Are you committed to client service?

Have you (and your firm) identified all your internal clients? Do you sit down together on a regular basis to discuss how you can serve each other better so your external clients are served impeccably?

Never tell a client they are wrong
We all know the client is not always right. But we have to be very careful how we let them know that. I once took some negatives to a photo lab to be turned into prints. It was about 20 different negatives, so the order was a little complicated. I read off the numbers I wanted printed to the store clerk and she recorded them. When she read the order back to me, it was not what I had wanted. She immediately told me, in an accusatory tone, that I had given her the wrong numbers. Of course, I became mildly angry.

The truth of the matter is that I may have made a mistake. We’ll never know for sure. But when she accused me of the error, she damaged her and the lab’s relationship with me. I may go back to that lab in spite of her, but certainly not because of her.

Be very careful how you let clients know they’ve made a mistake. Take as much on yourself as possible first – if it’s a communication mistake that won’t get you into trouble with the SEC. And when you do have to tell them, do it in a teaching manner-not arrogantly or patronizingly – but from a place of genuine care and concern.

Call clients with status reports
As you are doing work for your clients, it’s a good idea to contact them from time to time with status reports. You can call them, but e-mail is usually just fine. Let’s say you’re researching some pension options for a client; as you work through your process to do this, dash off an e-mail to your client a couple of times to let them know you’re still working on it (maybe waiting for someone to get back to you). Your clients will appreciate you keeping them in the loop.

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Bill Cates has just released The Referral Advantage(TM) Video Training Program. The author of “Get More Referrals Now!” and “Don’t Keep Me a Secret!,” he is offering you a free copy of his report “7 Deadly Referral Mistakes,” as well as a subscription to his free referral newsletter with 30,000+ subscribers. (What do they know that you don’t?) To contact Bill, send him an e-mail at [email protected].