Customer Care
It’s often interesting to see how different industries prioritise their customer. It seems that if your customer is right there in front of you, that they are treated with respect and dealt with efficiently and politely.
With the non-stop train that is technology, our consumer interactions are increasingly becoming electronic and vary across all media platforms in a 24/7 business world.
For us at Avanti we find that increasingly we do not meet our clients, and our advice is given electronically, by phone, via Skype meetings and with clients all across the UK and as far reaching as Australia our approach is modern, but we strive to maintain those traditional values of a family firm, where our clients are at the heart of what we do, and helping their business to grow through solid advice, and ongoing tips is as much a part of our accountancy process as crunching the numbers.
There are some small but effective steps you can take to ensure that your clients, no matter how near or far get first class service.
Personal Contact
Give your clients a personal contact in the office, so they know who to speak to when they have an issue that needs that extra care. At Avanti your allocated team are introduced to you for an on-going relationship.
Respond to all Contact
This sounds simple, but it can be easy to miss an email or lose a message scribbled on a post-it in haste. Instead, take time if taking a phone message to check that the details are correct and email immediately to the relevant person. Ensure you have an email response procedure. Avanti aim to answer all emails within 4 hours, and if ever you need a faster response you can call the office, you won’t be put on endless hold, and you will be greeted by our friendly team who will be happy to advise you.
Take Complaints Seriously
“The customer is always right” , if a customer complaint is raised, invest time in investigating it. You may find it to be invalid, but by doing this you can present your findings to the client and offer a solution. If it was the fault of your team, yourself, or a process falling down you’ll be able to look at your findings and address the problem, ensuring that it doesn’t happen again. We are ‘human’ and all make mistakes – it’s how you deal with those mistakes that makes you the best person you can be. If the relationship is not salvageable, your client will at least leave you safe in the knowledge that you acted appropriately and went above and beyond to resolve their issue.
Value
Adding value to the service you provide, not just the black-and-white service, but going above and beyond. Here at Avanti we provide not only a pic ‘n’ mix of services to allow you to choose the right service to fit your needs, but with our quarterly Client Report providing you with proactive information and advice during the year, reminders about all the important dates and deadlines and information newsletters every month we are helping to move you and your business forward.
Ask For Feedback
Give your clients the opportunity to provide feedback on your services or products. You don’t have to wait for it to be volunteered. Ask clients to review you, offer suggestions or provide testimonials. Avanti provide clients with a customer survey on completion of year-end work, it’s your chance as an Avanti client to have your voice heard.
We pride ourselves on our customer focussed approach, providing first class advice and service.
If you’re tired of accountants who your only interaction with is completion of your year-end/ tax return, give us a call 0800 0388799 to see how we can offer you a proactive professional tax and accountancy service.