What is the principle of client care?
To look after the client’s best interest and provide a certain level of service that satisifies client needs and achieves value for money
Why is client care important for surveying firms?
To allow repeat business through positive relationships as well as word of mouth
What is CPF?
Client performance feedback. The process of gathering and acting on feedback from the client.
How do you identify the needs of a client?
By holding a client account planning session to ensure I understand their needs.
What might be discussed in a client account planning session?
Project key deliverables & key scope of services required
Reviewing past CPF scores & identifying areas for improvement
Review any complaints to identify mistakes and identify best practice methods of working
What is a client brief?
Formal statement of the objectives and functional & operational requirements of the finished project
Purpose is to provide a firm foundation for the initiation of a project
When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
- If there is a conflict of interest
- When it may not be in the best interest of the client
- When my firm cannot resource the job adequately
- If the project is outside of my skillset
- If the work is unlawful
What do you need to consider when preparing a fee bid?
Finding out what the client’s requirements are and whether this is a service your company provides
A bid or no bid form is populated to identify if this is suitable for the business by considering the risks involved
There are varying level of sign off depending on the value prior to submission
What makes up a fee bid?
- Executive summary incl reference to scope and solution
- Identification of clients needs and deliverables
- Identification and analysis of projects issues
- Communication of key benefits for the client
- References to relevant experience
- Conditions of engagement
- Methodology
- Organogram
- Proposed fees
- Supporting CVs
- References to project programme
- Identification of sub consultants
- List of quality assurance procedures
How would you limit the risk of working with a client who may be financially unstable?
Using a screening process including:
- Use companies house to obtain accounts information
- A credit safe (or Dun & Bradstreet) check
- An internet search using their website for additional information to make a judgement on their reliability
If a client asked you to lower your fees because of your limited funding what would you do?
The client would have to pay the required price for the level of service required or reduce the scope of works
How would you calculate a fee proposal?
Review the work involved in the project based on the information that is available
Review the time and amount of staff required to carry out the work & multiply by a rate while adding a suitable allowance for OHP
What is your company’s procedure for client feedback?
We undertake formal project reviews with the client every two months
I look to obtain regular feedback from clients through verbal and email communication
We undertake a satisfaction survey questionnaire at the end of each project
What is your company’s complaint handling procedure?
1 - Report it to the designated complaints handling officer
2 - If it can’t be resolved then it is handed to the independant redress scheme
We would ensure to notify both our insurer and the RICS once a complaint is received
How do you establish trust?
By being transparent and honest at all times, learning about the client and their long term objectives, only act within parameters of competence, act in a professional manner, provide high level of service
How do you encourage repeat business?
- Provide high levels of service and customer care
- Regularly obtain feedback and act on it
- Deal with complaints honestly and effectively
- Keeping in touch with clients even when we have no projects with them
- Organising business development activities such as social events or CPDs
What are the advantages/ disadvantages of working from a client’s office?
- Adv: Quicker and clearer lines of communication
- Understand client’s culture
- Disadv: Loss of technical support from colleagues, isolation from own firms culture
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Construction Tech General46
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Quantification & Costing38
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Design Economics29
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Ethics38
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Contract Practice29
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Procurement & Tendering21
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Project Financial Control20
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Accounting30
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Business Planning12
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Client Care17
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'Hardest' Ethics questions11
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AI12
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