Our Approach to Client Relationship Management
How can a company credibly offer Customer Relationship Management services without displaying the ability to provide the service to it's own customers?
The fact is, It can't!
There are five "golden" rules we have implemented at Advanced Customer Services to help manage our client relationships.
- Understanding our Relationship with the Client
- Firm Commitment to Excellent Client Communication
- Enhance the Product Delivered to our Client
- Understand our Client's Perspective
- Establish a Climate of Mutual Respect
On the surface, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) seems a rather simplistic industry. As a CRM supplier, if our performance meets the client's expectations, we will likely continue to work on the client's program. If our performance is exceptional, perhaps we'll be awarded more business.
In reality, it's more complex. We have found that properly managing the client relationship is essential in the CRM industry, and that it centers on the ongoing management and measurement of the client's expectations. At ACS we understand the importance of putting ourselves in the client's position and realize that the following five principles, which we've adopted, are paramount in successfully managing the client relationship.
1. Understanding our Relationship with the Client
The word partnership may be the most over-used and misunderstood word today in business. In a high-level context, the word partnership may indicate a joint interest between the client and the vendor. Fact is, our clients are paying us to do a job, and if ACS does the job well, both parties benefit. However, when all is said and done, clients are always in charge; they have the final say. We realize that our clients make it possible for ACS to pay bills and meet payroll.
Many times, our clients may be the ultimate decision-makers, or they have complete control over the marketing budget. Often this is true as long as they're able to show their customer positive results and they develop new ideas. But, just as ACS stands a chance of losing business if our performance is sub-standard, we understand that our clients and their clients also stand the chance of losing business and/or market share should our performance suffer.
2. Firm Commitment to Excellent Client Communication
Face-to-face… Too often in this technologically advanced environment, companies forsake face-to-face contact for the more convenient electronic medium. Many companies today have become too complacent by simply communicating with a client via fax, e-mail and voice mail, and sending correspondence via overnight delivery.
ACS on the other hand, when our client's schedule permits, encourages site visits. Or, respecting the client's time, we arrange to meet at their facility. By our bringing members of the client's account management team, the visit becomes a way to expose the team to the client's world, while familiarizing the client with our personnel. In addition, the visit serves as an ongoing audit to access the needs of both the client and ACS. At ACS, we realize that a visit to the client may sometimes be costly, but well worth the investment to maintain good relations.
By phone… With the convenience of voice mail, it has become all too easy to avoid time-consuming phone calls when you're busy. At ACS, we promptly take all client calls. We realize keeping a client waiting not only damages the relationship between the client and ACS, but potentially between the client and their customer.
Most often at ACS, we give our clients the ability to contact key account management staff whenever necessary. Whether it is through a pager, cell phone or home phone number, clients usually have a means of contacting our key management in the event of an emergency, as well as alternate means of contact during regular working hours.
Provide feedback… Typically, our clients spend a relatively short time each week monitoring their marketing campaign. At ACS, the majority of our time is spent in the operations environment, and it is necessary to act as the eyes and ears of the client. Appropriate feedback - such as ways to enhance an offer, improve a script or rethink the marketing strategy - is compiled and presented to the client.
Most ACS clients enjoy providing feedback to us on their program's performance. Done properly, ACS welcomes this feedback as a way to improve our vendor-
client relationship. Rather than allowing issues to build-up, we encourage our clients to schedule constructive feedback sessions with the ACS account team on a regular basis.
3. Enhance the Product Delivered to our Client
At ACS, we always look for ways to improve the quality of the client's marketing campaign. This means that even if ACS happens to be one of several CRM agencies the client is using and we discover a significant way to improve the client's program, we share that improvement across the board with all vendors involved. This type of cooperative approach not only saves our clients time and money, but it also demonstrates our commitment to finding solutions in our client's best interests.
4. Understand our Client's Perspective
Understanding the client's perspective is as important as sound results. We always take the time to understand our client's industry, often by reading trade journals and attending industry seminars, as well as through discussion with the client directly. We attempt to put ourselves in our client's shoes knowing we'll be in a better position to make decisions in the best interest of the client and more effectively communicate their needs throughout the organization.
Our client is the expert in marketing their product or service, and we offer marketing communication services and sometimes counseling assistance, for them to accomplish their marketing objectives. In a true sense, we become an extension of their marketing team, always realizing that the client is the leader of the team. Working together, we strive to save our customers time and money.
5. Establish a Climate of Mutual Respect
ACS realizes there is one additional component that must be present in order to build a lasting relationship with the client - establishing mutual respect between our companies. Through our diligent efforts and positive program results, we strive to earn the trust and respect of our clients, and we always appreciate our customers reciprocating. When both the client and ACS bring shared respect and understanding to the table, a long and mutually beneficial relationship will surely result.
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