Can you give me a example of when you’ve provided good client care?
- Mange client expectations and ensure the outcome is achieveable.
- Seek informal feedback
- Understand client longer term goals, outside of project work meetings, keep in touch see if we can help anywhere else
- Respond speedily to client goals
- . And its worth saying here if they do go against your advice, always state the implications and get it in writing you’ve told them. It does happen, I’ve had clients ask not to get listed building consent, try to include works onto an insurance claim which weren’t to do with it and this is also where ethics and RICS guidelines also comes into play.
- And hopefully if we are doing all of these things right this will lead onto more deliverables for us. The key is not just to sit back but actively manage your client accounts.
What is client care?
The concept of identifying the different clients, and the behaviours appropriate to establishing good client relationships.
Why manage client care?
- Maintain client relationships = repeat budiness!
- Maintain company (and our own) reputation
Who are your clients and how do you identify them?
Consider all stakeholders on a project.
How do you maintain good client car?
Client Care
Deliverables (what ever the client wants you to do)
- – identify key client drivers, analyze their requirements
- -Maintain Clarity of communication lines
- -Keep ongoing dialogue with the client.
Client Account Management
- The process of structured account management, ensuring that developments in the client organisation are tracked and that there is interaction at a number of seniority levels.
- Additionally the process of maintaining regular contact away from current live projects to identify how assistance can be provided with longer term client business objectives
Client Feedback –
- collecting and responding to client feedback.
- project reviews, informal feedback
- managed client satisfaction surveys
Client Business Development Activities
- The concept of arranging off line business development activities and events as a mechanism to build broader relationships with clients
Complaints
- Maintaining alternative lines of communication / routes for complaints and how these should be dealt with by a practice.
- The RICS guidance on expected standards of behaviour should be referred to as well as the option for clients to make formal complaints to the RICS or ombudsman
What are your clients objectives?
Sometimes we need to put ourselves in our clients shoes to really understand what a client wants. And sometimes they don’t even know which is why we then need to elucidate their requirements from them and this is where the brief becomes the lynch pin of the project because if we cant translate their requirements we cant give them what they want.
Programme
- What are their deadlines, is their an allowance for overruns, what are the implications?
Budget
- what is their budget, is it realistic for what they want to do? have they considered a contingency?
Quality
- What level of quality are they hoping to achieve for their budget this will be reflected in your specification and dictate what procurement route you use.
Health and safety
- their reputation is at risk if something goes wrong on site, they may be relying on you to perform their CDM duties or arrange them for them.
- They may also have inhouse policy you need to adhere to.
Communication and Reporting
- what level of communication do they require?
- All clients are different some want to keep projects at arms length some want to be heavily involved.
- How do they want the results of a survey formatted
- what information do they want to capture.
- Agree a format at the outset avoids any later confusion or dispute.
- confirmed with the client their points of contact, preferred lines of communication, priorities and constraints, as well as our scope of services, reporting and deadlines.
Compliance
- they need your input on contractual matters and indeed they can sue you for negligence if you get it wrong on their behalf.
- Also your knowledge of legislation, The equality act, building regulation etc.
- Have you complied with the clients policy,
- have you obtained correct level of insurance?
Sustainability
- does your client have an inhouse policy on this, if you don’t ask you might not find out until too late, could impact on design of a fit out etc.
- Also legisation EPC and MEEs.
Innovation and efficiency
- we want repeat business, the client is asking us to help them to make sure things go smoothly so always be thinking how can I improve things.
- For example, I did various fit outs for ASI, at the end they asked me to do condition surveys, I said we can streamline the process if I do these at the PC meeting.
- Just because something has always been done one way does not mean it shouldn’t be done another.
Risk
- What level of risk is your client comfotable with, are they aware of what the project risks are?
- Is a project risk register a good way of communicating this?
- Managing risk on their behalf, they want to know you are competent and have the skills and experience to do the work, be honest.
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What would you include on a client engagement agreement and why is important to have clarity on this?
- Services included (and not included)
- Duration - project programme
- Costs to be agreed and basis of calculation
- Information required from client
- Signatures
- T’s and C’s inc CHP
Clarity avoids later disputes.
What is ISO 9001?
A Quality Management System, which helps to manage and monitor quality across the business.
How are firms supposed to look after Clients?
By Maintaining: • Professional Indemnity Insurance. • Complaints Handling Procedure. • A procedure for handling clients money if applicable.
What is a Complaints Handling Procedure?
A system of dealing with formal complaints against a company/person, for which there is a formal redress system.
What is Client Care?
The process of identifying all client types and the behaviours appropriate to establishing good relationships, along with the systems of procedures for managing the client care process, all within the public interest.
What other insurance would you need to have if you had your own premises?
• Employers Liability Insurance. • Third party Liability Insurance.
How does a Complaints Handling Procedure work?
- Complaints are directed to the Quality Assurance Officer, who will log the complaint in the Complaint Log. 2. A timescale for redress is put in place. 3. An Internal Redress is provided to the complainant. 4. If this redress is not adequate, then the complaint is referred to an external third party for redress. 5. Steps should then be put in place the ensure that the complaint does not arise again.
What is included within the Complaints Log?
• Date. • Location. • Details of Complaint. • Actions taken. • Close out date.
What are two ways of ensuring complaints do not occur?
• Proactive measures, whereby Questionnaires are issued to clients, to try and pre-empt where complaints may occur, putting in place measures to ensure they don’t. • Reactive measures, whereby when a complaint is received, steps are taken to ensure the complaint doesn’t occur again.
How do you receive feedback from Clients?
• Client Questionnaires. • Key Performance Indicators.
Can you give me more detail on what Employers Liability Insurance covers?
Covers employers for compensation claims against you by employers for accidents or illness that occur during their work.
How do you act upon feedback from a Client?
• Feedback should be formally recorded in some way, i.e. Client Satisfaction Questionnaires. • If feedback is negative, it should be verified and necessary action taken. • If a formal approach is required, this should follow the CHP.
How do you check if the Client is happy with the service you have provided?
• Client questionnaires. • Repeat business. • Recommendations to others/new clients.
How do you establish a Client’s objectives?
• Have a pre-start meeting with them. • If there is still ambiguity then have further meetings/correspondence to clarify.
What do you clarify with regards to a clients objectives?
• Time • Cost • Quality • Desired final product. • Functionality • Clients aspirations and goals for the project. • Key Performance Indicators.
How do you ensure Clients are covered financially for work undertaken by yourself?
By Maintaining Professional Indemnity Insurance.
If a Client was prepared to pay you in advance for services you or your company were providing, how would you ensure that it was dealt with?
• I would ensure that a Client account is set up, in line 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 etc.
What else does RICS publish relating to PI Insurance?
• List of approved brokers. • Minimum wording policy. • Black Book, Construction Insurance.
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Client care36
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Communication and negotiation21
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Health and safety64
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Accounting principles and procedures38
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Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures28
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Data management30
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Sustainability148
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Conduct rules and ethics104
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Accounting principles and procedures25
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Business planning23
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Team-working22
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Current Affairs15
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Conduct rules, ethics and professional practice194
