So what does good look like?
When engaging with a client we know that the financial planning and advice process from letters of authority to business being transacted can take several weeks. And that’s just the start of things.
To build a sound, long term working relationship with the client, it really helps to ensure that you assign a paraplanner and administrator to the client as soon as practicably possible. Throughout the process they can check in on progress, letting the client know what information has been received, expectations of other information and so on. This impresses the client, giving them reassurance that the firm is on the case and that their affairs are in the good hands of a team who really understand them and their needs. They are not left wondering what is happening and therefore having doubts about whether they have selected the right firm to work with.
Getting it right
Your first line of communication is generally through front of house or the administration team. Getting this right is essential and should not be left to chance. All team members should be properly trained on answering the phone positively and in the ‘house’ style. It makes a huge difference. Just think about your own experiences of good and bad when it comes to customer service. It’s not difficult to do but you do have to put in the time and effort to get it spot on.
The attitude of the person making the call is also important. If the team member is happy this will be reflected in their voice. Bored, disinterested employees are an immediate put off for clients. You’ve worked hard to get this far, it would be a mistake to undermine all that good work because you haven’t got the simple things right.
For example, one simple step you can take is to ensure that there should be a company standard for number of rings before your phone is answered. Aim for 3 rings, no one likes to be left holding on. Make sure this is reinforced with the team buying into its importance and focusing on achieving it as a priority.
Text messaging is now being used for communicating with clients. If a client can’t be reached by phone then a simple text message perhaps reminding them to return a form for example, would be sufficient.
Train your team to take ownership of the call and all communication. We can all recall a time where a message
has been put through to us in the office, only for us to find out the administration team could have dealt with the enquiry very easily indeed. By taking ownership of the call initially, the situation can be handled quickly and easily by the person in the team best suited to deal with it there and then. That will impress the client as well as be more efficient for your business.
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