That’s right when I take the time out of my day to stand in line to do a transaction with a teller the Royal Bank of Canada charges me for that priviledge. When the account representative told me about this fee I actually laughed and said, “you’re kidding, right?” She looked at me and it was obvious she wasn’t kidding. I turned to her and said, “does this make any sense to you as a human being that when you stand in line and wait to work with an actual person that we should pay for that?”  She was about to explain the banks’ policy and defend their decision to DING their customers for their time when I stopped her and said, “I know you didn’t makde up this policy but seriously this one makes no sense.”

I’m not thrilled about being DINGED by the bank for every transaction I do. Especially automated ones where no actual human being is doing the work. But to get charged for seeing a teller who is usually painfully slow, and to wait in line for long periods of time, just doesn’t make sense to me. You would think the bank would like their customers to come in and interact with the staff. To create a connection with people and be able to offer other services.

So what do you think. If I wait 30 minutes in line to speak with a teller should they charge me less because they wasted my time?Maybe the charge should work on a sliding scale. The faster they serve me the more they get. That certainly would make paying a fee worth my while.

I am seriously sad to see customer service eroding to such a level. I understand that businesses need to make money and fees and charges are part of that process. However, from a customer service stand-point sometimes businesses can just push too far and in this case I have to say that for me, this fee is pushing it. What do you think?

Written by: Patrick Lencioni

I love to read and my two favorite subjects are fitness and business. So my library is full of both types of books. When I like an author I usually buy all of their books. I feel like I get to know the author that way and their ideas. Patrick Lencioni has been one of my favorites for a long time. His latest book entitled Getting Naked is a true delight. Like all his other books he tells the reader a tale to illustrate his points. At the end of the book he summarizes the lessons and they have always proven to be enlightening and useful.

Getting Naked is about allowing yourself to be vulnerable and by doing so you can overcome some common fears that unknowingly sabotage your ability to build trust and loyalty with your clients.

The fears Patrick addresses are;

1)      Fear of losing the business

I’m sure many personal trainers can identify with the first fear. We can get so wrapped up in trying to get a client to sign up for sessions that we may not take the time to ensure a proper fit. Or we push too hard to close the sale and the client feels put-off. When you do what’s right for the client which may include referring business to someone else, this demonstrates that you are acting in their best interest and establishes trust. Don’t be afraid to lose business. Do the right thing for the client and you will develop a kind of loyalty that will last.

2)      Fear of being embarrassed

We all make mistakes and that’s natural. When you make a mistake instead of trying to cover it up, be straight with people and you’ll earn their trust and respect. We also can’t know everything so don’t worry about asking your client questions if you don’t understand something they’re saying or even admitting that you don’t know something. It’s okay. People will understand that you’re not a walking encyclopedia and respect you more for just being honest.

3)      Fear of feeling inferior

We all want to feel important. Some of us have really big egos and like the idea that we know more than our clients. Some even like to flaunt that a bit. However, keep in mind that you are in a service industry and it’s all about the client. In reality there’s nothing you shouldn’t want to provide help to a client.

Patrick shares a few tips for shedding the three fears.

• Always consult instead of sell
• Give away the business
• Tell the kind truth
• Enter the danger
• Ask dumb questions
• Make dumb suggestions
• Celebrate your mistakes
• Take a bullet for the client
• Make everything about the client
• Honor the client’s work
• Do the dirty work
• Admit your weaknesses and limitations

 To find out more about each of these tips I suggest you pick up a copy of his book. It’s a very short read and full in insight. I believe it will make offering your services as a personal trainer a lot easier for some of you once you realize that you don’t have to do the hard sell to get people to train with you. For more information on how you can improve your customer service and client retention check out Go Forth and Serve – Creating the “WOW” factor for service excellence.

Let’s take a look at some ordinary customer service strategies and put them on steroids.

Some of these customer service strategies that went from ordinary to being on steroids might seem a little out there to you. But that’s the point. Take your service to a whole new stratosphere. Think differently about what you can do to make your customers happy because it’s the small things that make the most difference. That’s what you are looking to provide.

I think you would agree that this type of customer service goes beyond the basics and into the world of WOW. If you can get your clients to say wow, then you know you’ve done something extraordinary for them. They will be sure to tell others of their experience which is the effect you want in order to take your business viral. You will create loyalty amongst your clients and they will stay with you. You won’t have to be concerned about them renewing sessions or re-signing for programs because they are thrilled with the service and the results they see when training with you.

I suggest you start actively listening to your clients. Most clients express wants, needs and desires at some point during their session. It’s this information that will help you formulate your customer service steroid plan. The client who doesn’t have time to get her nails done is a good example. You would have had to know this before offering this little perk to her. She would not only be surprised by this generous gift but impressed that you listened so closely and personalized it just for her.

What you are truly creating with this type of service plan are memories and experiences. When you do something that is exceptional like this, your clients won’t soon forget. The trick is to keep things spontaneous so that the initiative stays fresh. If you do it too often they will come to expect it and then the wow effect wears off.

Although some of these ideas are really different they would create an impression with your client. Now it’s up to you to use your creativity and come up with your own customer service plan on steroids. Have some fun with it.   List some ordinary customer service strategies that you are currently using and see if you can put them on steroids. For more information on how to build a customer service plan on steroids you can contact me for a free 30 minute fitness business coaching session.

It used to be 30 seconds but thanks to the internet, the abundance or advertising coupled with an ever decreasing attention span we now enjoy only a 10 second window of opportunity to capture attention and hold it.

Take this article for example. How many of you are still reading? Well I hope lots but some of you will only read a portion and if it doesn’t continue to hold your attention you are clicking onto the next thing.  Analyze your own habits when searching for information on the internet or looking for a new program to join. Some businesses are better at writing attention grabbing headlines or crafting descriptions that entice people to want to learn more about their service offerings.

If you don’t take the time to understand how to grab attention you are going to lose a client in the time in takes you to sneeze and say bless you. Scarry thought but it’s true. So what can you do to turn things around and get prospects to pay attention to you? The first thing you need to understand is where your strengths lie. If you are not a writer and struggle with creativity then I suggest you hire someone to help you write your titles and descriptions. If you do want to tackle the process yourself then here’s what you need to do.

1) Write attention grabbing headlines

2) Craft descriptions that capture attention

The best way to illustrate this point is to provide an example. Here’s a before and after and I don’t have to tell you which is which.

Anatomy 101

Learn the origins, insertions and actions of the muscles in the appendicular skeleton. You will leave this course feeling more confident in your knowledge of anatomy.

FUNantomy! – Lose your fear of learning anatomy

Get ready to move, grove and prove you can learn anatomy and have fun while doing it. Join Donna Hutchinson as she takes you on this exciting excursion to a world beneath the surface of the skin. You will visit only the most prominent protrusions, deepest crevasses and sail over striated muscles. Your journey will be highly interactive and at the end of the trip you will have learned all the origins, insertions and actions that the magical world of the body can perform. So what are you waiting for, hop on the bus and take the ride.

Do you see the difference in the two programs? Here’s another example of a before and after.

Winter Bootcamp

We all have a little athlete just waiting to burst out. Join this athletic bootcamp and let your inner athletic shine. This session focuses on some of your favourite winter sports and prepares you for the slopes. You will learn how to reduce your risk of injury and gain a great base of fitness so you can enjoy your winter activities. Come for the push, learn new challenging exercises and leave knowing you are ready for whatever winter has to offer.

Athletically Inspired SNOWcamp

2010 Winter Olympics here I come! Well maybe not but why not train like an Olympic athlete and let your inner athlete shine. Join this athletically inspired snowcamp and become better prepared for your favourite winter sport. I will show you how dry-land training can increase your fitness base and improve your performance once you hit the snow. So ollie, carve and slalom your way to increased performance so that you can leave knowing you are ready for whatever winter has to offer.

Again, do you see the difference between the two descriptions. The title and description make-overs have more energy, passion and they POP!

Yes this takes practice but it’s worth it because you can turn a bounce from your website into a “caching” into your program. Take one of your programs and see if you can add some zing to it. Show lots of people what you’ve created because their reaction to it will tell you if you’ve hit it or not.

One final point. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time for you to get the hang of it. Just keep at it.

PS: Receive a FREE title and description make-over booklet by contacting me at edgefit@shaw.ca.

It leaves me thinking that perhaps they already have enough customers and they don’t actually need anymore. This brings to mind a recent encounter with my bank. It was 10:00am on Monday morning. My branch is closed on Mondays which is another story. I went to make a deposit only to discover that the four envelope holders where empty. I wasn’t alone as there were three other customers waiting to use the ATM to make deposits. Just as I was getting ready to leave, a bank employee emerged from behind a locked door. I was relieved because I thought  she was coming to offer some assistance. That wasn’t the case. She was just getting ready to leave. We asked her if she could help us by providing some envelopes. She indicated that the ATM envelopes were in another section of the bank that was locked and she didn’t have access. Fair enough. But she was emerging from the offices. Are you trying to tell me that there are no envelopes in the offices? She didn’t even bother to offer to try and help or to look to see if there was some way to help. She just locked the door behind her and left. So much for caring that I needed to put money in the bank.

I own a small business and I know that the lifeblood of my business is its customers. Every call, email or personal contact is important to me and the success of my business. With the amount of time, energy and money it takes to attract clients why businesses seem to fall apart when it comes to taking care of those customers is beyond me.

In your business, take the time to care about your customer and future customers. Make them feel important and valued for their decision to do business with you. They made the choice to contact you and start a relationship. Let’s not give them a reason to question that decision.

For most people personal training is a luxury. Let’s face it, the service we provide as a personal trainer doesn’t come cheap so it’s important to provide exceptional customer service. When you take the time to do the little extras for your clients, they will sit-up and take notice. It makes it easier for them to continue to do business with you and offer referals which is the life blood of any personal training business.

The following is a list of my top  5 tips to providing out-of-this-world customer service. I’ve used these strategies in my own business and coached many other personal trainers to do the same in their businesses. We have all seen great success and so will you.

Be responsive. This seems like an easy place to start but most people are very neglectful about returning phone calls or emails in a timely manner. Strive to return inquiries as soon as possible and you will be surprised at the response you receive. How many phones or emails have you sent that were either not replied to or took days before you heard back? Did you really want to do business with the individual or organization when they finally did contact you.

Follow-through on promises. If you say you are going to do something then you had better follow-through with your promise. People will remember what you promised and will disappointed when you don’t follow-through. It’s a matter of trust and if you violate that trust then it may be difficult to get it back.  Be accountable to what you will say you will do and then make sure your customer is more then satisfied.

Give them more then what they expect. It feels really good to give people more then they expect from time to time. It shows them that you are thinking about them and care to give a little extra. Send a personalized note thanking them for their continue support for your business. Send flowers on special occassions or event tickets. You don’t need a special occassion to do little extras. It’s your way  of showing your client how much you appreciate their business.

Treat people fairly and equitably.  You certainly don’t want your clients to be frustrated doing business with you. Smooth the way by creating systems that treat everyone fairly and equitably.

Commit to continuing education. As you continue to learn and grow in the industry share this knowledge with your clients. This demonstrates your ongoing committment to continuing education and provides added value to their sessions.

Making people feel good about interacting with you on a daily or weekly basis is what  exceptional customer service is all about. If you make your clients feel special, unique and valued you have a good chance that they will continue to do business with you. Take pride in your customer service and continue to think of ways to build relationships with you clients that are out-of-this-world.