The 3 Ps of customer service

Building and sustaining relationships sits at the core of what Elevatus is all about. Sure, we design buildings, but that only happens after we take the time and energy to listen and understand what our client’s want and need.

So how do you build relationships with business partners? It really comes down to caring.

Elevatus President Cory Miller presents his 3 Ps of customer service:

Promptness

• It should come as no surprise, but people don’t like being ignored. Customer service starts with communication. ANSWER THE PHONE. RESPOND TO EMAILS. If the client has a question or a concern, be attentive and reply quickly. Many of us are judged by whether we live up to our promises, and a big part of that is simply being responsive to our clients.

Purposeful

• In that communication, take the time to understand the client’s issue or question, and present a direct solution. Take the time to make sure your plan of action is clear, and the client fully understands. And always be truthful, even if the client might not like what they’re about to hear.

Personal

• Finally, have some empathy for the client. Take the time to understand their concerns. Put yourself in their shoes and feel their feelings. With that connection, you’ll find your solution to their problem or need will be far more personalized. When that happens, you have the chance to transition from hired architect to friend.

The 3 Ps will help build relationships with clients. But how do you sustain them? Easy – double down on the 3 Ps. Being prompt in communication, purposeful in action, and personal in connections should not stop after the design process. That’s just the beginning.

Oh, and here’s a Pro Tip: the 3 Ps don’t just apply to architectural contracts. They’ll come in handle in pretty much any relationship throughout life.