The Nitty-Gritty:

* How Ashley Gartland works with her business coaching clients to help them streamline their own work and reduce their sense of overwhelm* What goes in her welcome email to keep new clients from feeling overwhelmed as they’re getting started with coaching* How a customized Trello board helps her (and her clients) manage the engagement efficiently* Why she reduced her business model to just 2 packages and how that’s helping her create better client experiences

All told, I spent about 12 years of my life in retail and customer service.

I was a pharmacy technician dealing with sick, scared, and overwhelmed pharmacy customers at the ripe old age of 16.

I was cashier at Kohl’s, often stepping in for the cashier supervisor and hawking credit card applications without understanding the damage those credit cards were going to do to the people applying.

I worked in a tiny jewelry shop in the upscale Hotel Hershey.

And I worked my way up for barista to manager at a Borders Books & Music in Reading, PA.

#restinpeace

Customer service is in my blood.

I’ve probably dealt with every conceivable customer service experience you can think of—some fun, others quite uncomfortable, and still others that left me questioning my own ability to form rational thoughts.

And while customer service wasn’t always the most enjoyable part of my job, it was something I took pride in.

Then, I become a business owner.

I thought I was leaving customer service behind.

Now, of course, I know how silly that seems.

Despite being “founder & CEO,” customer service is woven into everything I do. Every decision I make directly impacts the experience we’re creating for the people who pay good money to do business with us.

What’s more, any misstep I make with customer service or experience feels like a judgement on me and my greatest work. It threatens to derail my schedule and ruins my day.

What I have learned as a business owner, though, is that customer service is as much—if not more—what happens far in advance of actually talking to a customer or putting a product in their hands. It’s the planning, the communication, the policies, the expectation-setting, and the procedures.

This month, we’ll be exploring how small businesses create exceptional customer and client experiences…

…through the way they plan, communicate, create procedures, and set expectations & policies.

You’ll hear from Viktor Nagornyy who has grown his website support & hosting company by prioritizing exceptional customer service—something unheard of in his industry. You’ll also hear from Jacynda Smith, who has developed a system for providing one-on-one help to everyone who buys the hair tool she invented.

You’ll hear why Linda Lopeke developed her rigorous client on-boarding process and how Allie LeFevere incorporates humor into her client experiences. And in our next episode, you’ll hear what’s working to create firm client boundaries while you prioritize exceptional experiences with Nicole Lewis-Keeber.

But first, I want to share my conversation with Ashley Gartland with you.

Ashley is a business coach who specializes in helping overwhelmed,

★ Support this podcast ★