M - Client Care

Question 1

What do you understand by Client Care?

Answer 1

It is a continuous process or concept of understanding Client’s requirements, suggestions, complaints etc and analysing it to find a solution suitable to Client requirements and to enhance our own business.

Client care relates to the behaviours that are appropriate to establishing good client relationships

Question 2

What are the key elements of Client Care?

Answer 2

• Identifying Clients
• Types of Client
• Behaviours
• Client Account Management
• Client Feedback
• Client Business Development Activities
• Complaints

Question 3

Give me an overview of the principles of Client Care

Answer 3

1) Identifying clients, both existing and new to maintain working relationships and bring in new work
2) Understand different types of Clients and genres and understand their general objectives and interests
3) Make reference to the RICS Code of Conduct when building and maintaining relationships
4) Have a complaints procedure
5) Collect and respond to Client feedback
6) Manage Client accounts

Question 4

Why is Client Care important to your organisation?

Answer 4

We provide advisory services and a high level of trust between ourselves and our client is essential for successful project delivery.

We also heavily rely on repeat business and have our reputation to maintain.

Question 5

What is your company’s procedure for Client’s feedback?

Answer 5

• Commission Managers are encouraged to catch up monthly with contacts
• Directors are encouraged to talk to service leads within the Clients on a quarterly basis
• Online Client satisfaction surveys are issued periodically to ongoing Clients and at the end of the project for one-off clients

Question 6

Why should you conduct client care reviews?

Answer 6

• To find out how we are performing on the commission - first hand feedback
• Shows the client that we care and helps strengthen the relationship
• Formal review identifies dissatisfaction before it becomes a problem
• Great opportunity to ask about the Client’s future plans and identify opportunities

Question 7

What does good client care require?

Answer 7

1) A clear understanding of the Client’s objectives and aims
2) A professional approach
3) Clear, concise communication
4) A quality assurance policy
5) Complaints handling procedure
6) Professional Indemnity Insurance

Question 8

What is a quality assurance policy?

Answer 8

A statement of the company’s desired level of quality for a service of a project

Question 9

What is ISO 9001

Answer 9

A Quality Management System which helps to manage and monitor quality across the business

Question 10

If a Client was prepared to pay you in advance for services you or your company were providing, how would you ensure this it was dealt with?

Answer 10

• I would ensure that a Client account is set up, inline with the Rules of Conduct for firms: Handling Client Money
• I would issue a statement of the account once it has been set up
• I will agree with the Client how the monies will be drawn down
• I would issue a revised statement every time I draw down money
• Once the works are complete, I would provide the Client with a reconciliation of the account, identifying when the monies were drawn down.

Question 11

How do you refer a Client to your Complaint Handling Procedure?

Answer 11

It should be included within the Terms & Conditions of the contract to the Client

Question 12

Does the RICS provide any guidance for developing a complaints handling procedure?

Answer 12

Yes

Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) - guidance for RICS firms

RICS Guidance Note - Complaints Handling

Question 13

What is the RICS guidance for establishing a complaints handling procedure?

Answer 13

1) It must include an independent redress mechanism
2) It needs to be in two stages - Initial consideration from a senior member of the firm, if the issue cannot be resolved referred to an independent third party
3) Potential client’s should be notified that a CHP exists when the firm issues its T&C’s
4) The CHP must be free of charge (the second independent stage may be paid for by the client)
5) Complaints should be acknowledged ASAP and a full response given within 28 days
6) PI Insurer should be notified as soon as possible to ensure compliance with terms of your PII policy
7) Keep a log of complaints. This helps manage complaints to make improvements to your firm’s processes and procedures
8) The RICS will only become involved if you fail to respond to the complainant, or prevent them from gaining access to an independent redress mechanism

Question 14

What is your company’s complaints handling procedure?

Answer 14

1) Discuss with the Director concerned and Commission Manager
2) Commence a Corrective Action Record (CAR) to identify;
- the problem
- the action to be taken
- the date it will be rectified
This should include future prevention action required in order to avoid a recurrence
3) The Director is to issue an acknowledgment letter to the Client, advising the complaint is being dealt with.
4) Action plan from the CAR is implemented. Feedback is sought from the Client
5) If the Client still feels aggrieved, the issue should be escalated to the Regional MD
6) If the Client remains dissatisfied, the issue can be escalated to the CEO and potentially ADR, if required.

All in accordance with the contract between us and the Client

Question 15

What would you do if the internal redress you have provided to the Client for a complaint is rejected?

Answer 15

I would refer them to a third party redress system, usually run by an Ombudsman

Question 16

What is an Ombudsman?

Answer 16

An official who is appointed to investigate individual’s complaints against a company or an organisation

Question 17

What will the RICS investigate?

Answer 17

They will investigate a firm / member if they believe the service they are providing falls short of the standards outlined in the Global Professional Ethical Standards and the Rules of Conduct

Question 18

What shortfalls in service may the RICS investigate?

Answer 18

• Failure to utilise a complaints handling procedure
• Failure to disclose a conflict of interest
• Misuse of Client’s money
• Failure to answer correspondence

Question 19

How do you establish your Client’s objectives?

Answer 19

1) Client Questionnaires
2) Key Performance Indicators
3) Pre-start meetings
4) Benchmarking
5) Good, clear communication

Question 20

Why is establishing your client’s objectives important?

Answer 20

Fundamental at the early stage of any project

Aim is to understand their needs and to provide the appropriate level of service

Focus on their vision, their preferences in terms of functionality, design, budget and likely programme

Question 21

Can you please describe how you have established your Client’s objectives?

Answer 21

I have worked with my current client for many years and have established their objectives through verbal briefs and as per their scope of service documents.
We have an established set of KPI’s with the client in which performance is monitored regularly

Whilst there is a general objective for the overall national programme, each individual project objective needs to be identified through pre-start meetings and feasibility studies

Question 22

What client contact records should you keep?

Answer 22

• Will depend on the individual business needs
• Contact details - name, company, address, email etc
• Details of forthcoming projects
• Details of previous contact - any outcome / action

Question 23

Why is it important to maintain Client contact records?

Answer 23

• Can help keep track of Clients and provide a more personalised service
• Develop personalised and targeted marketing activities
• Collect and store feedback to help you improve
• Track Client behaviour, interactions, successes, losses
• Store and follow up on leads to help find new Clients

Question 24

What are the benefits of maintaining records?

Answer 24

1) Track the success of marketing activities
2) Identify and follow up on prospective Clients
3) Maintain relationships with current Clients
4) Group Client types to develop personalised communications

Question 25

What is a KPI?

Answer 25

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives
There are various levels of KPI's:
- Company
- Sector
- Service
- Team
- Client etc

Question 26

How do you define a KPI?

Answer 26

“Key” is the operative word - KPI’s need to relate to a specific business outcome with a performace measure.
Questions to ask:
- What is your desired outcome?
- Why does this outcome matter?
- How are you going to measure progress?
- How can you influence the outcome?
- Who is responsible for the business outcome?
- How will you know you’ve achieved the outcome?
- How often will you review progress towards the outcome?

Question 27

What are the five steps for setting up a successful Key Performance Indicator Process?

Answer 27

• Planning - to clearly establish what needs to be improved
• Analysis - to gather data and determine how big the task of achieving the KPI is
• Action - to develop and implement improvement plans
• Review - to monitor actual performance against performance targets
• Repeat

Question 28

What are the steps in writing a KPI?

Answer 28

1) Write a clear objective for your KPI
2) Share your KPI with stakeholders
3) Review the KPI regularly
4) Make sure the KPI is actionable - Break it up into smaller targets (long term / medium term / short term)
5) Evolve the KPI to fit the changing needs of the business
6) Check to see that the KPI is attainable
7) Update the KPI objectives as needed