THAT WILL RUIN RELA
According to entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John, “Customer service is more important than anything else in your business.” Without high-level customer service, you can kiss repeat business goodbye. Here are some of the most common customer service killers and advice on how to avoid them. POOR LISTENING SKILLS There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than feeling like they’re talking to a brick wall. Having a system for customer complaints and feedback isn’t a bad idea, but being inflexible is. Remember that you’re talking to a person. The more closely you listen, the better you’ll be able to address their concerns. Rob Pace, CEO of feedback software company HundredX, says, “The ultimate goal is for the customer to feel they are heard.”
THE INDEFATIGABLE JENNY BORDA
Jenny Borda wears many hats. On top of being an elite athlete and the general manager of Friendship CrossFit in Dublin, Ohio, she also handles the social media pages and retail operations of her box. This may sound like a lot, but as an experienced gymnast and physical therapist, striking a balance has never been a problem for Jenny. WHAT INTRODUCED YOU TO CROSSFIT? At the time, I was coaching gymnastics alongside my work at the children’s hospital in Columbus. All told, I was working 60- hour weeks, and I realized I wasn’t doing enough for my own athletic goals. After college, I wanted some form of structured exercise that would let me embrace my competitive side. I happened to have a friend who was a competitive CrossFitter. I saw her go to regionals that year and knew that this was the kind of experience I was looking for. I immediately started CrossFit. AND YOU WENT RIGHT INTO COMPETITION, DIDN’T YOU? Yes — in fact, I made regionals within my first year. I ended up making the regionals three years straight and capped off the experience by being a part of Team Friendship in 2016. HOW HAVE YOU APPLIED YOUR ATHLETIC BACKGROUND TO MANAGEMENT? Well, coaching people and managing a business have a lot of crossover, especially with CrossFit. It’s such an individualized program, and knowing how to work with members’ expectations is really important.
The truth is that no matter how perfect your gym is, some people are always going to have issues or be disappointed. As a GM, it’s important to be comfortable with conflict. Thankfully, I’ve been coaching since I was 16 years old and have had to deal with a lot of parents of young athletes in my time. I apply the same skills I learned during those interactions: Be as empathetic as possible without sugarcoating the issue. WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH TO RUNNING FRIENDSHIP’S SOCIAL MEDIA? If something doesn’t provide value for your members, don’t post it. Don’t make your feed all sales announcements, either. You want your social media pages to show how awesome your members are and the personal strides they are making. Essentially, try to remain authentic. ANY 4TH OF JULY PLANS? Well, I just bought a house that is still very much a fixer-upper. I’m hoping to have enough of the work done that I can have a relaxing holiday! I used to go to “Red, White, and BOOM” every year in Downtown Columbus. Now I’d rather sit back and watch the fireworks from a friend’s backyard.
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