Is Your Agency Looking After You?: The 32 Client Service Commandments

Jessie Rasmussen 7 years ago

Client happiness leads to retention, which is the most effective and necessary way to guarantee financial income for an agency, while encouraging client account growth generates yet further resource. All of this falls under the direct responsibility of the Client Services team in a digital agency.

Once a customer has decided to ‘buy’ it is vital they're not left unattended or unsupported - you can't be seen as taking their money and running. Instead, you are offering a service. Regular communication relating to the account is a crucial part of this service. Below I will take you through some of the key commandments a client service team should offer, and in addition I have included the 32 best in practice commandments which client service team really should be delivering!

Taking ownership of your client account

The predominant role of the Client Services team is to bridge the gap between the client and the rest of the agency, becoming the ‘middle man’ in communication terms. This is why it is vital that each member of the CS team takes full ownership of the clients in their portfolio.

At Zazzle Media, the best way we have found to do this is by the CS team becoming ‘client champions’ - understanding client objectives, brand messages, ways of working and expectations, to communicate this effectively internally and to ensure the proactive strategy is primarily focused on individual objectives while building a stronger understanding of why the client is on board.

This is something that begins during the on-boarding stage when the client and account manager are paired and introduced. All necessary information gained from the pitch stage is shared with the account manager. This is developed further during an initial set up call when objectives are discussed among other key points including other marketing efforts, peak periods and seasonality and day-to-day elements including call and meeting schedules.

Attending pitches is another great way to allow the Client Services representative to get to know the client from the very beginning of the relationship while gaining first hand understanding of the campaign objectives and what has been promised across the duration of the campaign.

At Zazzle, every client has their own ‘team’, consisting of members of the content, technical SEO, distribution, and strategy teams. The idea is to create stronger client knowledge and consistency when implementing proactive efforts. The Client Services member is the overall lead in this team, sharing knowledge and insights that come directly from the client, steering what is planned and delivered.

Showing knowledge builds trust

The Client Services team are at the very heart of an agency, working closely with clients and internal teams and therefore must have relevant expertise in agency services while building suitable knowledge across the client base and accompanying industries. Showcasing this level of expertise forms trust both internally and with clients, which is vital to the success of the client services team.

This level of knowledge cannot be learned overnight. It is something that comes from regular communication with clients and gaining experience within the agency, but there are ways to support this process, stemming mainly from on the job training. A role in Client Services is not something you can fully prepare for, mainly as every role and agency are different and your skills will develop in different areas at different rates depending on your client portfolio.

All CS teams should engage in regular training opportunities to grow in knowledge and confidence, something that is then portrayed to clients. Strong communication skills in the form of phone, email and presentations are one of the most important elements within the team. Being able to competently deliver messages - good or bad - to your client will remind them why they chose your agency over any other and again will build the trust that forms the foundation of a strong relationship.

Other key areas of knowledge growth include:

• Google analytics – to help inform reporting while being able to competently deal with any 'off the cuff' questions rather than simply deferring to another member of the agency team.
• Sales training – to encourage client account growth.
• Negotiation skills – for difficult conversations and situations.
• Organisation – a key trait for the Client Services team as a whole to closely monitor campaign progress and account management.

From the client’s perspective, becoming an industry expert allows the Client Services representative to talk confidently about their positioning against competitors as well as including vital industry updates in weekly and monthly reports. This also guides the proactive campaign and ensures that seasonal opportunities, peak periods and industry changes are all considered and accounted for. This stems from regular communication and, as the above point mentions, taking ownership of the client account.

Forming and maintaining a strong relationship

A level of trust between the client and the agency builds the foundation of a strong relationship, and it goes without saying that regular communication is incredibly important to grow this further. Having a recurring schedule in place for calls and meetings allows constant contact while the client can stay up to date in terms of progress and achievements across the proactive campaign.

It is important the Client Services team have strong organisational skills to keep up with the account while ensuring communication is the first priority.

There are simple measures to put in place to support organisation and communication schedules, something that the Zazzle CS team have used for some time.

Google Docs

Creating a dashboard that houses details of the proactive campaign allows the CS team to stay up to date with activity plans and task delivery and is something that can be shared with the client so they to can stay in tune with progress.

It can also be beneficial to set up personal docs to keep a record of calls, meetings and anything else that is client or team related.

Calendars

Setting a recurring calendar invitation for calls and meetings reminds both parties of the communication schedule, something that can be agreed during the on-boarding stage depending on other engagements and commitments and the level of detail the client would like.

Project Management System

To stay on top of activity progress, plans, deadlines, and for general internal communication, a project management system is the best way to remain organised.

Relationships lead to retention

Client retention is the most important strategy of any business, boosting revenue and brand recognition and it is important for the client services team to use the ‘always be selling to retain’ thought process. The most important way of reducing client loss is to form and maintain a strong relationship, taking on board all the points detailed above.

Only a strong CS team will exhibit this, allowing the agency and its associated customer base to continue to grow.

While building a strong relationship with the day-to-day contact is important, it is just as vital to integrate yourself across the wider business. One of the biggest risks to client retention is the main contact leaving and someone new coming in, potentially intending on making their mark by considering a different direction.

Building relationships with the wider team on the client side allows you to not only become an extension of the brand, but shows your value across the board meaning there are more people able to support you if there is a change of main contact.

The most important learning from any successful Client Services team is based on client communication. Keeping them engaged in the campaign makes them feel part of the overall strategy and builds upon the relationship. This can be in the form of emails, calls, meetings or reports - whichever the client prefers in terms of a communication plan.

While retention is vital, so too is growing the account and as the relationship between agency and customer develops, the opportunity for upsell also arises.
Being able to upsell to retained clients reinforces with the customer that their initial ‘purchase’ decision in agency offerings was the right one, and makes them more open to do so again.

This approach is not simply about securing more financial support for the campaign in hand, but offers education in to the agency strategy, demonstrating how objectives can be achieved and what other potential opportunity can be gained through a more aggressive approach.

The 32 Client Service Commandments

The role of the Client Services team has expanded since the offerings of the digital agency has evolved with the team needing vast knowledge on services that are available. This not only supports the need to accurately communicate performance but opens up the opportunity for account upsell which, as already mentioned, encourages financial growth for the business as well as being able to meet client objectives more aggressively and rapidly.

This is in addition to the strong organisation and communication skills that any Account Manager needs. But what really makes for a strong Client Services team and what elements do you need to consider to improve customer service within a digital agency? My list of actionable points below should assist.

1. Become an extension of the client brand and part of the team to make yourselves indispensable.
2. Regular face-to-face meetings and social opportunities maintains a strong relationship.
3. Be hospitable and invite clients to your offices to meet the rest of the agency. This way clients get a better understanding of your internal structure as well as meeting those working on their account.
4. Make yourself known to the senior team within the client business. The more contacts and the more attached you become, the more the client will come to rely on you and see you as an extension of their team.

5. Encourage joint working with your client and the rest of your agency as well as introducing yourself to other agencies they may be working with, forming a united team.
6. Don’t be a 'yes man' and tell your client what you think they want to hear. Instead, tell them what they need to hear to set expectations and show you have the best interests of the account at heart.
7. Build a relationship that doesn’t just revolve around the digital campaign. Get to know your main contact and become almost a ‘friend’.
8. Establishing reporting formats early on will support the level of communication needed as well as being able to assist your contact with internal reporting – if you can make any part of their lives easier, they will thank you for it.
9. Understand their stresses and responsibilities and go above and beyond to support - whether that's helping them pull together a last minute presentation for their MD or explaining a complex part of the campaign.
10. Project management also forms a part of account management and it is vital that these skills are in place to ensure the delivery of tasks to deadline, in line with client expectation.
11. No two days are the same for a Client Services executive, which is why it is vital to be adaptable - taking on new challenges, bigger clients, clients in a different niche or those with a varying level of understanding.
12. Commit to resolving issues, no matter the severity, and be sure to follow up after the event to ensure the client is now happy. Do not shy away from difficult situations.
13. As the main point of contact for your client, you will often feel the heat from an unhappy situation. Don’t be afraid to take responsibility, admit the mistake (if one has taken place) and suggest ways to rectify the issue.
14. Availability is one of the best ways to maintain a strong relationship. Everyone is entitled to a day off, or a holiday, but your client needs another point of contact should they need anything in your absence.
15. Managing client expectation is one of the most difficult skills to learn but is vital in keeping the relationship and gaining the trust of your client.
16. Become a strong part of the agency culture so you can present your passion to the client to give them a glimpse of what the agency represents.
17. Make sure each team member has defined responsibilities for a well rounded team.
18. It is important not to show favouritism among your client portfolio. All clients are valuable and although you may have a stronger relationship with one contact, it's important to treat all equally - and with professionalism and pride.
19. Do not be afraid to identify client needs and the ways to improve performance both internally and with the client themselves.
20. Stand out from the opposition. What does your agency offer that no one else does? Examples might be real time reporting, monthly in-house meetings, a CS team with wealth of experience or being GA certified.
21. Report regularly to highlight the positives but don’t be afraid to comment on areas that need improvement while offering guidance and ways to improve – be honest as you cannot hide from the truth.
22. Creating strong internal relationships leads to stronger communication which means delivery is improved and support with clients is on offer.
23. Having a strong personality can be far more beneficial than a degree in administration, for example.
24. The ability to handle difficult situations and conversations internally and externally is vital although not something anyone relishes.
25. Having strong powers of persuasion again applies internally or eternally whether it’s a case of pushing back on client demands or encouraging the internal team to speed up delivery.
26. Administrative powers are as important as organisation. There are a number of admin tasks needed whether it applies to contracts, email communication, documentation, etc. The list is almost endless!
27. Being able to think on your feet!
28. Being supportive with one another in the team is crucial as few people really appreciate the pressure and personal attachment/passion that the Client Services team has for its clients.
29. Commercial acumen is important to be able to handle commercial
    discussions, providing insight into performance and costings, and also being able to spot further opportunities to grow accounts for the clients' benefit.
30. Being strongly proactive allows the suggestion of improvements to the account, rather than simply reacting when requests come in or problems occur.
31. Ensuring the CS team has sufficient time to manage each account to the best level is vital. Being spread too thinly can mean they drop the ball slightly or become overwhelmed by the pressures of multiple demanding clients.
32. Being consistent in what you say and do will align customer expectations, making for a smoother relationship.

Something to add to my list? Please do get in touch by leaving a comment below!