Client Care Flashcards
What is client care?
Client care refers to the process of managing clients expectations while providing high quality servrices.
It involves ensuring their needs are met or exceeded, addressing concerns promptly, and maintaining a professional and respectful relationship
Why is it important to maintain good Client Care?
Builds Trust
Ensures client sanctification
To gain repeated and new business
Professional Reputation
To promote trust in the profession
Describe a time where you showed good client care?
30 Finsbury Square
I was instructed to carry out a pointcloud survey to support a BIM project. I scheduled a (face-to-face) meeting on site to run through the scope of the works with the client and facilities manager. I discussed how I would require to see the structural elements of the building and would require floor and ceiling tiles to be removed. They were concerned about the disruption that this would cause to the employees, therefore I proposed to work out of hours to facilitate the survey and cause minimal disruption to the employees.
When would you not accept an instruction?
Don’t have the all the necessary facts about the project
If you are not qualified or competent to carry out the works
The client hasn’t signed the Terms of Engagement
The client is on the UK sanctions list
Principles of good client management?
Being honest and transparent
Understanding the clients goals
Regular updates and responding quickly to queries
Delivery full scope of services to agreed deadline
Managing client expectations
Providing a good service
How do you communicate with clients to ensure their needs are met?
Providing regulary updates via phone, email or meetings
Centre MK for example I provided a live project tracker which can be shared with the client to track daily progress
What is Negligence?
Breach of duty of care resulting in a loss
How do you avoid Negligent claims?
Understanding the requirements of the client
Having a clear and signed Terms of Engagement
Ensuring you are competent to carry out the scope of works
Keeping up to date with market updates and legislation
Keeping detailed notes and archiving correspondence
What are the risks of going beyond your contracted scope?
You are not covered by your PI Insurance
What are the dangerous of an unclear scope of works?
Cost overruns
Delays
Inaccurate price quote for the works
Resourcing Issues
What should be included in the appointment documents (Terms of Engagement)?
Scope of service
Standard Terms of Business
Fee Schedule
Signature of approval
Complainant handling procedure and name of complaint handler
How would you ensure you are providing services within your competence?
Identify the scope of service
Review and update your knowledge regularly, to provide the highest level of quality
Seek feedback from qualified colleagues
Why is it important to clearly define your scope of service?
Managing expectations and prevent misunderstandings
Ensures that you are working within your limits of your competence and protect your professional reputation
Prevents Negligent claims
How do you ensure your fees are competitive?
Within my team we regularly review our fee structure and compare them to industry benchmarks. To ensure they remain competitive and reflects the market of our services.
Seek client feedback
If a client request you to reduce your fee what would you do?
I would only reduce my fee if the scope of services is reduced.
I would decline as my fee is always calculate fairly
How does the RICS determine what level of PII a RICS regulated firm is required?
RICS guidance on Professional indemnity
insurance requirements 2024
PII is calcuated based on the companys turnover in the previous year. For example:
£100,000 or less = Min £250,000
£100,001 - £200,000 = Min £500,000
£200,001 or more = Min £1,000,000
What is PII?
PII is like a safety net in case a client makes claims against you for damages resulting from mistakes in your work.
PII provides peace of mind for clients, as they can trust you knowing you’re protected.
What would you do if you were to receive a complaint from a client?
In the first instance; take responsibility. Receive complaint, evaluate/review complaint with a director, discuss with and respond to claimant (client) and explore whether the complaint can be settled without escalating and going through the CHP.
Notify Compliance Director and put PII insurers on alert in case the complaint goes further.
Direct them to the formal CHP if unable to resolve locally.
Additional investigations, escalations, record keeping, learning from experience, identifying training needs, next PII renewal.
What is CBRE CHP?
CBRE is a RICS regulated firm so it has a formal CHP
When a complaint is received, it is reported to the CHO (Nigel Anderson)
Once received CBRE contact the client within 5 working days to inform them of who will be repsobisble for their investigation and how it will be carried out.
Within 20 days, the responsible person will contact them of the outcome and what actions will be taken.
If the complaint is taking longer to investigate, CBRE will inform the client of the progress.
If the complaint has not been resolved to the client’s satisfaction, CBRE will agree that the matter may be referred to one of the following organisations: The Property Redress Scheme or The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution – Mediation.
What are the key messages from Complaints Handling – RICS Professional Standard 2016
- CHP’s mandatory in all terms of engagement.
- Complaints log needs to be maintained.
- Firms must have an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
- Terms of business are important, because complaints often arise when expectations have not been met. Expectations are set in Terms of Engagement.
- CHP’s have to be relevant to the scope of the service offered.
- Know your PII policy, and inform you insurer as soon as a complaint arises.
- Take care not to arbitrarily admit fault or liability in the first instance of a complaint being received.
- Identify training needs from complaints.
What is RICS complaints procedure?
Complaints handling procedure must be included within Terms of Business or appointment letter
Firms must have a designated complain handler to respond to claims
Notify PI insurers if complaint may give rise to a claim
If a complaint cannot be resolved, it should be refereed to an independent third party with the authority to award redress
What is a KPI?
A key performance indicator is a business metric used to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of a organisation:
Monitor costs
Track progress
Assess client satisfactions
Identify strengths and weaknesses
When would you ask for additional fees?
If the value of the project has been extended or if the scope of works have been extended
If you were setting up your own firm how would you ensure good client care?
Have a process for formalising projects
Have process in place for receiving feedback
Advance business development
Insure all reporting is done on standard branded documents
