By Steve “The Doctor” Meek | Talk To Th3 Doc Podcast | Fulcrum Group
Podcast Doc-umentary – Episode 114
In Episode 114 of Talk To Th3 Doc, I sat down with Jose Duarte, CCIM of Coldwell Banker Commercial, to talk about something that never goes out of style—customer service.
Jose and I explored what it takes to deliver legendary service in a transactional world, where speed and convenience often overshadow loyalty and relationships. And as I listened to Jose’s stories, I couldn’t help but think of how closely they align with the way we approach managed IT at The Fulcrum Group.
One of Jose’s best lines was: “Lead by example; it speaks volumes.” I like it and believe I live it. Though, that’s a phrase I also need to make a conscious effort to work into conversation more.
Why Customer Service Is Still the Heartbeat of Business
Customer service isn’t fluff—it’s the heartbeat that keeps organizations alive. Jose pointed out how it’s always easier to build on repeat clients than chase new ones. That principle applies whether you’re in commercial real estate or IT services.
At Fulcrum, we believe we have learned that client loyalty comes from consistency, communication, and confidence. It’s why we built our No IT Jerks philosophy—because people deserve partners who listen, not just technicians who do whatever.
Our STARpower™ framework formalizes this approach:
- Alignment with Vision and Strategy – just like Jose uses market trends and client goals, we similarly create technology roadmaps tied to what leaders are actually trying to achieve. We also prioritize impact over just doing things that may not add much value.
- Baseline and Current State Assessments – we measure before we prescribe, so clients can see progress over time. You need to know where you are BEFORE to try to follow a map.
- Iterative Improvements – we deliver IT improvements in steady, visible steps rather than chaotic leaps. Too much improvement at once can cause conflicts, create end user demands, strain budgets or resources. Too little builds technical debt, invites security risks, equipment age impacts user performance or applications lag in capabilities.
Communication, Trust, and the Fulcrum Way
Jose emphasized that effective communication is the key to understanding client needs. In real estate, it’s listening for what a client values in their purchase requirements. In IT, it’s listening for what slows down their people, stresses their leadership, opportunities they are pursuing or puts them at risk.
That’s why we invest so much time and effort in Quarterly Success Reviews (QSRs). These aren’t box-checking exercises—they’re conversations designed to surface the small frustrations before they become bigger problems. A simple forensics examination of a network to determine if there was a breach can be $30,000-$50,000, not counting other costs. How does that cost compare to just using typical security tools to begin with?
Jose also talked about self-assessment as critical for leaders. At Fulcrum, we put ourselves under that same microscope. We regularly track and review weekly service desk metrics, project delivery timelines, and cybersecurity hygiene the way a doctor checks a patient’s vitals. Continuous improvement isn’t just for our clients—it’s for us, too. I like to tell the team, “In service delivery, if we aren’t getting better each month, then we are getting worse”.
From Emergency Surgery to Preventive Care
Jose offered a metaphor that hit close to home: “Great customer service… feels like emergency surgery.” When service fails, the scramble feels like an ER visit.
But at Fulcrum, our goal is to keep our clients out of the emergency room altogether. Through proactive monitoring, layered security, and documentation of processes, we keep IT from becoming a surprise crisis. We call it boring, relentless hygiene—patching, backups, MFA, and constant testing. Not glamorous, but it’s what lets clients sleep at night.
I contrast many things we do to health care, hence my alter ego “The Doctor”. Your fractional CIO is your primary care physician, the various technical roles and specialists at Fulcrum are your specialists and the QSR is your annual checkup, dome more often. Our processes and tools are like prescriptions you want each month, to avoid a full hospital visit.
Why This Matters for SMB Leaders in DFW
For SMBs, nonprofits, and local governments, the stakes are higher than ever:
- Budget constraints mean you can’t afford to treat IT as trial and error.
- Compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI, CJIS, CIS v8) demand discipline in service delivery.
- Employee retention depends on giving staff tools that work seamlessly and perform well.
Jose’s insights remind us that service is strategy. Technology is no different. Whether we’re helping a manufacturer improve uptime, a nonprofit protect donor data, or a city ensure compliance, the way we deliver service is just as important as the tech itself.
Fulcrum’s Prescription
Here are a few ways we embed Jose’s wisdom into our IT practice:
- Lead by Example: Our leadership is hands-on and accessible—clients don’t just get engineers, they get executives who show up for reviews and planning.
- Know Thyself: We benchmark performance using tools like Lifecycle Insights as a dashboard for our STARpower process, so we track where we were, are and heading.
- Community Involvement: Just like Jose, we believe giving back matters. From Special Olympics to local food banks, our culture is rooted in serving people first.
Call to Action
If you missed this episode, I invite you to catch the full conversation with Jose Duarte—it’s a great reminder that legendary customer service never goes out of style:
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s_wob023cXU
🎧 Listen on your favorite platform: https://pod.link/1807560282
And if you’re ready to see what customer-focused IT service looks like in practice, let’s talk. Our team at Fulcrum is here to help SMBs, nonprofits, and local governments in DFW scale with confidence, supported by IT that works as promised.
👉 Start by completing the form on the right
