Client Care Flashcards
If a client calls you up and asks you to undertake a survey on his behalf what would you do?
After gathering all the details of the instruction from the client I would undertake a conflicts check to ensure we can act on their behalf in this matter. I would satisfy myself that we were competent to take on the work and I would confirm that we had sufficient insurance cover. I would then prepare a formal letter of instruction.
What would you include in a letter to your client to confirm an instruction?
Details of the project/property, scope of the service, responsibility for providing that service, fees for undertaking the work, Terms & Conditions, limitations on liability and our Complaints handling policy.
Why do we need a Standard form of Agreement / Contract?
- Avoid misunderstanding & disputes
- Define fees and provisions of payment
- Assert and retain copyright
- Establish a fair and reasonable allocation of risks
- Incorporate standard industry practices within a proven legal basis in case law
- Comply with RICS rules of conduct requirements
- Provide clarity, comfort and protection to both parties
What should an Appointment Agreement do?
- Identify the parties appointed
- Define responsibilities and liabilities
- Define scope of work
- Confirm the legal framework (form of law)
- Confirm fees, method of calculation and payment
- Set out methods of dispute resolution
Why you will use a Standard form of appointment?
- To align with current working practices, legislation and procurement method
- Robust but fair terms in the way they allocate risks
- Flexible in how they are drafted, suitable for a wide range of projects and services
Can you list the typical conditions you would stipulate when appointing a consultant?
A consultant appointment letter would stipulate:
- Scope of service
- Responsibility for services
- Fees
- Terms & Conditions
- Complaints handling procedure
- Agreement to contract
Please outline the process which you would go through from taking the initial client brief up to the works being completed on site.
- Review the brief and liaise with client to analyse the critical, important and non-essential items
- May be an opportunity to undertake a feasibility study and work up an option appraisal
- Following agreement from the client that the brief has been met, I would discuss procurement options
- Then I would carry out detailed design incl. producing the specification
- Then I would select suitable contractors to tender for the works
- Following tender return, I will carry out tender analysis and recommend my client the most suitable contractor to be appointed
- Following instruction and the lead in period, the works would commence on site, at which time I would undertake contract administration duties until the works were completed and handed over to the client.
How important is establishing good client relationship? Provide an example of where you have demonstrated good client care apart from the project within your case study.
(TO BE AMEND)
I have experience where I began collating the client’s requirements to move into a new unit and started to produce a design and budget costs. It became apparent that their expected time frame was significantly under-estimated and they were about to exercise a break in their lease. This information was collated early by being clear and simple with our communication and having regular meetings, subsequently we were able to recommend that the client delay their break until the works had been completed to an agreed standard. Their move to the new unit was organised and went smoothly when they were ready to move in.
If you were to set up as a sole practitioner, how would you operate an effective Complaints Handling Procedure?
- Sole practitioner can investigate all complaints.
- Where the sole practitioner has not been personally involved in the transaction, there will be a degree of impartiality in the in-house review.
- Where the sole practitioner has been directly involved, this must be clearly stated to the complainant in writing and to the Property Ombudsman if necessary.
- If in any reasons the sole practitioner is unable to work, they will need to appoint a locum to stand in for the surveyor, such as a chartered surveyor in another firm to act as the complaints handling officer.
Can you provide an overview of what you consider to be Client Care in your job role?
- Client care is one of the most important factors as a professional service organisation
- Client care will help secure long-term repeat custom from clients and can even aid in recommendations.
- As a surveyor I have to understand the link of customer care and duty of care and know when to implement them.
- The RICS code of conduct and Ethical Standards stipulate our behaviour and how I should act with clients.
