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The customer success experience you should expect from a platform partner

By 
Corey Loehr
 / 
May 9, 2022
 / 
stephanie-tucker-leadership-customer-success

Technology has done wonderful things for the advancement of the health and fitness industry over the past 25 years. Trust me - I’ve seen it all. We wouldn’t be able to do even a fraction of what we do now in customer success without the great technology products and the innovation we’ve seen in multiple segments of the industry.

For all the benefits though, there is one area of service in the technology aspect of the health and fitness industry that is at a tipping point: the customer success department. There is an opportunity to raise the bar here.

As the internet has made information so much more readily available, it’s become commonplace for technology companies to publish “self-help” videos, blog articles, and support documentation, meant to bridge the gap between the people who build software and those who use it on a daily basis. 

On the surface, a box has been checked, and “support” has been provided. The customer can definitely access all the information they need on how to use our product better, and because it’s documented and they have access to it, this means they’ve been properly serviced. Right?

I have to be honest with you. That approach to customer success just isn’t good enough for me and maybe not for you either…

A vendor relationship is not a partnership connection. Partnerships invest time and resources to establish a connection built on camaraderie, familiarity, and most importantly, trust. Your partner is not just a number tied to an MRR value. Establishing a partnership means getting to KNOW your partner, and what drives them to deliver on their brand promise to their members.

All the technology in the world doesn’t change the fact that the health and fitness industry is at its core, a people business. From the first interaction at the front desk to the training floor, to the community that you nurture. It’s people looking out for people. There must be an authentic love of the industry, of the organizations, and of the people. I call it, “establishing a true heart for your customers”.

Fellow senior executives - I ask you – do you have a software vendor for the systems that you use or a platform partner?

A platform partner doesn’t merely provide a dedicated account representative, but instead, offers a collaborative team. A service where multiple layers within their organization are visible to you and your team so that the right person is always available for the issue at hand.

This extends to another issue that is common in many clubs, which is that there’s a level of employee turnover in the industry that results in a demand for a significant amount of training, and retraining. New team members come aboard and need clear guidance on the processes you’ve put in place to run your business. Your platform partner's customer success team should be prepared for, and get ahead of this known hurdle.

  • Maybe you do your own new hire training? Perhaps you’re a club that likes to train your new team members, or maybe you’re a club that wants a platform partner with a customer success team that will lean in when it’s needed.
  • Does your software vendor leave you with the aforementioned digital directory of documentation? Can you easily reach them for assistance?  
  • Does your platform partner take the lead on providing the live training that your team members need to be successful? Good partners have people available to help you through those periods of new hire and update training.

Offering multiple channels of training has the advantage of real humans providing real support in a timely manner. People who care, going the extra mile for their partners.

So how does a platform partner build a customer success team that delivers on a personal touch promise?

  • It’s about the ability to be empathetic to others and the pressures they are under. 
  • They truly understand what it means to do the job in the club when it’s busy and can quickly navigate to the information that will answer the customers’ questions.
  • It’s the delivery of an exemplary customer success experience. One where your customers truly feel the “partnership” in your actions.
  • Your platform technology partner should be someone in your corner who has a vested interest in your organization’s success and growth. 

We believe that this is the customer success experience you should expect. We seek to deliver a truly world-class partnership experience, driven by an innate sense of urgency and concern, built on that inner drive for your friend, your customer.

What are the good platform partners doing that makes all the difference? Is yours a transactional arrangement with your sales vendor, or are they a true business platform partner?

When it comes to technology in your business, you don't have to go it alone. See what a partnership with Hapana looks like. Request a demo today.