Part 2: What in the World is a CE?

Physiological Needs (Comfort & Care)

A behind-the-scenes look at the Wheelhouse DMG Client Experience experience

Food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth and sleep – According to renowned psychologist, Abraham Maslow (and our own practical experience) each of these is critical to our physical well-being. They make up the first level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and are the biological requirements for human survival. Without them, we cannot function. In an agency environment, our CE team considers the equivalent to be comfort and care.

Think back to the café example in our initial CE post. If the café had not been clean, or the staff had been inattentive, or the espresso machine was broken, you, as a customer, may  not have returned. So, how do we ensure our clients’ comfort in a way that also clearly reassures them that we will take excellent care of them throughout our relationship? This is important in-office, but perhaps even more important virtually. Here are a few things we consider:

In-office & in-person meetings:

• Is the meeting space bright, comfortable, and clean?
• How is the noise level?
• Have we offered first choice of seats at the table?

Virtually:

• Is our conference call platform and internet connection stable?
• Have we offered breathing room at the start of a call for decompression, settling in, and non-work-related conversation?
• Have we introduced newcomers into existing discussion threads?
• Have we learned and are we respecting the business/office hours when the client prefers to take calls and answer emails?

Through our Work:

• Have we provided a clear strategic roadmap?
• Have we established open lines of communication and created clear expectations with regard to response times?
• Have we inspired confidence and optimism through our work and communication?

Takeaway:

It is key to establish a strong sense of security with our clients as their trusted confidants. This requires some due-diligence on our end to ensure that no matter any unforeseen circumstances, we have their backs. We stay cool, calm and collected as we guide them through the client experience.