Client Care Flashcards
In your view, what is meant by the term ‘client care’?
• A continuous process of understanding client’s requirements, suggestions, complaints, etc., and analysing 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.
• Understanding and acting in the client’s best interest.
• Client feedback meetings.
• Lessons learned workshops.
• Identifying the appropriate scope of service for the commission.
• Defining the client brief
Are you aware of any RICS guidance in association with complaints handling?
Complaints handling - 1st edition, July 2016. [Note - This document was reissued in October 2023 as an RICS professional standard.]
How can complaints be avoided in the first instance?
• Setting out clear expectations in the scope of service and appointment documents.
• Communicating clearly and effectively with the client and other project stakeholders.
• Putting everything in writing to ensure there is always documented evidence of conversations and agreements (for example, meeting minutes).
• Follow company procedures and policies (including quality assurance processes).
• Follow RICS standards, professional statements, and guidance
Has RICS published any information on handling clients’ money?
Client Money Handling — Professional Standard 1st edition, October 2019.
[Note — This document was reissued in October 2022 as a professional standard.]
What are the objectives of the Client Money Handling professional standard?
• The professional standard 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
What are some of the key requirements identified in the Client Money Handling professional standard?
• 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
What is the definition of ‘client money’ as noted in the professional standard?
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.
• Is not immediately due and payable on demand to the RICS-regulated firm for its own account
What sort of information would you expect to see in a client’s brief for a professional appointment?
• Details of the project and professional services required.
• Insurances required.
• Terms of appointment.
• Expected duration of the appointment.
• Client procedures and policies.
• Key drivers for success
What information might be included in a consultant’s fee proposal for professional services?
Scope of Services
• Terms of appointment.
• Basis of pricing and fee.
• Information on the proposed team including CVs and qualifications.
• Project details.
• Timescales.
• Insurances.
• Exclusions.
• Assumptions (programme for example).
• Typical exclusions:
• VAT.
• Disbursements.
• Dealing with claims (fees are usually extra over for this service).
Once you and your client verbally agree the services to be provided, what would you do next?
Follow up in writing to confirm terms & conditions, fee, and scope of service.
What is a consultant appointment document?
• Appointment documents are terms and conditions for services being provided by a consultant to the client.
• RICS has a standard form of consultant appointment if the business does not have their own
How would you go about calculating professional fees for a new commission?
• Understand client and project requirements, including project scope, key details, budget, and scope of service.
• Identify the seniority of resources and the number of people required to deliver the service.
• Assess the duration required to complete the activities identified in the scope of service.
• Apply a daily or hourly rate against each activity.
• Review the total fee as a percentage against the project budget (this can be used as a sense check
Assuming you put together a fee proposal; a couple of months into the project, you realise you have underestimated the resource needed to deliver, would you go back to the client and ask for more fees?
• If the project requirements (for example, services, scope, project budget) had increased, then it would be reasonable for the fees to increase also.
• If the scope remained the same, it is likely to be a mistake, and I would deal with the situation and get it right next time.
• I would ensure the level of service originally offered was not reduced or diluted because the original fee calculation was underestimated
Could there be any issues (from a client perspective) with all professional services being delivered by one consultancy practice?
• Individuals may find it harder to critique or challenge colleagues from the same company.
• There may be a perceived or actual conflict of interest — potential errors or omissions may be handled in a different manner.
• There are advantages too, such as efficiency due to working under the same policies, procedures, core values, etc.
You have submitted a fee bid to a potential client. The client contacts you and explains another practice has quoted a lower fee but would like you to do the work. They ask you to reduce your fee to match the other practice. What would you do?
• I would explain how the fee was calculated and the necessary resources to meet their requirements.
• I would avoid comparing the fee to the competing firm’s proposal.
• If the client were looking for an overall lower fee, I would be happy to review the scope of service to identify potential areas where scope could be reduced (in order to achieve a lower fee)
On what grounds might a consultant be due additional fees?
• Dealing with contractor insolvency.
• Delay to the programme (for example, the contractor failing to complete on time).
• Increased scope of service.
• Changes to the project brief.
• Increased project budget
Can you provide examples of when it would be appropriate to decline new work from a client?
Events such as:
• There is a conflict or potential conflict of interest.
• The appointment may require an illegal or unethical action.
• There is conflict with RICS rules or standards.
• The scope is outside the competence of the practice
