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Client Care level 1 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - 1) VAT
      - 2) Disbursements
      - 3) Dealing with claims
      - 4) Services which are not required
    - - 1) Scope of service
      - 2) Terms of appointment
      - 3) Basis of pricing
      - 4) Information on team including CV's and qualifications
      - 5) Project details
      - 6) Timescales
      - 7) Insurances
      - 8) Exclusions
      - 9) Assumptions e.g. Programme of works
    - - 1) Understand client requirements including scope, key project details, budget and scope of service
      - 2) Identify the seniority of resource and number of people required to deliver the services
      - 3) Assess the duration required to complete activities identified in the scope of service
      - 4) Apply a daily or hourly rate against the activities
      - 5) Review the total fee as a percentage against the project budget as a sense check
  - - - 1) Harder to be critical of colleagues from the same company rather than team members from another business
      - 2) Perceived conflict of interest - Challenging colleagues within the same business on potential errors or omissions
    - - There are advantages too. If the team are from the same practice, the team are usually more efficient because they work under the same policies, procedures, core values etc
- - - - This includes
        
        1) Understanding client needs & requirements
        
        2) Complaint handling procedures (CHPs)
        
        3) Quality assurances (QA) procedures
        
        1) Project Execution Plan (PEP)
        
        2) Project controls plan (PCPs)
        
        3) Contractor payment schedules
        
        4) Using standardised contract administration forms
        
        5) Procedural checklists
        
        6) Reporting templates
        
        7) Following industry guidance and advisory notes
        
        8) Following company policy and procedures
        
        4) Key performance indicators (KPIs)
        
        Can be used to measure supply chain performance and also used to benchmark business performance against others. Examples include
        
        1) Number of defects/snags
        
        2) Construction cost overrun
        
        3) Achieving programme milestones
        
        4) Profitability
        
        5) H&S scores
        
        6) Environmental scoring
        
        7) Use of local labour
        
        5) Client satisfaction questionnaires
        
        6) Looking out for client's best interests
        
        7) Client feedback meetings
        
        8) Lessons learned workshops
        
        Definition - Review a recent failing or success on a project
        
        1) Put a procedure in place to prevent the failing happening again, or
        
        2) Review the success and share with others
        
        9) identifying the appropriate scope of service
        
        10) Defining the client brief
        
        11) Peer Review
        
        Involves someone who is not directly involved in the project undertaking a review at key points in the project with the aim to pick up any potential issues before they develop.
        
        Ensures that the services is being delivered to the required standard
        
        Has the value of bringing a 'new pair of eyes' to the project
        
        The individual may review the following:
        
        A. Ensures that an appointment/contract is in place
        
        B. Ensures that internal QA procedures are being adhered to
        
        C. Reviews technical accuracy and apprpriateness of work being carried out
        
        D. Identifies risks and opportunities
        
        E. Reviews project progress
        
        F. Compares works undertaken against the agreed scope
        
        G. Identifies lessons learnt/actions
      - Why is client care important?
        
        1) To retain existing clients and secure repeat business
        
        2) Reduce the likelihood of conflict
        
        3) Maintain a strong reputation within the industry and so attract further clients
      - Dealing with Clients
        
        How do you conduct yourself with a new client?
        
        2) Well presented
        
        3) Respectful
        
        4) Friendly and enthusiastic
        
        1) Well mannered
        
        How do you build trust with the client?
        
        1) Learn about your client and their objectives
        
        2) Only act within your level of competence
        
        3) Always act in a professional manner
        
        4) Always provide a high level of service
        
        5) Be transparent
        
        6) Being always open and honest
        
        How do you act upon client feedback?
        
        1) The feedback should be formally recorded in some way
        
        2) Share the positives and discuss how negatives can be improved upon
        
        3)If the feedback is negative, then it needs to be verified and the necessary course of action taken to correct going forward
        
        4) Ensure the feedback is fed back into the company through the lessons learned process
        
        5) Review the improvement in 6 months or another suitable period
        
        How do you manage client expectations?
        
        1) Agreeing on strategy, goals and timelines
        
        2) Being open & honest always
        
        3) Offering advice and direction within the scope of service
        
        4) Being a good listener and understanding expectations
        
        5) Regularly communicating and addressing problems directly
        
        How do you ensure that a client's key drivers and values are expressed through the lifecycle of a project?
        
        Ensuring the Brief is comprehensive and that the PEP captures this information
        
        Update the PEP at regular intervals throughout the project
        
        Holding interviews at the end of the RIBA stages to analyse performance of client objectives - if targets have been missed, how will they be rectified (VE for an over-budget scheme)
        
        Lessons learnt workshop - capture experiences and ways to improve in the future
        
        How do you assist the client in making decisions?
        
        Consider all available options - use the consultants in your team to assist with this
        
        Analyse each option - pros and cons against the client's objectives
        
        Make recommendation - justify reasoning for acceptance and rejection of each option
        
        Give the client time to think through each option
        
        Assist with any queries
        
        How do you deal with a difficult client?
        
        The key element is to be honest, open and transparent
        
        Consider the pros and cons of each option and review these with the client, and how they align with the client's goals
        
        Give the client time to process information and guide them through the project so that they understand their roles and responsibilities
        
        How can the level of client experience effect your management style?
        
        The level of experience influences the way in which you manage / treat clients. It all depends on the individual scenario
        
        Those that are experienced you are able to provide facts to in order to allow them to make decisions
        
        Those that are less experienced require further detail to be provided, and would often require the presentation of various options and explanations
        
        How do you establish trust?
        
        Honesty
        
        Transparency
        
        Learn about and understand the client
        
        Act within your competence
        
        Be professional
        
        High standard of service
      - Difference between a client and customer
        
        The main difference between a customer and a client is that protective, ongoing business relationship is formed with a client, but not necessarily with a customer.
        
        1) Client - One who is under the protection of another
        
        2) Customer - One who purchases a commodity or service
  - - - Different types of clients
        
        Private sector
        
        Developers - experienced and inexperienced
        
        Private houses
        
        Public sector
        
        Government
        
        Institutions
  - - - Customer focus
      - Leadership
      - Engagement of people
      - Process approach
      - Improvement
      - Evidence-based decision making
      - Relationship management.
- - - - 1) Client account requirements
      - 2) Appropriate accounting controls
      - 3) The information that firms must provide to clients
      - 4) How to handle client money including rules of managing any unidentified funds
- - - - 1) Acknowledge receipt of the complaint
      - 2) Notify the appropriate person in the firm, complaints handling manager
      - 3) Appoint a person to carry out an investigation
      - 4) Identify the outcome and course of action to rectify
      - 5) Formally respond to the client, communicate outcomes and course of action for correction
      - 6) If the client is still unhappy, they have right to refer to independent dispute resolution
      - 7) Communicate the lessons learned internally
      - 8) Review at a predetermined date in the future
      - 9) Inform the PI insurers of the complaint at each stage of the process
    - - 1) Setting out clear expectations in the scope of service and appointment documents
      - 2) Communicating clearly and effectively with the client and other stakeholders
      - 3) Put everything in writing to ensure there is always documented evidence should a complaint arise i.e. meeting minutes
      - 4) Follow company procedures and policy including quality assurance processes
      - 5) Follow RICS standards, professional statements and guidance
      - 6) Seeking feedback and resolving issues as they arise
    - - The feedback should be formally recorded
      - If obtained through a customer satisfaction questionnaire or the like then this will form the formal record
      - If the feedback is verbal then a formal record should be made
      - If the feedback is negative then it needs to be verified and the necessary course of action taken depending upon the actual feedback.
      - If a formal approach is required then the company procedures should be followed
      - It is also advisable to ensure that feedback is collated in a formal way and fed back into the company through some form of lessons learned