Services
organisations need to conduct regular reviews of
client satisfaction amongst major clients to:
 |
Ensure
a current understanding of client needs / issues
|
|
Maximise
fee revenue and deliver added value |
|
Prevent
client defection / churn |
|
Convert
"smaller clients" into major fee generators.
|
....and
from the Review, implement (or refine existing)
Client Management Programs ("CMP") to anticipate
and respond to client needs. In summary, the generic
process is:
Client
Management Program
| Select
major clients (i.e. top 40/50 fee generators
plus 10 "smaller" clients representing
future growth) |
| |
| Conduct
Client Service Review |
| |
| Develop
tailored Client Management Programs based on
the Review |
| |
| Implement
programs |
| |
|
Initial review of program effectiveness, 3 months
after implementation |
| |
| Full
review of program effectiveness, 12 months after
implementation |
Client
Service Review
The
Client Service Review ("CSR") is a standard tool
to track and improve service levels, and to ensure
client expectations are understood and realised.
The
CSR asks clients to rate organisations on a number
of attributes within six key service areas (i.e.business
culture & perspective; specialist knowledge / expertise;
team capabilities / resources; communication; service
value; and adding value) against two dimensions
- Importance and Performance - using
quantitative and qualitative scales.
Client
Management Program (CMP)
While
a CMP must be tailored to reflect the specific issues
and concerns of individual clients (as identified
by the Review), the strategies, activities and initiatives
which constitute a CMP can be grouped into the following
broad categories:
|
Research
/ information gathering on the individual client
and industry sector/s |
|
Maintain
understanding of client's business strategy
and objectives |
|
Management
of the client "account" (e.g. management of
billings / fees, succession planning, resourcing
etc) |
|
Business
profiling / networking |
|
Business
development |
|
E-commerce / internet initiatives |
|
Application
of technology |
|
Cultural
/ lifestyle relationship marketing. |
Davis
& Associates has conducted Client Service Reviews
and developed Client Management Programs for many
services firms and organisations. For more information
email us at info@davismarketing.com.au
