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Strategies For Client Service

Posted By: John Sweney on March 1, 2004

continentalairlines2In his frequent public appearances, Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune entertains business audiences with the amusing simplicity of the business formula that moved his company from "worst to first". He says, "Get people comfortably to their destination, on time and with their underwear."

At Brookwoods Group, each client is looking for something different, so client service goals are not as easily pegged. But over the years, we have refined a short list of customer service mandates that work well for our clients and us.

Perhaps they can apply to you as well. After all, to one degree or another you, too, are in the "client service" business whether your "client" is your boss, your customer, your spouse, your kid, your church, or your co-worker:

Master the Engagement …
Hit the ground running by learning everything there is to know about the client and understanding the project. Fast.

Work Projects that Matter …
There is always too much to do, so when you plan to accomplish tasks, ask yourself "why?" Are the projects you are working on today going to make a difference? Do they contribute to the overall objective?

Live with Dual Roles …
Draw from emotional maturity and experience to feel comfortable in many roles at once. In the workplace, be great as both strategist and tactician, leader and follower, and insider and outsider. For Brookwoods Group, this means we look a lot like employees, but act with the objectivity and speed of an outside consultant.

Focus Energy …
Too much time is wasted in a given day. Work hard to manage time by constantly updating priorities, avoiding useless meetings, ignoring junk e-mails and cutting out worthless Internet "research."

Astound with Performance and Value …
These days, it's not enough to simply be good at something. Strive to be astounding. Turn the status quo upside down with innovative ideas and adding value beyond what's expected.

Be Comfortable with Moving Targets …
Ever worked hard on a project only to have someone stop it in mid-stream and shift the attention elsewhere? New target. Same pace. Get used to it!

Stay On-Time and On-Budget …
It's fundamental and it's important. Meeting or beating deadlines is a key to success. Remember, budgets rarely grow, only shrink, so find ways to eliminate waste and reduce cost.

Transfer Knowledge …
Go out of the way to document new processes and share knowledge. Think this is giving away too much? Not so. The value is in the skilled execution, not in the plan.