What Works

The Nitty-Gritty:

* Why SmartStart founder Linda Lopeke has every potential client complete a rigorous application* How she sets expectations clearly from the get-go so that every client has the best chance of getting results* What inspired her approach to business systems and client experience* How she makes brand-new clients feel at ease, step-by-step

Starting my working life as a retail worker, I always associated “customer service” with what you do when there’s a problem.

A customer needs to make a return. They have a question about this week’s sale. They need to report a problem with the bathroom.

Despite years and years of training on customer service, no one ever said to me: customer service starts before the customer even walks in the door.

Customer service is having the right product on display. It’s having the carpet freshly vacuumed. It’s having the music at the right level, playing the right songs.

Do customer service right, right from the beginning, and you dramatically reduce the number of problems you encounter during the day.

I didn’t learn that lesson until I started my own business—and really many years after.

For our final episode on our series on designing exceptional customer experiences, I spoke with Linda Lopeke, the founder of SmartStart.

Linda knows that customer service starts long before the first purchase is ever made.

She’s designed her entire client on-boarding system to set clear expectations, ensure fit, and make new clients feel at ease. Instead of crossing her fingers and hoping she doesn’t run into customer service problems, Linda has crafted a process elevates her client experience.

I talked with Linda about the lengthy application process she uses, why she interviews every prospect before they can work with her, and how she brings on a new client step-by-step.

Play close attention to all the opportunities Linda has to set expectations throughout the process and reduce the friction of doing the work.

Now, let’s find out what works for Linda Lopeke!

What Works Is Brought To You By

Mighty Networks powers brands and businesses – like yours! – that bring people together.With a Mighty Network, online business owners just like you can bring together in one place:

* Your website* Your content* Your courses* Your community* Your events online and in real life* And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand.

Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level.

Show Notes






The Nitty-Gritty:



* Why SmartStart founder Linda Lopeke has every potential client complete a rigorous application* How she sets expectations clearly from the get-go so that every client has the best chance of getting results* What inspired her approach to business systems and client experience* How she makes brand-new clients feel at ease, step-by-step





Starting my working life as a retail worker, I always associated “customer service” with what you do when there’s a problem.



A customer needs to make a return. They have a question about this week’s sale. They need to report a problem with the bathroom.



Despite years and years of training on customer service, no one ever said to me: customer service starts before the customer even walks in the door.



Customer service is having the right product on display. It’s having the carpet freshly vacuumed. It’s having the music at the right level, playing the right songs.



Do customer service right, right from the beginning, and you dramatically reduce the number of problems you encounter during the day.



I didn’t learn that lesson until I started my own business—and really many years after.



For our final episode on our series on designing exceptional customer experiences, I spoke with Linda Lopeke, the founder of SmartStart.



Linda knows that customer service starts long before the first purchase is ever made.



She’s designed her entire client on-boarding system to set clear expectations, ensure fit, and make new clients feel at ease. Instead of crossing her fingers and hoping she doesn’t run into customer service problems, Linda has crafted a process elevates her client experience.



I talked with Linda about the lengthy application process she uses, why she interviews every prospect before they can work with her, and how she brings on a new client step-by-step.



Play close attention to all the opportunities Linda has to set expectations throughout the process and reduce the friction of doing the work.



Now, let’s find out what works for Linda Lopeke!





What Works Is Brought To You By







Mighty Networks powers brands and businesses – like yours! – that bring people together.With a Mighty Network, online business owners just like you can bring together in one place:



* Your website* Your content* Your courses* Your community* Your events online and in real life* And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand.



Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level.
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What is What Works?

"Work" is broken. We're overcommitted, underutilized, and out of whack. But it doesn't have to be this way. What Works is a podcast about rethinking work, business, and leadership as we navigate the 21st-century economy. When you're an entrepreneur, independent worker, or employee who doesn't want to lose yourself to the whims of late-stage capitalism, this show is for you. Host Tara McMullin covers money, management, culture, media, philosophy, and more to figure out what's working (and what's not) today. Tara offers a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to deep-dive analysis of how we work and how work shapes us.