Amazing client relationships should be a priority for all businesses. At Koha Health, we LOVE our clients and believe that how we work collaboratively to accomplish goals, and value each other through open communication and mutual respect, are vital indicators of success. Those factors affect client loyalty and serve as building blocks for relationships.
“ . . . this basic Golden Rule standard that defines a truly good relationship as one that enriches the lives of individuals and strengthens the surrounding communities.”
– Fred Reichheld, Winning on Purpose
So, how do you ensure that your business practices are on point and meeting expectations? Consider these 4 Essential Elements that Support Amazing Client Relationships, a straightforward approach that Koha has refined and adopted.
- Measure Regularly
You cannot rely on clients to proactively let you know how they are feeling. Instituting a client survey program is vital to a clear and well-rounded picture of the client relationship from their perspective – which might be quite different to yours.
There are a variety of client surveys available. Koha Health uses the Net Promoter Score (NPS) semi-annually. The NPS measures client loyalty and advocacy through a client’s likelihood to recommend the company. This goes beyond the ebb and flow of the day to day and speaks to an overall belief and trust in us as a partner.
We are thrilled to report that in our most recently completed survey period we received an overall score of 44. For those who don’t know, the NPS survey measures client loyalty on a scale between –100 and 100. The average NPS score is 12, a score above 30 is in the great range, and a score above 70 is considered excellent.
- Listen Carefully
NPS survey responses provide direct feedback and important insight into how clients view our partnership and where opportunities exist to make meaningful adjustments.
After completing each survey period, we roll up our sleeves and dig into the feedback. We don’t just read comments, we directly follow up with each person who rated us below a 9 on a scale of 1-10. We ask questions, have honest conversations and seek to understand so that we can solve. Not only does this step deepen relationships, it also opens the door to improve and innovate – two things that drive who we are.
- Act Boldly
The real value in any survey is what you do with the feedback. After one-on-one client conversations, needs are assessed, and open items are assigned to internal champions for management.
Once action plans are in place, Koha communicates with all our clients on next steps.
“When you earn your customers’ trust, they openly share their needs and vulnerabilities. They provide honest feedback, which helps you design and deliver optimal experiences.”
― Fred Reichheld, Winning on Purpose
We have some exciting new innovations and streamlined workflows in development based on our last survey and look forward to sharing these outcomes as they are realized.
- Repeat
Surveys must be repeated at regular intervals to show overall progress. Koha is committed to repeating the NPS survey semi-annually. We let our clients know that this is a journey that we are on together.
We publicly share our goals and our results. Right now, our short-term goal is to achieve and maintain a score of 50 or greater. Emphasis on the word achieve!
Return to step one!