117: How to Crush the Competition with Service

Customer service is often seen as a "soft skill," something nice to have but not necessary for a business to run well. It's an afterthought, and this is especially true for small businesses.

When small businesses can learn customer service skills from larger ones, the business owners can see them flourish and thrive. You're delivering a high level of service in what may be an unexpected environment. It takes an everyday experience and transforms it into a special one.

In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution, John interviews Hank Ebeling, owner of H4 Training, author, and podcast host, about how he took an ordinary gym experience and turned it into an extraordinary one. Hank learned about customer service early in his career from his manager in Las Vegas and injected that experience into his business.

Hank understands that offering customers a high level of service on the precipice of leaving can retain them. By cultivating this kind of culture in his business, he's created a thriving gym with a team that instinctively knows how to serve their clients above and beyond.

Here are just a few takeaways:

• What Hank's first managers at a gym he worked at taught him about creating an excellent customer service experience and how he transferred that to his business, H4 Training
• How he built credibility as an expert in his field and why working in the industry provided an advantage
• The difficulties small businesses face in offering world-class customer service and the lessons they can learn from larger businesses
• His book, Crushing the Competition, and the LTS method he outlines in it
• How Hank finds the "superhero" team members and identifies the attributes that make them superheroes
• The three Cs--care, commitment, and community--that make up his service vision
• Some interview questions he uses to find team members who represent the culture and how a self-audit can pinpoint roadblocks to delivering high levels of service
• Why customer service skills are an intelligent business strategy

Resources mentioned:

www.thedijuliusgroup.com

thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast

customerservicerevolution.com

thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy

thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy-online

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/hank-ebeling-9b603655

Instagram - www.instagram.com/hankebeling

Hank's Book - www.amazon.com/Crushing-Competition-Service-Entrepreneurs-Outstanding/dp/B08P6G6YFV

Success Trails Podcast - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/success-trails-podcast/id1491010186

Follow and Review:

We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.