Client Care

Question 1

What is client care?

Answer 1

Providing the client witb a dillgent and quality service.

Guiding and helping your client to understand what they need to achieve their goals in a clear and transparent way and looking out for their interests so long as it in line with the moral, ethical and RICS standards.

Client care can be provided through:
- professionalism
- Competence
- Punctuality
- trustworthiness
- Reliability
- Presentation
- Regular communication
- Monitor client satisfaction
- Taking on board feedback

Question 2

Why is Client Care important for surveying firms?

Answer 2

-Clients are likely to return for repeat business if they have a good standard of client care.
- It promotes trust in the profession
- Client testimonials can be used to encourage more business
- dissatisfied clients can lead to a negligence claim

Question 3

What is CPF?

Answer 3

Client Performance Feedback - This is the process of requesting feedback from clients to understand where improvements can be made and where our strengths lie

Question 4

How would you identify the needs of a client?

Answer 4

I would have a conversation with the client on what they are aiming to achieve, and often, depending on the job arrange a site visit to understand the project. This will allow me to advise the client on what type of service I would recommend to the client.

Question 5

What is a client brief?

Answer 5

• A client brief is to set out the expectations of the project
• it sets out the aim of the project and lets the client know you have understood their needs.
• It is an important document that can be referred back to throughout the project to prevent scope creep, help new team members understand the project.

Question 6

Provide an example of your client care and empathy skills?

Answer 6

I always aim to give my clients my full attention, and provide a diligence service.

In one example a potential client enquired if we could help with a project on their listed church, they had been let down by a pervious consultant and were concerned about getting the project going. I arranged a site meeting but asked if in the mean I could do some reading on the requirements for working on a listed church. After research, it was clear that as we did not have anyone with conservation accredited in our team, we could not take on the project; before I informed the client of this, I sought out a conservation specialist who my colleagues recommended, and I confirmed with them they would be interested in taking on the project. I then informed the client We could not do the project, however if they were happy for me to pass on their details I had an suitable alternative lined up for the,

Question 7

What do you need to consider when preparing a fee bid

Answer 7

• Firstly the service that is require and the clients aims need to be confirmed
• The proposed fee based upon the expected resources required
• The fee has to be signed of by the appropriate level of management dependant of the fee level.

Question 8

When should you decline an instruction for new work from a client?

Answer 8

• If there is a conflict of interest
• If the appointment is would not be in the clients best interest
• If we had insufficient resources
• If the work is outside of my competence
• If the work was unlawful or unethical

Question 9

What makes up a fee bid proposal?

Answer 9

• Our understanding of the client requirements
• The scope of services
• The limitations and exclusions
• the fee
• The business terms and conditions

Question 10

How would you limit the risk of working with a client who may be financially unstable?

Answer 10

I could undertake some checks, such as using online credit check services.

Or workout a payment schedule

Question 11

If your client asked you to lower your fees because of their limited funding, what would you do?

Answer 11

• I would discuss with the client whether the scope of work could be reduced

Question 12

How would you calculate a fee proposal?

Answer 12

I would calculate the expected resources and number of hours and multiply the time by our typical rates, and include expected expenses.

Question 13

What is your company’s procedure for client feed-back?

Answer 13

Regular informal feedback is taken from the client during the day-to-day work.

Clients are chosen at random every 6 months to be asked to provide feedback on the services they have been provided.

Question 14

What is your company’s procedure for complaint handling?

Answer 14

We conform to the RICS requirement to have two stages in the complaints handling procedure.

If the compliant is taken verbally it is asked that it is provided in writing

The complaint is provdied to the reposnebl named partner who will ask for fruther infomation within 14 days

a formal reposnse is issued within 28 days

if this is not acceptable it can be escalated to a senior management who will review the case afresh and respond within 28 days

If the complaint cannot be resolved, this is referred to an independent redress scheme.

Question 15

How do you identify your client’s needs and expectations?

Answer 15

• Prepare a client brief document
• have an initial meeting to discuss the clients needs
• If I cannot completely identify the client’s requirements and make any assumptions, I will make these clear within the appointment documents.

Question 16

How do you establish trust?

Answer 16

• by being professional, transparent and honest
• Taking an interest in my client, their business and goals
• Being clear on the extent of my area of competence
• providing a diligent service

Question 17

How do you encourage repeat business?

Answer 17

• by being professional, transparent and honest
• Taking an interest in my client, their business and goals
• providing a diligent service
• Providing added value
• take on board feedback

Question 18

What are the advantages/disadvantages of working from a client’s office?

Answer 18

• It can build a relationship with the client and understanding of their culture and needs
• Isolated from my own company and colleagues

Question 19

Prior to taking on a new client what must you check?

Answer 19

• That I am compentent and capable to do the work
• that I have sufficent PI cover
• Conflict of intrest check
• Anto-money laundering checks

Question 20

What does benefical ownership mean in relation to new clients?

Answer 20

The person who ulitamily owns or controls at least 25% of the shares or profits/ rights in the enity.
They may not be a registered owner of the property.

Question 21

How do you check who the benifical owner is?

Answer 21

By requireing helpful doucments such as a certifacte of incorporation or annual return.

Question 22

If you recive a complaint over the telephone what should you do?

Answer 22

The person recieving the call should repeat back the complaint to confirm they ahve understood correctly, following the call record the details of the complaint promtly and accuratly and establish who the communication is with.

Question 23

After evaluating a complaint, with how long a time period must a RICS regulated firm respond to a complaint?

Answer 23

Within the time frame in the complaints handling proceedure, or perviously stated to the compliant

Question 24

What happens if a complaint to a RICS regulated firm cannot be resolved?

Answer 24

All firms should have a form of alternative redress provider alavible to the client e.g. the RICS redress scheme

Question 25

Give an example of a B2B ADR provider approved by the RICS stanadrds and regulation board?

Answer 25

the RICS dispute resolution service

Question 26

What would you do if a long standing client asked you to carry out work you werent personally competent to carry out?

Answer 26

If I could obtained the nesseray skill knowledge and resources to gain competence, it is in the client iterest for me to do the work and I am open and honest regarding my skill level with the client I can accept the work. If this is not possible I would decline the instruction.

Question 27

What infomation can you collect to measure and analyse the needs of a client?

Answer 27

- the scope of works required - timescales required - geo graphical location - resources and avalbility - PII coverage

Question 28

Give a eample of a KPI for client satisfaction?

Answer 28

Is the work carried out on time? is it to scope agreed? to budget? any re-work required?

Question 29

Which rule of conduct relates to you providing a good quiality service?

Answer 29

Rule 3 - by taking time to understand my clients needs and objectives before accepting the work and agree with teh cleint teh scope of works with timescles and limiations.

Question 30

I’ve got an opportunity to do a new type of work. I’ve some of the knowledge and enthusiasm I need and can do some training to get the rest, but I’ve never done this type of work before. Am I allowed to take up the offer?

Answer 30

If you have the knowledge, skills and resources you may be able to take on new areas of work without having direct experience in the area. Doing the work, rather than referring the client to someone else, must be in the interests of the client. You must be open and honest with the client about the level of your experience. Make sure you have PII that covers the area of work you are looking to take on.