Client Care Flashcards
What is client care?
- Is looking after the clients’ best interests and providing an appropriate level of service that satisfies the client’s needs
Why is Client Care important for surveying firms?
- The majority of work is developed through repeat business from existing clients.
- Therefore, it is important not only for the client to achieve their requirements but also for the company to encourage repeat businesses where possible.
What is CPF?
Client performance feedback is the process of gathering and acting on feedback from the client. This comprises:
- Gathering feedback during and after project completion.
- This is usually carried out by an independent person.
- The feedback sets the standards for the company and identifies areas for improvement.
How would you identify the needs of a client?
- Holding discussions regarding project key deliverables & the scope of services required.
What is a Client Brief?
- The purpose of the client brief is to provide a firm foundation for the initiation of the project.
- It is a formal statement of the objectives and operational requirements of the finished project.
Please provide an example of your client care & empathy skills?
- My approach is to always make the client feel like their project is the only commission I am working on.
- Through organisation and communication I can meet the deliverables of each client in advance of the agreed deadlines and am always sure to deliver work to a high standard.
When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
- If there is a Conflict of Interest.
- My firm may not be able to resource the job adequately.
- If the project is outside of my skillset.
What do you need to consider when preparing a fee bid?
My firm has its own procedure for preparing fee submissions, this comprises:
- Understanding the Client’s objectives
- Establishing your scope of services and the fee for doing so
- Deliver work to a high standard
- Adhere to the RICS ethical and professional standards
- Clean lines of communication
What makes up a fee bid proposal?
- Identification of the Client’s needs & key deliverables.
- The proposed fees.
- Scope of services.
- Supporting CVs.
- The Conditions of engagement.
How would you limit the risk of working with a client
who may be financially unstable?
I would use a screening process to check the client’s finances, this could include:
- A company search using the Companies House website to obtain their account information.
- A Dun & Bradstreet or credit safe credit check.
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.
- I would calculate the time & number of individuals required to undertake the work & multiply it by an hourly rate adding a suitable allowance for over heads and profits.
What is your company’s procedure for client’s feedback?
- We undertake formal project reviews with the client.
- In my day-to-day involvement with the client I look to obtain regular informal feed-back through verbal and email communication.
What is your company’s procedure for complaint handling?
The RICS specifies 2 stages as a minimum:
Stage 1 – The complaint in the first instance is reported to a Senior Member of the firm or the designated complaints handler.
Stage 2 – If the complaint cannot be resolved this is referred to the 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.
