. Then search for ways to improve it. Make the personal sacrifice to invest in goodness for the sake of goodness and see if that changes how you feel about the vibe of your facility.
Take some time to sit down with your employers and respectfully ask them why your clients are being moved to other LMTs. There is a good chance it was by accident, share this article with them, and then ask them if this is what they are doing. If they admit that it is what they are doing, thank them for being truthful, but explain to them how it makes you feel. Give them a chance. Running a business is like navigating life. We are all bumbling through existence like a June bug bouncing off the walls. Perhaps in this discussion it will help them understand how the client scramble is affecting your desire to work for them. There is a good chance they will think about your words. You may become the reason they change how they lead and run their business.
They may even tell you the reason they moved those clients off of you was to protect you. Your employers may actually care about you. When we hurt our eyes are often blinded by the light of what we perceive as spite. If we give others time to explain, the fire in our heart can settle long enough to see a caring soul whose goal is protect and guide others toward a great life. Maybe the conversation reveals the presence of a vindictive receptionist and provides management the evidence they need to resolve the issue.
If you are facing a troublesome time as a licensed massage therapist, student, or business owner, reach out to me. I am here to help you and guide our industry toward the greatest era of all time. When we offer empathy, live with humility, and creatively navigate life we can help each other live with love, prosperity, and peace.
