Read any blog or book on client service or account management and you will hear about the importance of great client service. The books will tell you that great client service is the only way to generate word of mouth recommendations and get referrals from your clients, etc etc etc. But these days that is not necessarily the guaranteed way to get referrals. This blog post explores what is extraordinary client service and how to routinely deliver it in your firm so that you can get referrals.
Far be it from me to disagree with these eminent writers. Great client service may have been needed 10 years ago to generate word of mouth referrals. In today’s marketplace, you need to take your client service to the next level and deliver Extraordinary Client Service. Clients now take for granted the fact that you will deliver on the basics, i.e:
- Doing what you say you are going to do
- Being responsive and accessible
- Billing promptly with no surprises
What’s going to really excite your clients to the point where they proactively tell all their friends and work contacts about you? Word of mouth referrals now rely on Extraordinary Client Service. So, what do I mean by Extraordinary Client Service? In my opinion, this means:
- Relevant
- Valuable
- Personalised
- Unexpected
- Free in the first instance
The great thing about delivering Extraordinary Client Service is it normally only takes thought rather than large pockets of money.
Extraordinary Client Service that will generate word of mouth referrals
- Proactively making introductions and referrals to your clients
- Sending them cards and small gifts at relevant times that are not Christmas, such as birthdays and important personal events
- Sending a small ‘welcome to your new home’ parcel to your residential conveyancing clients when they complete on their new home
- Making sure you have their favourite biscuit and hot beverage of choice when they visit you at your offices
- Your receptionist offers to charge your clients phone while they are in your office
- Retweeting their articles on Twitter
However, Extraordinary Client Service can’t be delivered in isolation and inconsistently. You need to train your staff in why Extraordinary Client Service is important and their role in delivering it.
How is your firm routinely delivering Extraordinary Client Service?
This article was originally published on How To Make Partner