Small Giants companies truly care for their people – both employees and customers alike. But have you ever thought about waiting in the rain with an umbrella in hand, ready to keep one of your clients dry?

At H4 Training, acts of kindness like this aren't extraordinary – they happen every day. Hank Ebeling, founder of H4 Training, knew from the beginning that he wanted to create a gym known for its one-of-a-kind customer service. This high bar for exceptional service is set during the initial phone screening with potential employees, carries through the hiring and onboarding process, and becomes an integral part of the gym's everyday culture.

Hank's passion for customer service was sparked during his first college job at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. While working at the famous Canyon Ranch Spa, he had a manager who was incredibly particular about service standards, even down to body language. The experience made a lasting impression on Hank, and today, H4's customer service mindset proves it.

Determine the Traits of Peak Performance

During the hiring process, H4 screens potential employees using what they call Ideal Team Member profiles (ITMs). These profiles are based on the characteristics of top employees in each role and help guide their interview process.

When creating an ITM for a specific position, the H4 team looks at existing team members already in that role and identifies their "A players." They then pinpoint the qualities that make these employees successful and build a checklist of those traits for each position.

For example, H4 wants their Personal Training Coaches to be passionate about fitness and health. Beyond passion, they should be likeable, caring, empathetic, and personable. Previous experience is nice to have but not required. They're looking for someone who's hospitable and eager to learn and contribute to a strong team.

From there, they create interview questions and prompts that specifically target these traits in potential hires:

• To assess passion, they might ask, "Why did you choose the fitness field?"
• To understand customer care and empathy, they could ask, "How do you think someone should respond when handling a challenging or difficult client?"

During the initial phone screening, the interviewer uses these targeted questions to get a sense of who the person is, whether they possess the traits that make an employee successful at H4, and what their expectations are going into the job.

While on the phone, it's essential for H4 to give candidates a glimpse into their customer-centric culture by sharing the company's values and service standards, along with real examples of H4 employees delivering excellent customer service.

For instance, the interviewer might share a story about a time a client was registered for a session but called in to let the team know she couldn't get her car out of the garage due to snow and wouldn’t make it. Knowing how important the workout was to setting the tone for a positive day for the client, an H4 team member drove to pick them up. Sharing stories like this shows candidates that H4 truly goes above and beyond for their clients.

If the screening indicates that the candidate aligns with their culture and both sides agree on expectations, they move on to an in-person interview.

Continue the Conversation

This second step in the hiring process is where the ITM checklist really comes into play. The goal of the traditional in-person interview is to learn more about the candidate and identify the qualities that match those of top-performing employees.

After the formal portion of the interview, candidates have the opportunity to casually meet other team members to get a feel for H4's culture. This also gives current team members a chance to form their own impressions of the candidate.

If moving forward in the interview process, the candidate is invited back to the gym during a training session to spend more time with the team, and for H4 to observe how the candidate interacts with clients, who will later be asked to provide feedback.

Put Them to the Test

Given that team members, clients, and the candidate all seem excited after their conversations, the candidate is hired and begins a 30 day test run where they have daily and weekly check-ins to highlight how the process is going.

During these first 30 days, clients are asked to provide both formal and informal feedback on the new hire. After training sessions, clients share their thoughts about how the session went overall – what worked well and what could have been better.

This feedback initiates two-way communication right from the start. A manager shares the anonymous client feedback with the new employee as learning opportunities, so they know exactly how clients feel about their sessions, what they should work on, and what they should continue doing.

Most often, this process empowers new employees to grow and strengthen their training sessions with clients, raising the customer service bar even higher. However, in some cases, these feedback sessions may reveal that a potential employee isn't aligned with H4's values and culture. Other times, the feedback helps identify that H4 has the right person who genuinely cares for clients, but might be better suited for a different role – perhaps moving from leading group sessions to conducting one-on-one training.

At H4, onboarding is crucial, and the 30-day trial with feedback period allows them to evaluate customer service qualities, knowing that specific skill development can come later.

Celebrate Customer Service Superheroes

Customer service remains top of mind for employees throughout their entire H4 career. When employees display exceptional customer service or perform acts of kindness, the team receives a text in real-time to celebrate the gesture and encourage others to follow their lead.

To top off the celebrations, H4 recognizes an "Employee of the Month." The award focuses on service excellence and comes with the honor of sporting a "Customer Service Superhero" belt. Award winners are announced during monthly team meetings which creates a fun photo opportunity with the belt that is coveted by the team and shared with family, friends, and on social media.

At H4 Training, exceptional customer service isn't just a goal – it's a non-negotiable part of the culture, deeply embedded in every stage of hiring, onboarding, and daily operations. By identifying and nurturing the traits of top performers, celebrating acts of kindness, and continuously seeking and sharing feedback, H4 ensures that every team member is equipped to raise the bar. In doing so, they create a standout experience for clients and cultivate a workplace where service truly shines.

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