Client Care

Question 1

What do you understand by client care?

Answer 1

A continuous process of understanding client’s requirements, suggestions, complaints to enhance service delivery. This can include:
Understanding client needs & requirements.
Complaint handling procedures (CHPs).
Quality assurance (QA) procedures.
Key performance indicators (KPIs).
Client satisfaction questionnaires.
Looking out for client’s best interests.
Client feedback meetings.
Lessons learned workshops.
Identifying the appropriate scope of service.
Defining the client brief.

Question 2

Why is client care important?

Answer 2

To retain existing clients and secure repeat business.
Reduce the likelihood of conflict.
Maintain a strong repulation within the industry and so attract further clients.

Question 3

What is the difference between a client and customer?

Answer 3

Client - One who is under the protection of another.
Customer - One who purchases a commodity or service.
The main difference between a customer and a client is that a protective, ongoing business relationship is formed with a client, but not necessarily with a customer.

Question 4

What is the term ‘soft landings’ referring to?

Answer 4

A strategy to ensure the transition from construction to occupation is ‘bump-free’ and operational performance is optimised.

Question 5

Please detail some of the quality management systems (QMS) you have implemented on your projects?

Answer 5

Project execution plans (PEPs).
Project control plans (PCPs).
Contractor payment schedules.
Using standardised contract administration forms.
Procedural checklists.
Reporting templates.
Following industry guidance and advisory notes.
Following company policy and procedures.

Question 6

What is your company’s procedure for obtaining formal client feedback?

Answer 6

Client satisfaction surveys are issued at key project stages.

Question 7

How do you act upon feedback received from a client?

Answer 7

The feedback should be formally recorded in some way.
Share the positives and discuss how negatives can be improved upon.
If the feedback is negative, then it needs to be verified and the necessary course of action taken to correct going forward.
Ensure the feedback is fed back into the company through the lessons learned process.
Review the improvement in 6 months or another suitable period.

Question 8

What are KPIs (data)?

Answer 8

Kev Performance Indicators.
Can be used to measure supply chain performance.
Can be used to benchmark business performance against others.

Question 9

Can you provide examples of a KPI?

Answer 9

Number of defects/snags.
Construction cost overrun.
Achieving programme milestones.
Profitability.
H&S scores.
Environmental scoring.
Use of local labour.

Question 10

What is a complaint?

Answer 10

An expression of dissatisfaction. Complaints generally arise when expectations have not been met.

Question 11

How would you deal with a complaint from a client?

Answer 11

Acknowledge receipt of the compliant.
Notify the appropriate person in the firm (complaint handling manager).
Identify the outcome and course of action to rectify.
Formally respond to the client, communicate outcomes and course of action for correction.
Appoint a person to carry out an investigation.
Communicate the lessons learned internally.
If the client is stil unhappy, they have right to refer to in arpendent dispute resolution.
Review at a predetermined date in the future.
Inform the PI insurers of the complaint at each stage of the process.

Question 12

Are you aware of any guidance published by RICS in association with complaint handling?

Answer 12

Complaints Handling - 1st edition, July 2016

Question 13

How can complaints be avoided in the first instance?

Answer 13

Setting out clear expectations in the scope of service and appointment documents.
Communicating clearly and effectively with the client and other key stakeholders.
Put everything in writing to ensure there is always documented evidence should a complaint arise (for example, meeting minutes).
Follow company procedures and policy (including quality assurance processes).
Follow RICS standards, professional statements and guidance.
Seeking feedback and resolving issues as they arise.

Question 14

Has RICS published any information on handling clients’ money?

Answer 14

Client Money Handling - professional statement 1st edition, October 2019.

Question 15

What are the objectives of the Client Money Handling professional statement?

Answer 15

The professional statement provides clear rules for RICS regulated firms and members to have the appropriate controls and procedures to keep client money safe. It provides confidence to clients and consumers that RICS regulated firms are operating to high professional standards.

Question 16

What are some of the key requirements identified in the Client Money Handling professional statement?

Answer 16

The professional statement provides clear requirements such as:
Client account requirements.
Appropriate accounting controls.
The information that firms must provide to clients.
How to handle client money including rules for managing any unidentified funds.

Question 17

What is meant by clients’ money?

Answer 17

Money of any currency (whether in the form of cash, cheque, draft, or electronic transfer) that An RICS-regulated firm holds for or receives on behalf of another person, including money held by regulated firm as stakeholder and,
Is not immediately due and payable on demand to the RICS-regulated firm for its own account.

Question 18

What information would you expect to see in a client’s brief?

Answer 18

Services required.
Insurances required.
Terms of appointment.
Duration of appointment.
Client procedures and policies.
Key drivers for success.

Question 19

What might be excluded from a consultant fee proposal?

Answer 19

VAT.
Disbursements.
Dealing with claims.
Services which are not required.

Question 20

How would you go about calculating professional fees for a new commission?

Answer 20

Understand client requirements including projected scope, key project details, budget and scope of service.
Identify the seniority of resource and number of people required to deliver the service.
Assess the duration required to complete to activities identified in the scope of service.
Apply a daily or hourly rate against the activities.
Review the total fee as a percentage against the project budget (as a sense check).

Question 21

Could there be any issues (from a client perspective) with having all professional services delivered by one consultancy practice?

Answer 21

Harder to be critical of colleagues from the same company rather than team members from another business.
Perceived conflict of interest - challenging colleagues within the same business on potential errors or
omissions.
There are advantages too. If the team are from the same practice, the team are usually more efficient because they work under the same policies, procedures, core values, etc.

Question 22

You have submitted a fee bid to a client. The client contacts you and explains another practice has quoted a lower fee, but they would like you to do the work. They ask you to reduce your fee to match the other practice. What should you do?

Answer 22

would explain to the client how the fee was calculated and the necessary resources to meet their requirements.
I would avoid entering a Dutch auction with another practice.
If the client were looking for an overall lower fee, I would be happy to review the scope of service to understand where services may be reduced in order to provide a reduced fee.

Question 23

Once you and your client verbally agree the services to be provided, what would you do next?

Answer 23

Follow up in writing to confirm terms & conditions, fee and scope of service.

Question 24

On what grounds might you ask the client for additional fees?

Answer 24

Events such as
Dealing with insolvency of a contractor (usually excluded from a consultant’s standard scope of
service).
Delay to the programme due to contractor default.
Increased scope of service.

Question 25

Give examples when you should decline an instruction of new work from a client?

Answer 25

Events such as:
There is a conflict or potential conflict of interest.
The instruction could require an illegal or unethical action.
There is conflict with RICS rules or standards.