What should you do when a loyal client faces financial hardships?

Many gym owners have been there – a longtime client loses their job or hits a financial wall, leaving you with a tough choice:

A: Do you enforce strict policies as your contract states?
B: Do you bend the rules and potentially compromise your bottom line?

The answer lies in balancing compassion with structure.

During stressful times, gym memberships are more lifelines than luxuries because workouts offer a vital emotional and mental outlet.

However, as a business owner, it’s crucial to set boundaries. Compassionate exceptions, like temporary fee reductions or freezes, can preserve relationships – but only when paired with clear guardrails and timelines.

In this episode, Tim and Randy break down how to handle these sensitive scenarios and ensure that flexibility doesn’t lead to exploitation. Tune in to learn how to make empathetic decisions that reinforce trust and loyalty while keeping your business sustainable.

Let them show you where to draw the line and how to turn challenges into opportunities.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Addressing client hardships and financial struggles (00:42)
Temporary fee reduction strategy (02:15)
Preventing misuse of flexible policies (04:50)
Building long-term loyalty (07:15)

Additional Resources:

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- Get your early bird ticket for the 2025 Growth Summit in Nashville

- Get access to the 2024 Growth Summit recordings

- Tim's new book - Built to Win by Tim Lyons

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- SOP in a Day Workshop

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Business Accelerator Program

- Learn more about The Iron Circle

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