Client Care (L2)

Question 1

What is Client Care?

Answer 1

The professional practice that ensure clients receive a high level of service, transparency and support throughout a project.

Can also be summarised by tailoring the services to a specific clients needs.

Question 2

What is the importance of maintaining strong relationships?

Answer 2

Firstly, it helps underpin the RICS ethical standards / rules of conduct:

1) Generates trust in the professional service being undertaken.

2) Enables the provision of a high level of professional service.

It can also bring commercial benefits, by leading to repeat business.

Question 3

Why is it important to have formal procedures in place?

Answer 3

It is essential to ensure consistent, transparent and a high quality service.

It also provides a clear audit trail if something goes wrong.

Question 4

What is the RICS CHP?

Answer 4

Two stage process that all RICS regulated firms must have:

1) Internal Process

A) The firm must investigate and respond to complaints following its own internal review

B) It must be written and accessible

C) There must be a Complaints Handler and CH Log

D) It must be free at the point of use.

E) Sole traders cannot deal with complaints themselves

F) Sets timescales: Formal acknowledgement within 7 days. Full response with resolution within 28 days.

2) External Process

If it is not possible to rectify, there must be a specified redress system.

Question 5

What is M3’s CHP?

Answer 5

1) Inform line manager asap
2) Formally acknowledge within five days
3) Formally respond with recommended resolution approach within 18 days
4) Internal lessons learned session to be held thereafter

Question 6

How have you tailored your approach to your clients?

Answer 6

• On One Exchange Square I tailored the projects invoicing procedure to suit my clients financing requirements.
• Construction financing employed requiring a third party fund monitor to be employed who was required to review project payments
• As a result, I tailored the financial procedure, requiring consultants invoices to be issued a week prior to the formal procedure, to enable the funder time to review payments.
• Whilst maintaining the contractual payment timescales within their contracts / appointments.

Question 7

What are Clients?

Answer 7

Individuals or professional organisations that solicit our professional services.

Could also be deemed as external stakeholders, or people impacted by the projects we work on.

Question 8

What are the behaviours that demonstrate good client care?

Answer 8

1) Producing quality output
2) In a timley manner
3) Tailored to the clients objectives
4) Adhering to the RICS professional standards and guidance notes

Question 9

How do you identify a clients objectives?

Answer 9

1) Ask them.
2) Failing this, research them to understand the industry, stakeholders and ethos of the company

Question 10

What formal procedures do you have on One Exchange Square?

Answer 10

Regular reporting and project activities, including:

1) Weekly written newsflashes

2) Monthly reports, with key CapEx, risk and project actions

3) Annual business plan reviews

4) Weekly and monthly project team catch ups.

Question 11

How have you adapted your approach depending on the report recipients?

Answer 11

There are various internal stakeholders, including the development team, commercial team, and asset management teams.

I ensure the reporting is tailored to the specific stakeholder - for example, ensuring that the reporting to the commercial team is focused on key commercial items.

Equally, my client prefers visual reporting, so I ensure that my reporting is aligned with this requirement.

Question 12

Why should good client care exceed contractual obligations

Answer 12

Helps maintain a positive relationship with the client which can lead to a better outcome

Question 13

How do you succesfully manage existing clients?

Answer 13

Awareness of changing client / business objectives - e.g. sustainability requirements

Set milestones with clients for sign offs

Ensure a complaints mechanism is in place

Seek regular client feedback

Question 14

What is ISO 9001

Answer 14

An internationally recognised quality management system.

It is based on several quality management principles, including:

(1) Customer focus
(2) Leadership
(3) Engagement of people
(4) Process approach
(5) Improvement
(6) Evidence-based decision making
(7) Relationship management