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 procedure (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
Why is client care important?
- To retain existing clients and secure repeat business
- Reduce the likelihood of conflict
- Maintain a strong reputation within the industry and attract further clients
- Delivering the best possible outcome for the client/project
How do you conduct yourself when interacting with your clients?
- I’m well-mannered and presentable
- I’m always respectful
- I adopts a friendly and enthusiastic approach
- I look to understand their requirements to ensure my actions are in my client’s best interest
How do you build trust with your clients?
- I never try to give advice which is outside my scope of competence
- I always act in a professional manner.
- I always provide a high level of service
- I’m transparent, open and honest at all times
- I fulfil my commitments
- I admit mistakes and correct them ethically
What is the difference between a client and a customer?
Client - one who is under the protection of another.
Customer - one who purchases a commodity or service
The main difference between a customer and a client is that a protective, ongoing business relationship is formed with a client, but not necessarily with a customer.
What is a project stakeholder?
A person or organisation who has an interest in the project.
What is the term ‘soft landings’ referred to?
A strategy to ensure the transition from construction to occupation is ‘bump-free’ and operational performance is optimised.
Please detail some of the quality management systems (QMS) you have implemented on your projects?
- Project execution plans (PEPs)
- Project control plans (PCPs)
- Contractor payment schedules
- Using standardised contract administration forms.
- Procedural checklists
- Reporting templates
- Following industry guidance and advisory notes
- Following company policy and procedures
What is a lesson learnt workshop?
- A lesson learnt workshop is a process to review a recent failure or success on a project.
- The purpose is to put a procedure in place to prevent the failure from happening again or to review success and share it with others for wider implementation on future projects.
What is your company’s procedure for obtaining formal client feedback?
Client satisfaction surveys are issued at key stages in the project.
What are KPIs?
- Key performance indicators
- KPIs can be used to measure a company’s or individual’s success versus a set of targets, objectives or industry peers.
Can you provide examples of a KPI that might be used in construction?
- Number of defects/snags
- Construction cost overrun
- Achieving programme milestones
- Profitability
- Health & Safety scores
- Environmental scoring
- Use of local labour
Why is it important to maintain existing client relationships rather than just building new ones?
- A large percentage of commissions are secured through repeat business
- Maintaining and building existing relationships will promote a positive image for the individual and the company.
What is a complaint?
An expression of dissatisfaction. Complaints generally arise when expectations have not been met.
You receive a formal written complaint from a client, at what point should your firm notify the insurance company?
As soon as possible.
How would you deal with a formal client complaint?
- Acknowledge receipt of the complaint
- Notify the firm’s complaint-handling manager
- Appoint a person to carry out an investigation
- Identify the outcome and course of action to rectify
- Formally respond to the client, communicate outcomes and the course of corrective action
- If the client is still unhappy, they have the right to refer the dispute to an independent resolution body
- Communicate lessons learned internally and review at a predetermined date in the future
- Inform the professional indemnity insurers at each stage of the process.
Are you aware of any RICS guidance in association with complaints handling?
Complaints handling - 1st edition, July 2016. [Note - This guidance was updated January 2022 in line with new RICS Rules of Conduct]
How can complaints be avoided in the first place?
- Setting out clear expectations in the scope of services and appointment documents.
- Communicating clearly and effectively with the client and other project stakeholders
- Put 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.
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?
The professional standard provides clear requirements such as:
- 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, including money held by a regulated firm as stakeholder and,
- 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 statement?
- 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 service
- 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)
