PHabseiling LLC

PHabseiling trains people who work on ropes: industrial climbers, facade cleaners, workshop teams, and companies that perform work at height. It's a market with clear standards, real demand, and little competition, but also with low visibility.

Registrations were made by phone and through industry contacts. Those who knew the name called and were added to a list. Those who didn't know the name found it difficult to find. The company barely appeared in searches for "height access training."

This made planning difficult. Course slots were assigned verbally, cancellations came late, and sometimes it was only known ten days before whether a course would even take place. For training with fixed instructor costs, this directly impacts profitability.

Additionally, there was the burden of explanation. Interested parties often don't know which course level they need, which standard is required, or what prerequisites apply. These questions were all answered over the phone, with multiple calls per registration.

The first version of the course pages was too technical. We had fully written out the standard references, because that is technically correct. For a operations manager who wants to know which course his employee needs, it was unusable.

The revision reversed the order: first the question of who needs this course and what they are allowed to do afterwards, then the standard in detail further down. This increased the dwell time, and registrations came with fewer queries.

The first attempt to advertise broadly in the construction industry did not work. Too many clicks from companies for whom working at height is not an issue. Restricting it to specific fields of activity was effective, even if the reach was significantly smaller as a result.

Another issue was the payment method. B2B customers want to register on account, not pre-pay by card. We had to implement this after the first registrations were abandoned at this point.

What came of it

Within twelve months, the proportion of course registrations completed directly online tripled. The phone hasn't disappeared, but it's no longer the only way.

More important for operations is predictability. Courses fill up earlier because spots are visible and registrations are recorded bindingly. This allows instructors and materials to be allocated more reliably.

PHabseiling is a classic mandate in an area where we are not at home ourselves. That's precisely why it's here: it shows that our model also works where we are not insiders and have to rely on numbers, expert discussions, and craftsmanship.