Today I want to ponder a little about customer service.
The nutrition and fitness industry is a funny one when it comes to customer service.
In an industry where results speak louder than the loud people saying them, looking after people just seems to get left behind. How often do you see statements like this,
“When Dave first came to see me he couldn’t lift his fat arse up off the couch. Now he his throwing cars through buildings and attacking Tokyo”.
Or,
“My clients have tried every other coach and method out there before they came to me with zero results. Now they have the life of their dreams as my system is the only thing that works. Everything you think you know is shit. I am God”.
Well, something along those lines anyway. But when was the last time you saw a statement like,
“My clients mean the world to me. They come first, the rest is just a nice bonus”.
The fact is that you rarely see it, and when you do it’s normally from a very high level coach. This isn’t a coincidence. The top people in any field are those that care the most about their craft and put hours and hours into perfecting it. This means that in a service based industry, having good relations with clients is just as important as getting results. It’s all well and good being able to get people into the best shape ever, but no one is going to want to work with you if you are a dick.
There are plenty of horror stories out there from people who wait days to hear back from their coach or that they get a cookie cutter programme that hasn’t been developed for their needs (I heard once a coach insisted that the client eat almond butter, even though the client was highly allergic to nuts).
When using a coach the same rules apply as for any service you pay for, you want a certain level for what you pay. These include,
Being polite and curtious.
Doing what they say they will, in the time frame given.
Respond to questions in a timely fashion.
Being approachable at all times.
When it comes to any type of coach or teacher it is worth while talking to a few and seeing which fits best with you (this also doesn’t mean the cheapest or the nicest). Everyone has a different way to be motivated and taught. If your coach can’t present their system or ideas to you in a motivating and engaging way, then it might not be the right fit.
Remember that you are paying for a level of service as well as knowledge. Don’t sell yourself or your goal short.
Oh, and while we are at it selling is NOT customer service. I hate it when I phone a customer service line and they try to sell me something. That isn’t SERVICE that’s SELLING! Giving people information and prices is fine (and needed) but things like objection handling and trying any kind of ‘close’ have no place at all in service.
Stay Healthy,
Mike
