Ensuring Your Business is Strong - Providing Good Service So the Clien

Ensuring Your Business is Strong - Providing Good Service So the Client is Satisfied

Dr. Linda Hancock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Hancock has written a regular weekly column entitled “All Psyched Up” for newspapers in two Canadian provinces for more than a dozen years. Over the years, her readers and clients have said that they have benefited from her common-sense solutions, wisdom, and sense of humour. Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email office@drlindahancock.com

Published

September 13 2009

We have all been annoyed at times when we were standing in a store and couldn't find a clerk or purchased an item only to find out that it was broken or of poor quality. Your business' success is largely dependent on whether your clients are satisfied.

Quality - People come to you because they have a problem that they want you to help them solve. If you take the time to adequately identify the problem and then offer an appropriate solution your client will likely be pleased. You have to remember, though, that sometimes the person will see the solution and choose not to use it,

Availability - Usually when someone has a problem - no matter how long it took to develop it - they want an immediate solution. They may feel and act like they are in a crisis mode and will likely choose services that are most convenient for them. You may not have a suitable appointment time but may be able to help them resolve a crisis or put things into perspective though a short telephone call. It is therefore important that the person in your office who answers the phone has good skills for working with people.

Cost - Part of your work is to help the client figure out how to pay for your services. Perhaps they have an insurance program or tax incentive which will cover all or part of your fees. People usually do not hesitate to pay for things if they want them or think they will help them. In fact, a lawyer once told me that when you raise your fee, clients believe you appear to be even more valuable in the marketplace! When the client is convinced that you are helpful and offer value, they will not resent the fee.

Follow up - One session is not usually enough to help a client so you will need to provide support for them over a period of time. This involves ongoing evaluation and adjustment to the treatment plan. Follow through can be difficult for people and they may need you to help them implement things by breaking implementation into small steps and providing clear directions. Remember, the person couldn’t figure out the problem without you so they will likely be facing a whole new way of approaching the problem - and that takes time to implement.

Using surveys, brief telephone calls or direct questions will help you to determine how the client is doing, what progress was made, and how you can improve your business. Also, it is very important that you listen carefully to the clients and to the marketplace so that you will be able to develop a reputation for providing excellent service that results in totally satisfied clients.