Enhancing Client Satisfaction

The benefits of analysing and actively seeking to enhance your client's experience are multitudinous and can have a significant impact on brand loyalty, revenue, referrals, products sales and the take up of new products and services. So how do you show your clients you care?

Some of the key factors in sustaining revenue levels is through the retention of current clients, up-selling services to existing clients and gaining referrals to new clients. These key factors are all directly linked to client satisfaction.

Improving client satisfaction doesn't necessarily involve a huge financial commitment, but it does involve commitment. Every partner, manager and staff member who has any degree of client contact must be committed to enhancing the experience of working with your company.

For professional businesses, the development and implementation of client care programs are often a good way to start - as they illustrate to clients and staff that, as a business, you are committed to keeping your clients happy.

Showing your commitment to client care

1. Regular communication with all your clients
   
   Regular mass communication with your clients, keeping them abreast of changes to your business, new wins, etc. can be through newsletters, emails, e-bulletins or website updates. Whatever medium is used to communicate, the key is to ensure that information is shared consistently and regularly with your clients through the same medium.
   
   In this day and age when so many processes can be automated - and it costs nothing to send out e-messages - there is really no excuse for companies failing to communicate with their clients.
   
   And this is not about you marketing or "selling" to your clients - it's about communicating with them about issues that they are likely to have an interest in.
   
   
2. Regular communication with clients individually 
   
   So often there are no policies in place for client communication on projects, and, particularly in larger teams, there is a danger of everyone believing that someone else was going to update the client on their project - yet no one does.
   
   And after all the wooing that is usually done to sign up a new client, clients feel neglected once they do sign a letter of engagement with you.
   
   So appoint an account manager for each client project, or document policies which stipulate who is going to communicate to your clients on a regular basis about the status of their project with you.
   
   
3. Survey your clients - either formally or informally
   
   Ensure that you hear directly from your clients about what they think about your business, about your staff and the services you offer. You may choose to issue a client survey annually, or you may choose to ask your clients at the end of each project what the experience was like for them.
   
   The key is to get their feedback periodically, so that you can manage their expectations and address their concerns in a timely manner.
   
   
4. Give your clients a forum to compliment you or provide feedback
   
   This may be a form on your website, a direct phone number and someone to call or a dedicated feedback email address. Do whatever works for you - but demonstrate to your clients that they have the right to offer you their feedback and lodge complaints and compliments through a formal channel.
   
   Ensure that someone always responds to clients in a timely manner. Acknowledge and thank them for their compliments. Immediately address their complaints. Even if an immediate resolution is not possible, you must respond to your client complaints promptly so as not to further escalate their ire. Reassure them that you are aware of their concerns and are working towards a resolution.
   
   By being aware of your clients' perceived issues or complaints against your firm, you will be able to address their concerns expediently, and minimise any adverse effects to your business and sustain the client relationship.
   
   
5. Build personal relationships
   
   Building relationships with your clients is a key way to ensure client retention and improve satisfaction levels. For some businesses, this translates to special offers for loyal clients, client entertainment, invitations to events, phone calls or visits to your client's offices where you personally check on their satisfaction.
   
   Everyone likes to be made to feel special - like they are valued and important to us. In real terms, your clients are important to you because they contribute revenue to your bottom line. Building client relationships should be important to you to sustain your revenue and to grow your involvement with your clients, which may result in stronger relationships, increased loyalty, referrals and an increase in revenue and spending with your business.
   
   
6. Be accessible
   
   Clients like to feel that they are able to get in touch with you whenever they need to. Sometimes clients need re-assurance or project updates or just some kind of communication with you. The client will pick the medium, such as website forms, emails or phone calls.
   
   You need to decide how to handle your client's needs for communication, with your needs for getting work done. A balance must be reached, but clients must feel like you are accessible and that someone always responds to them in a timely manner.
   
   
7. Be honest
   
   Honesty goes a long way these days in terms of building loyalty and relationships, retaining clients and maintaining client satisfaction. Most businesses don't adhere to the marketing tag lines and promises made on their websites and in their materials. Some businesses don't even adhere to the promises made in their contracts. We don't do what we say we're going to do and we often hide behind disclaimers.
   
   So if all you offer your clients is good old fashioned honesty, then that virtue will instantaneously set you apart from the rest.
   
   If you have made a mistake or failed to do something - admit to it, apologise for it and offer your client some kind of solution. If you can't undertake a particular action for your client immediately - tell them that. If you are struggling to find a solution for your client - tell them you are working on it. If you set a deadline for yourself, or if you agree to a deadline, then stick to it. Or call your client and advise them if you can't meet the deadline. If you say you're going to call the client back - then call back. If you say you're going to do something - do it. If you promise to deliver something - then deliver it.

Rebecca Laskary, Director, Profile Public Relations. Rebecca is a communications specialist whose career has developed rapidly through a number of positions in the corporate, non-for-profit and public sectors, in Australia and overseas. For further information please Email: contact@profilepublicrelations.com.au or visit the Web site: www.ProfilePublicRelations.com.au
First published: 1 July 2008.
Last updated: 1 July 2008.