I believe I may have stumbled upon a bit of a provider secret. I only say that because as soon as I saw it on social media, it was deleted—almost like the...
I believe I may have stumbled upon a bit of a provider secret. I only say that because as soon as I saw it on social media, it was deleted—almost like the provider posted it by mistake. And honestly, I can see why. It raises some interesting questions about the kind of clients we are—and whether we expect a “treat” just for being who we are.
Earlier today, I came across a provider being openly curious. She posed the question: how do providers treat their best clients? Do they tell those clients they’re their favorite, or do they keep it to themselves? Basically, she was wondering if knowing you’re the favorite changes how a client behaves.
I’ve got to say, this was a bit of an eye-opener. It’s not something I’ve ever thought deeply about. Sure, we all know that providers have their favorite clients—just like any of us have favorite restaurants, friends, or go-to movies. But I never considered how that knowledge could be used—strategically or subconsciously—in a way that benefits the provider. Whether they tell us or not could affect how we behave, how we spend, and how we engage.
The more I sit with this, the more I realize that not knowing might be better for both sides.
Think about it: comfort leads to complacency. As human beings, the more comfortable we are, the more we tend to take things for granted. We get lazy. Things we used to go the extra mile for start to feel like “just another Tuesday.” I believe the same applies here. If a client knows they’re the provider’s “best,” they might ease up. They might stop bringing gifts, stop booking as often, or just start assuming their place is secure.
Now, not every client is like that. Some would take it as motivation—like, “If I’m your favorite, I want to stay that way.” They’d go harder, be even more generous, more respectful, more thoughtful. But let’s be real: those kinds of clients are the minority.
So if a provider chooses to keep that info to herself, I don’t blame her. If she’s used to a certain lifestyle—gifts, dinners, the spotlight of someone’s attention—why risk losing that by feeding someone’s ego too much? And as clients, maybe it’s better we don’t know either. That ignorance keeps us sharp. It keeps us trying. Whether we’re the best or not is beside the point. What matters is that we continue being good clients—because the moment you stop, you might find yourself replaced by someone who never asked if they were number one.
In the end, maybe the game works best when everyone stays just a little unsure. That uncertainty pushes us to keep showing up, to keep impressing, to keep treating providers the way they deserve. Whether we’re the favorite or just in the rotation, it shouldn't change how we behave. Because the truth is, being a good client isn’t about getting rewarded—it's about staying consistent, respectful, and generous no matter where you stand. And if you're lucky enough to be a provider’s favorite? You’ll probably never have to ask.
