The Thoughts And Ideas Of The Efficiency Coach

1. Effective Working Relationships

First and foremost, for great client service, you need to have a good working relationship. Very simply, fail to get a good relationship or have the wrong type of chemistry, the client will be invariably unhappy.

2. Accessibility and Responsiveness

Clients are looking for their professional advisor to be as willing and helpful at all times, irrespective of what other commitments they may have.  Fail on one of these aspects and your ability to deliver a service to a client, is deemed to be failing.

Accessibility and responsiveness involves:

• returning calls and texts
• responding to e-mails, letters, messages and faxes
• dealing with queries

all within a realistic timescale and generally keeping the client informed of the current ‘state of play’. For example, if you are out at court all day, leave a message on your voicemail to explain to any callers, e.g. clients, where you are and when you will be picking up and returning calls.

Realistically speaking, your clients don’t expect to be your only client. However, they do expect to be able to know how and when to contact you.

Your client, if they cannot get through to you, does expect to be dealt with in a friendly or efficient manner by someone else in the firm.

Think about your own experiences with trades people you may have hired personally. I am sure you will agree that your initial reaction and first impression, was created long before any service was actually provided.

3. Meeting Deadlines

It is often the simple things which determine the perception of good client service, in the opinion of a client. Not meeting deadlines is a great way of eroding trust in a relationship.

4. Technical Excellence

Technical excellence and the receipt of error free products are taken for granted by most clients. Clients do not expect any technical errors on their work. In the mindset of a client, technical errors = poor quality work = poor quality service.

5. Understandable Advice

Technical excellent on its own, however, is not enough. Clients want to understand what has been written, and not feel like they need a translator to read anything from you.

6. No surprises

Billing clients is one of the major areas where client service can fall down. It is amazing how many clients are willing to accept a higher fee than initially proposed if you keep them informed of how much is already on the clock, and where unanticipated costs are appearing from. Most difficult conversations with clients about fees, at the end of an assignment, can be prevented by an on-going dialogue with the client about fees through the engagement.

It is essential to:

• Always give a clear indication of expected fee levels in advance and agree billing arrangements
• Always tell clients what they are being billed for – a bill simply stating “For professional services rendered” without further explanation is only likely to raise questions in the client’s mind
• Bill on a timely basis – a client is unlikely to remember how valuable a service was if it was provided 6 months previously
• Never send an unexpected bill – always inform the client in advance

7. Value for money

Clients are no different to ordinary people – they expect to receive value for money. Good client service is inextricably linked to value for money, in the mindset of a client. However, particularly if your fee level is high, asking a client if they have received ‘value for money’ is a bit like asking a dentist’s patient if they enjoyed the experience of being in the chair!  However, many patients do appreciate the service their dentist provides and the same is true for professional advisors in general.

It is achieved by:

• a true understanding and appreciation of the client’s business
• giving advice which is constructive and commercial
• thinking first and foremost about clients’ needs

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