Client Care Flashcards
What must a complaints handling procedure include?
- The RICS provides a model form
- Must include a redress mechanism
- Details should be issued to the client with the Terms of Business
- It must be clear, quick, transparent and impartial and free of charge
- Names and contact details of the nominated investigating person must be stated
- The complaint must be investigated within 28 days
- All complaints, their progress and outcomes must be recorded
- Note the need to advise PI insurers of a complaint
- Must have two stages as a minimum:
- Consideration of the complaint by a senior member of the firm or the complaints handling officer
- If not resolved, referred
to an independent third party with the authority to award redress
What are the PI insurance requirements set out by the RICS?
- Up to £100k turnover – Up to £250K
- £101k to £200K – Up to £500K
- £201 to £300k – Up to £1m
What do you do if you received a letter of complaint?
- I acknowledge reception and I forward it to our designated complaint handler, as per our complaint handling procedure, providing additional information as required.
- If I am a sole practitioner, I inform the RICS if it warranted my complaint handling procedure and I notify my PI insurer.
What is a Client Brief?
- The purpose of the project brief is to provide a firm foundation for the initiation of the project
- It is a formal statement of the objectives and functional and operational requirements of the finished project.
- It should be in sufficient detail to enable the integrated project team to execute the specification and detailed design of the work and is therefore an essential reference
for the team.
When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
1) If there is a Conflict of Interest
2) Not in clients interest - you can’t resource the job
3) Illegal
What makes up a fee proposal/Fee bid?
1) Scope of Services
2) Proposed fee Proposed fees (supported by CVs / interviews / programme of deliverables / sub
consultants / questionnaires / QA procedures
3) Terms and conditions
4) Assumptions and Exclusions
How would you limit the risk of working with a client who may be financially unstable?
Screening process -
1) Dun & Bradstreet credit check
2) Company search (Account information from Companies House)
3) Internet search (Client website for additional information - judgement on reliability)
If your client asked you to lower your fees because of their limited funding, what would you do?
The client would have to pay the required price for the level of service required or reduce the scope of works involved.
How would you calculate a fee proposal?
I would review the work involved with the commission based on the level of information available & calculate the time & number of individuals required to undertake the work & multiply it by an hourly rate, adding a suitable allowance for OH&P
How do you encourage repeat business?
- Provide high level of services and customer care during projects.
- Obtain feedback and act on it
Deal with complaints honestly and effectively - Keep in touch with clients when we have no live project with them
- Organised business development activities such as social events or CPD’s
What is client care?
The principle of client care is looking after the clients’ best interests and providing an appropriate level of service that satisfies the client’s needs and achieves VfM.
How can client care be provided?
- Professionalism.
- Competence.
- KPIs to monitor client satisfaction.
- Client Performance Feedback.
Why is Client Care important for surveying firms?
Develop repeat business from existing clients.
Reduce the potential for negligence claims to arise.
Negative feedback can spread quickly
How would you identify the needs of a client?
Holding Client Account Planning Sessions
Please provide an example of your client care & empathy skills?
- Ensure that I prioritise each client’s needs accordingly.
- Meeting client deadlines
-Delivering work to a high standard
What do you need to consider when using preparing a fee bid?
My firm has its own procedure for preparing fee submissions, this comprises:-
- Finding out what the client’s requirement are and identifying whether this is a service that we provide.
- A bid or no bid form is populated to identity if this is suitable for the business by considering the risks involved.
- There are varying levels of sign off depending on fee value prior to submission.
What makes up a fee bid proposal?
- The Executive Summary including reference to the Scope & Solution.
- Identification of the Client’s needs & key deliverables.
- Identification and analysis of Project issues.
- Communication of key Benefits for the Clients.
- References to relevant experience.
- The Conditions of engagement.
- A Methodology.
- An Organogram.
- The proposed fees.
- Supporting CVs.
- References to the project programme.
- Identification of sub consultants.
- A List of quality assurance procedures
What is your company’s procedure for complaint handling?
The RICS specifies 2 stages as a minimum:
o Stage 1 – The complaint in the first instance is reported to a Senior Member of the firm or the designated complaints handler.
o Stage 2 – If the complaint cannot be resolved this is referred to the independent redress mechanism.
- The person is invited to make a complaint in writing to our designated complaint handler who will investigate the complaint with all parties involved and advise the complainant of any action taken
within 21 days. - If the complainant is not satisfied, the complaint is escalated to the Regional Managing Director who will take action and respond within 21 days.
- Should the complainant remain dissatisfied, the matter can be escalated to the RICS independent redress mechanism.
How do you identify your client’s needs and expectations?
I am always sure to ask questions and listen to the client on key challenges and issues they are facing.
- I also use client’s briefing checklists where applicable.
- There have been times when I have not received an adequate briefing from the client and in these instances I am sure to ask for further clarification on their specific requirements.
How do you encourage repeat business?
- I provide high levels of service and customer care during projects.
- I regularly obtain feedback and act on it.
- By dealing with complaints honestly and effectively.
- Through keeping in touch with clients even when we have no live projects with them.
- Organising business development activities such as social events or CPD’s.
