What is meant by client care?
A continuous process of understanding client’s requirements, suggestions and complaints to enhance service through:
- Client brief, feedback process
- KPI’s
- Complaint’s handling procedures
- Idenitifying appropriate scope of services
- Reviewing and learning from performance
Why is client care important
Client retention and repeat business
Reduce amiguity and potential conflict
Required to provide a good quality and professional service
Industry reputation
How do you build trust with clients?
Act professionally, honestly and transparently
Only act within the scope of my service and compentency
Provide a high level of service and fulfil my commitments
Admit mistakes and remedy ethically
What is the difference between a client and a customer
A client is under the protection of another
A customer is someone who pays for good or services
What is meant by the term ‘soft-landing’
The process of transitioning a construction project to occupation in a problem free manner.
Please detail some of the quality management systems you have implemented on your projects
- Procedural checklists (payment date schedule)
- Reporting templates (cost plans)
- Following industry guidance and advisory notes
What are KPI’s? Please provide some construction specifc examples.
Key Performance Indicators
- H&S scores
- Labour/Operative quantity on site
- Milestone programme activity
- RFI response times
- Construction cost overrun
How would you deal with a complaint?
Acknowledge it (within 21 days)
Notify the compaints handling officer internally
Appoint of person to conduct an investigation
Identify the outcome and remedy required
Formally respond to the complaintant (within 3 months)
If still dissatisfied they have the right to refer the complaint to an independant body
Communicate any lessons learnt and set a review date
Ensure the PI insurers are notified throughout the process
How can complaints be avoided?
Undersyanding the clients requirements and setting clear expectations from the outset.
Clear communication between all parties
Good documentation
Follow RICS standards, professionalism statements and guidance
Always act professionaly and within scope and competence
What are the key requirements of the RICS Client Money Handling professional standard?
- Client account requirements
- Appropriate accounting controls
- Information firms must provide to clients
- How to handle client money and rules for managing unidentified funds
What sort of information would you expect in a client brief?
- Projects details and professional services required
- Any specific client terms or insurance requirements
- Expected duration services required for
- Client procedures and drivers for success
What sort of information would you include in a fee proposal?
- Scope of services
- Fees, including clear and transparent breakdown of cost
- Terms and conditions
- CV’s / details of consutants being engaged
- Project details
- Timeframe of agreement
- Insurances
- Assumptions and exclusions (VAT, Disbursements, Dealing with claims)
How would you go about calculating a professional fee?
- Identify the project details including size, complexity, location, budget, design stage and scope of service
- Assess the amount and type of human resource required to provide the agreed scope of service
- Apply rates against the resource identified against a timeline of service to identify costs to form the basis of the fee
- Review the fee against the project size and budget to assess appropriateness and proportionality
You have been asked to reduce your fee to match a rival bid. What action would you take?
- I would explain the basis for my fee and how it was calculated
- I would avoid comparing the fee to the rival’s
- I would review my current proposal to try and identify any areas where scope could be reduced to save money
On what grounds would additional fees be warranted?
- Dealing with contractor insolvency
- Delay ot extension to programme
- Increase in scope of service
- Changes ot the project brief
- Increased project budget
When would it be appropriate to decline work from a client?
- The scope of work falls outside my compentency
- There is a conflict of interest
- The appointment may require me to act illegally or unethically
- There is a conflict with the RICS rules or standards
