Positive client experience is more valuable than the deliverables

Projects requiring an investment of the Client's time expose the Agency to risks they may not have foreseen. On such projects, it is not good enough to exceed the expected deliverables. Agencies, like all service-based businesses, need to deliver not only a great outcome, but a positive client experience.

Client service may deliver a project on time and budget, but it will not be remembered if it came at huge cost of the Client's time or emotional energy. This is because over the course of the project, the Client begins to measure the performance of the Agency with a non-tangible criteria.

Instead of focusing purely on milestones and the end result, the Client begins to measure the project from the perspective of their day-to-day experience. How they feel about the client service person, and their confidence and attitude to the project begin to influence their overall perception.

So no matter what the outcome, a negative Client experience will smear a great result. The outcome becomes worthless if the process was not a class act. In fact, a less than expected result will be more often forgiven if the Client had a positive experience.

Client service should be aware in such circumstances, that their performance is being measured in real time, and strive to operate professionally and with finesse. The Client should be hardly aware of the Agency's labour, or their efforts to minimise the number of times the Client is touched and inconvenienced.

New relationships are most endanger of a negative Client experience. To mitigate the risk, client service should spend ample time during pre-sales educating the Client on their process, procedures and expectations on the Client.

Forming a solid foundation of trust and connectivity with the client before the project begins will improve the chances of a positive client experience.

With so many service providers to choose from, the deliverable has become a parity. What differentiates Agencies now is the Client experience. A positive experience will be the catalyst for ongoing work and referrals.