Your Perception of Client Service - Should it be Expanded?

What is your definition of client service?

Conversely, if you expand your definition of service to include fulfilling their numerous less obvious needs, you will never encounter a time when you can't provide your clients with some level of good service.

By addressing less obvious client needs such as listening with empathy when they have a problem or providing options and alternatives when you can't give customers exactly what they want, you widen the gap between your firm and its competitors.

What does your client truly want concerning good service?

Every time clients do business with you they are, without a doubt, scoring you on how well you are doing. This entails not only at giving them what they want, but at fulfilling six basic (unspoken) needs.

The most basic of all client needs, friendliness, is usually associated with being greeted politely and courteously.  That includes listening for names and using them in conversation . Get to know your clients and recognize them when they call or come to your office.

Another basic need is understanding with empathy. This is also associated with being greeted politely, courteously and with respect. Put yourself in their shoes and listen with thoughtful consideration.

The need to be treated fairly is up high on most clients’ lists. Listen for ways to meet the need of your client with an alternative service if the service they have received is not adequate.

Control represents the customers' need to feel as if they have an impact on the way things turn out. After all, they are the ones providing the check.

Clients need to feel that other avenues are available to getting what they want accomplished, so options and alternatives are very important needs. Accordingly, give clear and distinct alternatives or a specific time in the near future they may expect to be provided with options.

Clients need to be educated and informed about the services, products, policies, and procedures they encounter when dealing with your company. Clients like specific details when considering a service. Don’t be afraid to inform them of all available options and even any restrictions. We all know there is going to be a service fee if we change our plane flight itineraries! So don’t try to hide any restrictions or fees. Quite often they are expected.

A popular company client service myth is, If you give clients what they ask for, then you end up with satisfied clients. This myth is false. Clients do ask for what they want, but they usually don't ask for these six basic needs. When did you last go into a restaurant and say, "I'd like your fresh Atlantic salmon, please," and then add, "Could you please be understanding, friendly, and fair?" Clients don't ask for these other needs, but they miss such gestures when they are not provided. To really provide top quality client service, you need to move beyond the yes myth to fulfill all your client’s needs.

The needs of your clients not only vary according to their individual personalities but will also vary depending on the nature of your business. A trip to Disneyland, for example, is remembered for the fun and safety of the park and rides. These two service qualities are part of what makes a day with the mouse so enjoyable and memorable. Compare this outing with a visit to see one’s accountants. In this situation, a client’s needs are more in the realm of accuracy and certainty. You would be suspicious if your accountant was having fun — when you weren't — and started to laugh uncontrollably during a meeting. Along with the six basic service qualities, dozens more exist that are specific to different businesses and occupations.

Consider or reconsider who your clients are

Really, who are your clients? Too often, the definition of client is limited to someone who is outside of the company. Look up client in your dictionary. The first definition is a party for which professional services are rendered. The second definition is a person with whom one has dealings or purchases produces or services. In fact, everyone who works in a company has clients regardless of whether that person works with external, paying clients or internal co-workers. Clients fall into both external and internal categories.

The external clients are the people you deal with, either face-to-face or over the phone, who buy products or services from you. They are clients in the traditional sense of the word. Without them there would be no sales, no business, and no paycheck. If your definition of a client stops here, you are only seeing half the picture.

The internal clients are those who work inside your company and rely on you for the services, products, and information that they need to get their jobs done. They are not traditional clients, yet they need the same tender, loving care you give to your external clients.

By expanding your definition of a client to include your co-workers, you are taking an important step toward excellent service.

The internal client chain works both ways. Sometimes you are the client and other times you are the service provider. For example, a co-worker may come to you and ask for a report or list of items. In this case, you are the service provider because you are giving him/her what that person needs. However, ten minutes later, you may turn around and go to that same co-worker and ask for help on a project; now you are the client.

The client progression …

The relationship between internal clients and external clients forms the client progression. If you have a back office type of job where you rarely see clients in the office, you can easily begin to feel that your work has little or no impact on external clients. But if you look at the bigger picture, you can see that everyone in a company plays some part in fulfilling a client’s needs. Rarely does an hour go by during the day when you are not, in some form or another, providing something for somebody. Each interaction with an internal client is an important link in a progression of events that always ends up at the external clients’ feet. Make it a priority to view both external and internal clients as your most important customers and treat them accordingly. Doing so means focusing not on what they can do to make your job easier—but on what you can do to make their jobs easier.

One final thought: many companies overlook another vital link in the service chain — their vendors. By using these client service techniques with your vendors, you will not only enhance your relationship with them but also receive better service in return.