Client Care

Question 1

What in your view is meant by the term client care?

Answer 1

A continuous process of understanding a clients need and requirements.

• Understanding clients needs and requirements
  -Quality assurance procedures
  -Complaints handling procedures
  -Key performance indicators
• Client satisfaction questionnaire
  -Client feedback meetings
  -Defining client brief

Question 2

Why is client care important?

Answer 2

-To retain existing clients and secure repeat business
- Reduce likelihoods of conflict
-Maintain a strong reputation in the industry
-Delivering best outcome for the client

Question 3

How do you conduct yourself when interacting with a client?

Answer 3

Presentable and well mannered
respectful
Adopt a friendly and enthusiastic approach

Question 4

How do you build trust with a client?

Answer 4

• Never give advise which is outside of my competence
  -Act in a professional manner
  -Be transparent and open
  -Fulfil commitments
  -Admit mistakes and correct them ethically.

Question 5

What is the difference between a client and a customer?

Answer 5

Client is a protective ongoing relationship, customer is just one who purchases a commodity or service.

Question 6

What is a project stakeholder?

Answer 6

A person or organisation who has an interest in the project

Question 7

Can you explain some quality management systems you have implemented on some of you projects?

Answer 7

Project execution plans
Contractor payment schedules
Reporting templates
Procedural checklists
Comp checking all work

Question 8

What is a lessons learnt workshop?

Answer 8

Process to review a recent failure or success on a project. Put a procedure in place to prevent failure from happening again.

Question 9

What is your companies procedure for obtaining formal client feedback?

Answer 9

Client satisfaction surveys

Question 10

What are KPIs?

Answer 10

Key performance indicators
KPI’s can be used to measure a companies or individuals success versus a set of targets, objectives or industry peers

Question 11

Can you provide example of KPIs that might be used in construction?

Answer 11

H&S scoring
Construction cost overrun
Environmental scoring
Achieving programme milestones

Question 12

Why is it important to maintain existing client relationships rather than just building new ones?

Answer 12

A large % of work is secured through repeat business.
Maintaining and building existing relationships promotes a positive image for the individual and company.

Question 13

What is a complaint?

Answer 13

An expression of dissatisfaction. Generally arise when expectations have not been met.

Question 14

At what point should you notify the insurance company when you receive a formal complaint from a clients

Answer 14

ASAP.

Question 15

How would you deal with a formal client complaint?

Answer 15

Acknowledge receipt of the complaint.
Notify my firms complain handling manager
Request they formally write and issue the complaint and advise of the time frame under our complaints handling procedure.
Appoint a person to carry out investigation
Formally communicate outcomes and course of corrective action.
If client is still unhappy they can go to the alternative dispute resolution
Inform PII at each stage of the process.

Question 16

Where can you find guidance of complaints handling?

Answer 16

RICS professional standard complaints handling?

Question 17

How can complaints be avoided in the first instance?

Answer 17

Set out clear expectations in scope of services
Communicate clearly and effectively
Put everything in writing and keep a record
Follow RICS professional standards
Following company procedures and policies

Question 18

Where would you find guidance on handling clients money?

Answer 18

Client money handling RICS professional standard

Question 19

What is the objective of the RICS guidance on handling client money? What are the key requirements?

Answer 19

Clear rules for RIC regulated firms and members to have the appropriate controls an procedures to keep clients money safe.

Be apart of client money protection scheme and pay a regulatory fee
Client account requirement
appropriate accounting controls
How to handle client money including rules for unidentified fund.

Question 20

What sort of information would you expect to see in a client brief for a professional appointment?

Answer 20

• Details of the project and professional service required
  -Insurance required
  -Terms of appointment
  -Expected duration of the appointment
  -Client procedures and polciies
  -Key drivers

Question 21

What sort of information would you expect to see in a consultants fee proposal for professional services?

Answer 21

• scope of services
  -terms of appointment
  -basis of pricing and fee
  -Information of the proposed team including CVs and qualifications
• Timescales
  -insurances
  -exclusions and assumptions

Question 22

Once you and your client verbally agree the services to be provided, what would you do next?

Answer 22

Follow up in writing to confirm terms and conditions, fee and scope of service.

Question 23

What is a consultant appointment document?

Answer 23

Appointment document are terms and conditions for services being provided by a consultant to the client.
RICS have a standard form of consultant appointment if the business does not have their own.

Question 24

How would you go about calculating professional fees for a new commission?

Answer 24

Understand the client and project requirements, including scope, key details, budget and scope of service.
Identify the seniority of resource and number of people required to deliver the service.
Assess the duration required to complete
apply a daily or hourly rate against each activity
Review the total fee as a % against the project budget as a sense check.

Question 25

You have put together a fee propose; a couple of month into the project you realise you have underestimated the resource needed to deliver, would you go back to the client and ask for more fees?

Answer 25

If the project requirements (example service, scope , project budget) has increased , then it would be reasonable for the fees to increase also. If the scope remained the same and it was my error, i would deal with the situation and ensure to get it right the next time. I would ensure the level of service originally offered was not reduced or diluted because of my error.

Question 26

You have submitted a fee bid to a potential client. The client contact you and explains another practice has quoted a lower fee but they would like you to do the work. They ask you to reduce your fee what do you do?

Answer 26

- I would explain how the fee was originally calculated and the necessary resource which would provide context and ultimately justification for the fee submitted. - If the client was looking for an overall lower fee, i would be happy to review the scope of service to advise on areas the scope could reduce to reach a lower fee.

Question 27

When might a consultant be due additional fees?

Answer 27

Dealing with Contractor insolvency Delay to the programme Increased scope of services Changes to the project brief Increased project budget

Question 28

When is it appropriate to decline new work from a client?

Answer 28

- There is a conflict of interest -You suspect illegal or unethical action -The scope is outside the competence of the practice -You don't have the resource available