--- title: Why are you encouraging your clients to steal from you? description: Why are you encouraging your clients to steal from you? image: https://learn.pike13.com/hs-fs/file-3716561124-png/blog-files/photo.png --- 3 min read # Why are you encouraging your clients to steal from you? [![Picture of Nicki](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/pike13_logo-144-1aed399311d06d9456a07f2601db554b.png) Nicki ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/nicki) : Updated on June 26, 2017 [Business Advisor](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/business-advisor) [Pike13 Pro Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-pro-tips) ![Why are you encouraging your clients to steal from you?](https://learn.pike13.com/hs-fs/file-3716561124-png/blog-files/photo.png) ![photo](https://learn.pike13.com/hs-fs/file-3716561124-png/blog-files/photo.png?width=320&name=photo.png)First, let me be clear: I don’t want to suggest that you have dishonest clients or that anyone would intentionally steal from your place of business. But I will say that failure to use the tools at your disposal can and does lead to clients using your services and not paying for them, potentially resulting in thousands of dollars of lost revenue. Is it stealing? Perhaps not technically, as it’s likely unintentional. Are you encouraging it? If you aren’t consistently signing people into classes, then yes. And I’ll go ahead and say it: it’s your fault. I’ve written about the importance of taking attendance on multiple occasions, but this is such an important component of running a class-based business that it can’t be stressed enough. If you don’t sign your clients into classes, you have no way of knowing if the people training day in and day out have a current membership. I’ve heard all the arguments, and maybe—just maybe, if you have 30 clients and are the only instructor, you might be able to keep in your head who has paid and who hasn’t. But as soon as you have multiple staff members and over a hundred members there’s no way you are keeping that info straight in that noggin of yours. Here’s what has gotten me fired up: I had a call earlier this week with a super sweet gal. She manages a fitness studio and wanted some clarity on her membership numbers. The owners (her bosses) are telling her they should have close to 400 members, but her reports are showing a member count of 322. Are the owners just wishing they had an additional 78 members? Probably not. The big clue that got me all in a fizz? Her client snapshot shows the following: 322 members, 0 active members. ZERO active members? That means that of the 322 people paying for a membership each month ZERO have attended in the last 30 days. That single metric was a giant red flag telling me that this business is not signing clients into classes. I would not be the least bit surprised if this studio has 400 people coming to classes. Potentially 78 non-paying members! (You do the math—that’s a LOT of monthly revenue). People training multiple times a week with lapsed or non-existent memberships. How do you know if someone has a lapsed membership? You sign them into class! It’s worth noting that this business also offers visit restriction-based memberships: two times per week, three times per week, and unlimited. If you have memberships with visit restrictions you MUST take attendance. Otherwise you have no possible way of knowing if people are attending more frequently than their plans allow. Heck, aside from the potential 78 non-paying members, over 100 members might be exceeding their three-times-per-week memberships and would be candidates for upgrading to unlimited visits (that is, there’s likely much more revenue being left on the table). A friend told me recently that she was shopping at a local department store and heard some girls in the adjacent dressing room chatting. Her ears perked up when they mentioned the name of a competitor’s fitness studio. The one gal was telling her friend, “I just show up five minutes late and the side door is always open. You can just go in that door and jump in the class. I haven’t paid for my membership in six months!” Now again, I’m not suggesting your clients would do this intentionally. But if you don’t keep track of who is in each and every one of your classes, you’re likely providing more than a few free rides into your business. Pike13 makes it abundantly clear when a person is unpaid for a class. In fact, if you want we’ll even send you a text message each time a client is unpaid for a visit. If you sign folks into classes you also have access to a ton of visit-related reporting data, alerts for missing waivers, and more. But again, if you don’t sign them in you can’t take advantage of any of that. For those of you already in the habit of regularly taking attendance, give yourselves a vigorous pat on the back. For the rest of you, I hope this serves as a much-needed kick in the pants. To go forth and prosper you must first go forth and take attendance!   - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Explore More **Running a Business is Hard—We Make It Easier.** Find expert tips, advice, inspiration, and success stories below. One click and you might binge-read our best insights! ### Posts by Tag - [Business Advisor (160)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/business-advisor) - [Marketing Tips (125)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/marketing-tips) - [Pike13 Pro Tips (82)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-pro-tips) - [Growth (71)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/growth) - [Product Updates (58)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/product-updates) - [Pike13 News (50)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-news) - [Client Retention (43)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/client-retention) - [Competitive Advantage (36)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/competitive-advantage) - [Inside Pike13 (36)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/inside-pike13) - [Productivity (31)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/productivity) - [Finance (27)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/finance) - [Staffing (23)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/staffing) - [Customer Stories (22)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/customer-stories) - [Fitness (6)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/fitness) - [Press Release (6)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/press-release) - [Client Story (2)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/client-story) - [Music and Dance (2)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/music-and-dance) - [Events (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/events) - [Financial Stability (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/financial-stability) - [Kids' Activities (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/kids-activities) - [Podcast (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/front-desk-podast) - [Skill Tracking (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/skill-tracking) - [Webinars and Hangouts (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/webinars-and-hangouts) - [sports club management (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/sports-club-management) - [sports club mobile apps (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/sports-club-mobile-apps) - [sports club reporting (1)](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/sports-club-reporting) [See All](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/why-are-you-encouraging-your-clients-to-steal-from-you/#) [![The Hidden Revenue Stream: How Gift Cards and Add-Ons Boost Your Bottom Line](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/giftcardblog%20banner.png) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/the-hidden-revenue-stream-how-gift-cards-and-add-ons-boost-your-bottom-line) #### [The Hidden Revenue Stream: How Gift Cards and Add-Ons Boost Your Bottom Line](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/the-hidden-revenue-stream-how-gift-cards-and-add-ons-boost-your-bottom-line) [The Pike13 Team](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/the-pike13-team): Apr 06, 2026 The Overlooked Opportunity Most studio owners spend their energy filling classes and booking appointments. That’s the core revenue, so it makes... [Competitive Advantage](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/competitive-advantage) [Growth](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/growth) [Finance](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/finance) [Financial Stability](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/financial-stability) [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/the-hidden-revenue-stream-how-gift-cards-and-add-ons-boost-your-bottom-line) [![Why Multi-Factor Authentication is Essential for Account Security](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/Assets%20-%20Unorganized/Unorganized%20-%20images/Blog%20-%20Other/data-security.jpg) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/why-multi-factor-authentication-is-essential-for-account-security) #### [Why Multi-Factor Authentication is Essential for Account Security](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/why-multi-factor-authentication-is-essential-for-account-security) [Kaina](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/kaina): Apr 06, 2026 Protect your business and client data from unauthorized access with multi-factor authentication—a critical security layer that goes beyond passwords... [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/why-multi-factor-authentication-is-essential-for-account-security) [![Pike13 and Stripe: A Winning Combination](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/Blog%20post%20header.png) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/pike13-and-stripe-a-winning-combination) #### [Pike13 and Stripe: A Winning Combination](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/pike13-and-stripe-a-winning-combination) ![Picture of Monica B.](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e) [Monica B.](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/monica-b): Jul 20, 2023 Whether you run a fitness studio, yoga center, or any other membership-based business, managing registrations, payments, and customer data can be... [Competitive Advantage](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/competitive-advantage) [Growth](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/growth) [Finance](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/finance) [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/pike13-and-stripe-a-winning-combination) [![Are You Using the Right Tool to Manage Your Multi-Site Business?](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/images/pages/bg-desk1.jpg) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/are-you-using-the-right-tool-to-manage-your-multi-site-business) #### [Are You Using the Right Tool to Manage Your Multi-Site Business?](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/are-you-using-the-right-tool-to-manage-your-multi-site-business) ![Picture of Karl Swenson | Senior Account Manager](https://learn.pike13.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Pike13%20Employee%20Headshots/karl-swenson.png?width=30&name=karl-swenson.png) [Karl Swenson | Senior Account Manager](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/karl-swenson-senior-account-manager) : Jun 26, 2018 Everyone strives to grow their business. But as you grow and open new sites, there can be new challenges. How do you keep an eye on and manage... [Business Advisor](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/business-advisor) [Pike13 Pro Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-pro-tips) [Productivity](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/productivity) [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/are-you-using-the-right-tool-to-manage-your-multi-site-business) [![Digital Spring Cleaning for Your Business: 6 Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/Pike13%20Website/General%20Images/spring-cleaning.jpg) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/digital-spring-cleaning-for-your-business-6-tips) #### [Digital Spring Cleaning for Your Business: 6 Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/digital-spring-cleaning-for-your-business-6-tips) ![Picture of Katie Zacharkiw](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/b801dd245b9f42f681cce05b96c47e3d) [Katie Zacharkiw](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/katie-zacharkiw) : Mar 26, 2019 Ah Spring, that time of year when we all feel pressured into cleaning something. Why not make it your software and other digital assets? You may not... [Business Advisor](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/business-advisor) [Pike13 Pro Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-pro-tips) [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/digital-spring-cleaning-for-your-business-6-tips) [![5 Reasons Your Business Needs the Pike13 Client App](https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/Graphics/Web%20Graphics/client-app-blog-banner.png) ](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/5-reasons-your-business-needs-the-pike13-client-app) #### [5 Reasons Your Business Needs the Pike13 Client App](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/5-reasons-your-business-needs-the-pike13-client-app) ![Picture of Katie Zacharkiw](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/b801dd245b9f42f681cce05b96c47e3d) [Katie Zacharkiw](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/katie-zacharkiw) : Aug 15, 2019 Did you know that Pike13 offers a Client App for your business? If your business is in the U.S. or Canada, you can offer your clients a way to browse... [Business Advisor](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/business-advisor) [Pike13 Pro Tips](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/topic/pike13-pro-tips) [Read More](https://learn.pike13.com/blog/5-reasons-your-business-needs-the-pike13-client-app) ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=7046634&fmt=gif) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Nicki", "url" : "https://learn.pike13.com/blog/author/nicki" }, "datePublished" : "2013-09-19T11:17:09.000Z", "headline" : "Why are you encouraging your clients to steal from you?", "image" : [ "https://learn.pike13.com/hs-fs/file-3716561124-png/blog-files/photo.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://learn.pike13.com/blog/why-are-you-encouraging-your-clients-to-steal-from-you/", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://learn.pike13.com/hubfs/p13-logo-600px.png" }, "name" : "Pike, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.pike13.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Seattle", "addressRegion" : "WA", "postalCode" : "98122", "streetAddress" : "1221 East Pike Suite 200" }, "email" : "sales@pike13.com", "foundingDate" : "2011", "logo" : "https://www.pike13.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets%20-%20Unorganized/Organizing%20-%20In%20Use/Pike13%20Logo%20PNG.png?width=3000&height=790&name=Pike13%20Logo%20PNG.png", "name" : "Pike13", "parentOrganization" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Jonas Software" }, "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/gopike13", "https://twitter.com/gopike13", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/gopike13", "https://www.instagram.com/gopike13/" ], "telephone" : "(855) 417-7120", "url" : "https://www.pike13.com/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.pike13.com/#software", "@type" : "SoftwareApplication", "applicationCategory" : "BusinessApplication", "applicationSubCategory" : "Scheduling Software, Franchise Management Software, Skill Tracking Software", "areaServed" : [ { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "United States" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Canada" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "United Kingdom" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Australia" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Germany" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Spain" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Portugal" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Brazil" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "Mexico" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "European Economic Area" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "South America" }, { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "South Africa" } ], "audience" : { "@type" : "Audience", "audienceType" : "Fitness studios, music schools, swim schools, martial arts academies, youth coding programs, strength training gyms, franchise networks, multi-location activity-based businesses" }, "description" : "Pike13 is scheduling, enrollment, payment, and skill tracking software for activity-based businesses — from single-location studios to multi-location franchise networks. Serving fitness studios, music schools, swim schools, martial arts academies, youth coding programs, and strength training gyms.", "featureList" : [ "Scheduling and enrollment for classes, courses, and appointments", "Pre-paid and recurring plans", "Passes and punch cards", "Attendance tracking", "Automated reminder notifications", "Automated waitlist management", "Coupons", "Merchant processing", "Gift cards", "Automated billing and collections", "Child and dependent account linking", "Client communication", "Client app (iOS and Android)", "Staff app (iOS and Android)", "Client kiosk app", "Branded client website", "Basic reporting on clients, staff, and financials", "Insights Dashboard", "Payroll management and staff time tracking (Advanced+)", "Retail (Advanced+)", "Email marketing (Advanced+)", "SMS reminders and messaging (Advanced+)", "Facebook Pixel (Advanced+)", "Zapier integration (Advanced+)", "Digital waivers and custom terms and conditions (Advanced+)", "Embeddable website widgets (Advanced+)", "Room bookings (Advanced+)", "Google Analytics integration (Advanced+)", "Custom reporting powered by Looker (Advanced+)", "Multi-location oversight with reporting (Advanced+)", "Contactless check-in: kiosk, app, and QR codes (Advanced+)", "API access and custom integrations (Premium only)", "Member progress tracking and skill assessments (Premium only)", "Branded client app for iOS and Android (Premium option)", "Custom reports (Premium only)" ], "name" : "Pike13", "offers" : [ { "@type" : "Offer", "description" : "For solo operators and small studios. Includes scheduling and enrollment for classes, courses, and appointments; pre-paid and recurring plans; passes and punch cards; attendance tracking; automated reminders and waitlist management; coupons; merchant processing; gift cards; automated billing; family and dependent accounts; client communication; client app, staff app, kiosk app; branded client website; basic reporting; Insights Dashboard. Unlimited staff seats and client profiles. 12-month contract.", "name" : "Essential", "price" : "139.00", "priceCurrency" : "USD", "priceSpecification" : { "@type" : "PriceSpecification", "billingDuration" : "P1M" } }, { "@type" : "Offer", "description" : "For growing and multi-location businesses. Everything in Essential plus: multi-location oversight with reporting; payroll management and staff time tracking; digital waivers; custom reporting powered by Looker; email marketing; Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics; room bookings; contactless check-in (kiosk, app, QR codes); SMS reminders and messaging; Zapier integration; embeddable website widgets; retail. 12-month contract.", "name" : "Advanced", "price" : "195.00", "priceCurrency" : "USD", "priceSpecification" : { "@type" : "PriceSpecification", "billingDuration" : "P1M" } }, { "@type" : "Offer", "description" : "For franchises and enterprise-level customization. Everything in Advanced plus: API access and custom integrations for enterprise workflows; member progress tracking and skill assessments; branded client app for iOS and Android (available option); custom reports. 12-month contract.", "name" : "Premium", "price" : "249.00", "priceCurrency" : "USD", "priceSpecification" : { "@type" : "PriceSpecification", "billingDuration" : "P1M" } } ], "operatingSystem" : "Web, iOS, Android", "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.pike13.com/#organization" }, "url" : "https://www.pike13.com/" } ```