Service To Exceed Expections

2011: Drive - Nicolas Winding Refn

Over the years I have been working hard to consistently improve our service to clients. Indeed sometimes, looking back, it is amazing to consider just how far we have travelled, how much we have done to improve things. I’m not one for resting on my laurels either; change is very much a constant, provided that it is done with the express intention of improving what we do for our clients.

I was in the position recently of buying a new car. I’ll be candid, this is an awkward topic for me. A car is simply a mode of transport, yet it is impossible to escape the fact that it says something, but precisely what, depends on how each of us view life. The question over “what car should your adviser drive?” is not one I take lightly. We all have an opinion, but I would guess that something that costs well into six figures would probably leave most people asking who was serving who. This is balanced against a sense that the vehicle needs to be of a high standard, else what is this communicating. You see my dilemma? Anyway, I have to accept other peoples opinions are valid, but unlikely to be of one voice.

The thing I really wanted to convey was that a car is really about the driving experience. There is an undeniable way that a car makes you feel. This is a sentiment that car manufacturers and their advertisers know all too well. However, how closely the advertisement sentiment is translated and matched into a real life experience is where the proverbial rubber hits the road. I am delighted to say that to date, my experience of the BMW car dealership in Cobham was good. I was surprised that their customer relationship technology was somewhat dated and not as fast as my normal working day experience, but this did not detract from the fact that staff were friendly, polite and patient. I wasn’t hurried into a decision, I got what was promised. However I also got a bit more than that. Many of the “tools” or extras from the brochure are actually far better than I had thought. The factual information was no match for the hands on experience. This is something that I aim for with clients. That sense of “wow” when they have their financial plan presented to them – the sense that we have captured what they want from life and can show them what, if anything needs to be done to achieve the lifestyle they want. It is the realisation that you’ve been heard, understood and your expectations have been exceeded. Now that is what I am aiming to achieve with my clients.