How to use extraordinary client service to generate client referrals

Many small accountancy firms rely on client referrals as their primary means of acquiring new clients. One of the ways to maximise your client referrals is to deliver extraordinary client service. Extraordinary client service isn't just good service, it's the type of service which will get your clients talking about how good you are. In this blog post I explore what drives extraordinary client service.

 

How NOT to deliver extraordinary client service.

I’m a coeliac, which means that I am highly intolerant to gluten which is a protein found in Wheat, Barley and Rye. It means I tend to test out the service available at restaurants, cafes and hotels!

A few years ago, I was a speaker at the MSI Global conference in Lisbon and had the privilege of staying in a top quality hotel.

Lisbon has a local speciality of custard tarts. Everywhere I went at this conference, whether I liked it or not, I was offered these custard tarts and rather tasty looking pastries. It doesn’t matter how good these custard tarts looked or tasted, these were off limits for me.

The hotel knew that I needed a gluten free diet and were quite good, although there were the usual mishaps at the formal dinners where the waiters hadn’t been told I needed a special meal

Like any good business this hotel prided itself on little extra bits of value for all of its clients. Like you, they realise it’s a great way to get referrals and repeat business.

So, I was very surprised to see in my room on arrival, wait for it, some custard tarts. Then when I carefully ordered my breakfast via room service, I was also very surprised to be given an extra basket of, wait for it, custard tarts and breakfast pastries. The problem was, I wasn’t any guest and I couldn’t eat these.

Improve client service, without annoying clients

Very often, like my hotel, we sheep dip our clients with ways that we think we can deliver them extra service. It’s quick, easy, “efficient” and we think its right. Like the hotel, we have the data at our disposal that tells us exactly what would be welcomed and what wouldn't.

  • How often do we read this data?
  • How often do we record it and share it across the whole team?

Delivering extraordinary client service needs the whole team involved. It's rarely one person who delivers this level of service. It's normally a team effort.

The great thing about delivering extraordinary client service is it is rarely expensive. It takes thought and personalisation. It is this personalised service, not sheep dip service that will take your firm into the realm of delivering extraordinary client service. It’s extraordinary client service, rather than great client service that gets your clients talking about how great you are.

Read on for more examples of Extraordinary Client Service

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