Guidelines on how to add up to the surplus side of the Relationship Accounting
“If you take care of your people, your people will take care of your customers, and your business will take care of itself
-JW Marriot
My last post gave something to talk
about… As I commented, I introduced the concept of Relationship Accounting at the kick off meeting of 2017.(http://theoffbeatccountant.blogspot.com/2017/01/relationship-accounting.html)
However, I believed that was not enough.
Personally, I don’t enjoy meetings in which I talk for an hour and the only
feedback I receive is “Yes, we will do that” or “we understand”
or the different versions of “aha..ehem..ok”. So, to turn the tables a
little bit, after I told them the story of “Paccioli and Co” I stood quiet.
Silence filled the room, and nervous looks crossed the room. It was clear that
in their minds (even in my head) they were recalling all those times in which
they add up crosses, either in the debit (deficit) or credit (surplus)
side of the relationship with their clients.
Once the ideas started to settle, I
took my marker and using the cool “Googling Method” (you know, the one of
writing in the windows that separate offices, not an old-fashion board) I ask a
simple question:
“What actions, in the day-to-day, help to add up to the surplus
side?”
The answers were the following:
Along all these suggestions, it is
important to be full aware of the full cycle of
the service we provide.
Companies tend to forget that several people are related to the same
engagement. Not only is the manager responsible for issuing a “reasonable deliverable”
(ex: Financial Statement, Business Plan, Marketing Campaign, Income Tax, etc.),
but also all the “contact points”
(or “touchpoints”) with the client.
Touchpoints are those points at which businesses
interact directly with their customers, before, during or after they purchase
from them. These can include, for example, in-person communication, telephone
conversations, interaction through the Internet, company-sponsored kiosks,
meetings at the office and in-person customer support.[1]
I have found a very interesting chart
at “Survey Monkey” (https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/identify-customer-touchpoints/) which helps identifying these points along the cycle of customers:
Once we walk in the customer´s shoes,
we may understand our flaws in the cycle:
- · Are we delivering a clear report, which adds value to our customers´ needs?
- · Is our administrative department delivering the invoices to the right people?
- · Are our teams aware of the confidentiality of the information?
- · Is the information properly backed-up to be able to continue working even after an IT emergency?
- · Do people recommend our brand?
- · Do our managers reply emails in less than 24 hours?
- · Are we committed to our work?
Remember that people tend to avoid conflict (at least direct
confrontation). That`s why suddenly we find out that our clients have switched to
another firm. They may have been sending soft warnings or hints, but we are
always too busy to listen or pay attention. Managers and partners tend to be so
focus on making new business (or fixing previous mistakes) that they take for granted what they have…until it
is too late. And then it may become a domino effect.
We already have the tools to be ahead
of our customers and offer a steady service in which we can tick “x” in the
surplus side of the equation. This is no rocket science, it is just a reminder
that sometimes we need to stop for a minute and ponder on the "future value" of
our “present clients”.
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