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tmgroup, the leading provider of property searches and data, are proud to be celebrating National Customer Service Week (5th-9th October 2020) in recognition of everything their teams have done and continue to do to support their customers during the coronavirus pandemic.  

As Joe Pepper, CEO of tmgroup comments:

“When we made the decision, on the 17th of March this year, to close our offices, none of us really knew what was to follow, and it was to the huge credit of the operational management within the business that we were able to successfully move all staff members out of the office and into home working within 3 days, so that by the time the UK Government announced the lockdown on the 23rd of March we were already out of the office and working from home. Today, our productivity is higher than it’s ever been, and despite the changes and challenges of the last six months, we continue to provide an excellent level of customer service in a very difficult market, and that is something to be proud of.”

To celebrate such an incredible achievement in the face of unprecedented market conditions, tmgroup will be engaging with The Institute of Customer Service’s 5 keys themes of:

• Monday: Insight: Knowing your customer and how to deliver to them

• Tuesday: Capability & Skills: Identifying and nurturing customer service skills in your organisation

• Wednesday: Recognition: Celebrate your customer service heroes

• Thursday: Leadership: Championing customer service in the boardroom

• Friday: Trust, Ethics & Sustainability: Building brand reputation through your actions

Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service adds: “National Customer Service Week is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service. It is great to see so many organisations across the UK - including tmgroup, celebrating the vital role customer service plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy.”

To make the most of National Customer Service Week, tmgroup have planned an exciting line up of activities around these key themes – including paying tribute to their dedicated teams, telling their behind-the-scenes story of how they responded to lockdown, and sharing some of the sessions in their tm:tv series on how to deliver an even better customer experience:

• How to keep your clients safe: Amy Bell, from Teal Compliance Click here to watch

• How brilliant communication can help you and your clients keep in touch: Claire Smith, Moneypenny Click here to watch

• What are we going to do about Daniel? A true story of the real struggles customers face: Clare Yates, tmgroup Click here to watch

• The Customer Journey and the importance of measuring customer experience: Richard Knight, Insight6 Click here to watch 

• Surviving not thriving: Clare Fanner, Find Get Grow Click here to watch

For more on how tmgroup are celebrating National Customer Service Week, please follow tmgroup’s LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as the #NCSW20 hashtag.

Want to improve the reputation of your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how language choices can help to create customer confidence (or doubt!) during a telephone conversation. 

Never forget that customers are coming to your team because they can’t find a way to do it themselves. This puts customers in a very vulnerable position, and they can quickly become angry if they feel helpless, dissatisfied or patronised.

This is why it is so important that your team use words and phrases that help to instil confidence – instead of saying, “I’m not sure…”, “I’ll try to find someone to help you” and “I’ll have a go at sorting that for you…”. 

Here are some positive words and phrases that can make all the difference:

• “Yes, you are through to the right person to help you…”

• “I can definitely help with that…”

• “I’m sure I can do that for you…

• “Certainly…”

• “Let me assure you…”

• “I’m handling this for you today, and my name is….” 

• “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my colleague and find the answer for you…”

Take a step back…

If all of your team members started using these positive words and phrases in every telephone call, would they have easier telephone conversations with customers? Would they be able to wrap up calls faster – rather than answer the same question 3 times to try to reassure the customer? What could this do for your efficiency, overall customer experience and reputation of your firm?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your staff’s morale and ability to deliver a great customer experience? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how your team may unknowingly be upsetting customers and each other – and compromising the customer experience. 

I previously spoke about how your customers can bring their own experiences, mood and emotions to the telephone conversation. The same can apply to your team. 

What happens to everyone’s mood if there are roadworks in the local area that delay your team’s journey to work? Or if a storm or a power cut limits access to hot water and a morning shower? 

If your team are in a low mood due their recent personal experiences, it is important that they don’t let this have an impact on their colleagues and any customers they speak to.  

Take a step back…

Can you think of an occasion where a member of your team has acted out of character and been noticeably grumpy with you or a customer? How did you handle the situation? Did your team member even notice their behaviour had changed?

If you took 5 minutes to speak to your team about how their mood and personal situation can affect their working relationships, would they be more likely to step outside or make a cup of tea before they let their mood affect others – and possibly impact on business relationships and paying customers?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your customer service? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your customer interactions. 

Here, she explains how asking every customer if now is a good time to talk – and genuinely responding to their answer – can make for happier conversations:

Any number of factors can affect your customers’ mood and emotions, and make them less tolerant of updates your team might need to share. 

This is why your team should never assume the customer is going to be calm and accepting – and always ask “Is now a good time to talk?” at the start of every call. 

If your team feel that a conversation isn’t going well, or if the customer would prefer not to talk, listening and responding to this is key. A simple response of “that’s fine, we don’t have to do this now, we can talk later” can help to leave the conversation on a positive note.  

Your team should also be able to recognise when they need to call a “time out” – instead of either parties losing their temper. They can introduce this by saying, “I appreciate your frustration. I’ll go and find some more information and call you back in 15 minutes.” 

Take a step back…

Does your team always ask “Is now a good time to talk?” Are they able to quickly recognise the signs of an unhappy customer – and do they feel confident enough to suggest they call back later? Would a 15-minute chat with your team help to create a better customer experience, positive word of mouth and maybe even a testimonial?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn. 

Want to improve your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how sending regular reassuring emails (even if there is nothing new to report) can help to keep customers happy:

To a customer, no news IS news – and a simple email to say “there’s been no change since last week, but I will continue to chase” can help to reassure them that they haven’t been forgotten. This can help to manage general expectations, as well as avoid unnecessary phone calls to your team and local estate agent. 

Your team can also reassure customers by giving them positive glimpses into the future with informative statements such as:  “By next week, I expect to find out… I’ll be in touch with you by… to give you an update.”

Take a step back…

Why is this so important? According to Home Moving Trends research, 76% of customers value good communication skills when choosing their conveyancer, while 65% also seek out those with a proactive approach. 

Could you be doing more to deliver against your customers’ expectations?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how arranging to call a customer back “in the afternoon” could lead to miscommunication and disappointment:

People can have very different definitions of what calling back in the “morning” or “afternoon” means. 

For example, one customer might consider the “afternoon” to be anything from 12 noon through to 4pm – and could have given up on your team calling them back by 4.15pm. Even if your office is open until 5pm. 

Don’t take the risk. Ask your team to always refer to specific time frames (e.g. between 2pm and 4pm) when telling a customer they’re going to call them back – then make sure they follow through. 

Take a step back…

If your team always called back when they said they were going to, would your customers have more confidence in your service and make fewer chasing calls? Could your firm even win new business based on your team’s flawless reliability?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how avoiding negative words such as “unfortunately” can help to keep your customers happy – even if your team do need to deliver bad news: 

Starting a sentence with “Unfortunately…” or “I’m sorry to say…” instantly prepares your customers for disappointment. It can be far more reassuring for your team to avoid these words completely and simply state the issue – before quickly moving onto how to fix it. 

Your team can also try simple language changes to put a positive spin on a situation. For example, “we’re chasing the matter” sounds far more positive and proactive than “we’re waiting to hear back…” 

These tweaks can make a big difference to your customers’ experience (and stress levels), so take a few minutes out of your working day to discuss “happier” language choices with your team – both in emails and phone calls. 

Take a step back…

If your team could put a positive spin on every situation, how would your customers feel about their service experience? Would they be more likely to recommend your firm to their friends and family?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how training your team to make simple changes - such as avoiding jargon - can help to reduce repeat calls and improve efficiency:

Taking multiple calls from the same customer about the same thing is a waste of everyone’s time – but it can be avoided. 

Try asking your team to be more proactive with these small tweaks to their telephone manner – and make sure that every customer gets the information they need first time around: 

• Ask the customer to find a pen: If your team need to give a long answer to a question or explain a step-by-step process, they should ask the customer to find a pen first, so notes can be taken to refer to later on. 

• Avoid jargon: Every industry has technical terms that they come to understand as “the norm”. Don’t make assumptions! If your team do need to use technical language, ask them to offer an explanation too. 

• Double-check for understanding: A customer may politely agree with a member of your team as they explain something, but it doesn’t mean they are taking it all in. Before hanging up the phone, your team should always ask the customer if they have any questions about what has just been said, or if they would like anything to be repeated. 

• Offer a follow-up email: If your team are explaining something particularly complicated, they could also offer to follow up with a helpful email. You could even share templates with the team to save time. 

• …And actually send that email! In tmgroup’s mystery shop research, we discovered that 55% of firms that promised to send further information via email never followed through with their promise. 

Take a step back…

If you could guarantee that every customer query could be resolved in a single conversation, what else would your team be able to achieve in their day?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn.

Want to improve your firm? Talk to Clare Yates! She has over 25 years’ experience in the property industry and is more than happy to share what she knows to help you get the best out of your business. 

Here, she explains how your team can create a better working environment, and improve your service experience, by treating every colleague like a customer: 

Working in conveyancing can be stressful, but less so if everyone makes a conscious effort to help each other. Answering the telephone is a great example of how a positive approach to a routine task can make a big difference to everyone’s mood – and the customer experience. 

In a busy office, answering the telephone can feel like a chore and an interruption – and it is all too easy for team members to “pass the buck”. Yet doing so can breed resentment amongst colleagues – especially those who feel frazzled from always being the one that ends up answering the calls. 

Take a step back…

If you asked your team to be more conscious of their own behaviour and think about their colleagues as customers, what do you think they’d do differently? 

Would they develop a fair rota for answering the telephone? Would your customers notice a difference in their service experience?

With thanks to Clare Yates, Senior Business Development Manager at tmgroup. 

Got a question? Connect with Clare on LinkedIn. 

A website is often the first place a potential client will visit when selecting a conveyancer, and is a great opportunity to convert new business – but only if it is done well. 

Ahead of our next series of Property Workshops “What Your Customers Really Want”, Rich Dibbins at Conscious Solutions looks at the key questions you need to ask to ensure your website is the best that it can be. 

When did you last update your website?

The old saying “you only have one chance to make a great first impression” is a key consideration when reviewing your law firm’s website. 

Customers shop around when looking to instruct professional services, and if they land on a generic, outdated website, they are likely to experience a drop in confidence and look elsewhere. 

Technology doesn’t stand still for long, and something that looks “top of the range” one month can quickly look outdated the next, so it is important to regularly review your website – especially if you notice a drop off in performance in your paid advertising campaigns. 

As a benchmark, Top 100 law firms tend to update their websites every 12-18 months, while most Top 200 law firms make improvements every couple of years.

Do you know what you are trying to achieve with your website?

If you do not have a clear strategy for what you are trying to achieve with your website, it can hinder your results. 

There are 2 types of websites law firms typically use:

• Lead generation – This type of website is a shop window that potential clients visit to find out more about your firm, as well how to get in touch. This supports a Business to Consumer (B2C) approach, and needs to sell the firm’s benefits and be easy to use.

• Brochure site – This type of website exists for verification purposes in order to reassure a referred client of the firm’s existence. It supports a Business to Business (B2B) approach, while also presenting an opportunity to build trust in the brand.

Thinking about which approach is best for your law firm and adapting your messages accordingly can help to support your wider business strategy. 

Is it easy for your prospects to find the information they need?

Moving house is well recognised to be one of life’s most stressful experiences, so don’t add to the stress by making it difficult for prospects to find the information they need on your website. 

They are coming to you with a problem, and they need to feel confident that you will handle it in the best and most cost-effective way. 

With this in mind, you should ensure your services and benefits, as well as your contact details are clearly summarised and easy to find on your home page. 

Register for our Property Workshops to find out more

If you would like to find out more from Rich Dibbins about getting the customer journey off to a great start, register for one of our upcoming Property Workshops; where he will be presenting alongside Clare Yates (tmgroup) and various speakers from Shopper Anonymous about “What Your Customers Really Want”. 

See dates and times below:

• Exeter @ Wednesday 7th June 2017 

Join us at 9:30am - 12 noon : Sandy Park Conference Centre, Exeter, EX2 7NN 

Click here to register for Exeter 

• Guildford @ Thursday 8th June 2017

Join us at 9:30am - 12 noon in Merrist Wood Golf Club, Guildford, GU3 3PB 

Click here to register for Guildford 

• Bournemouth @ Thursday 15th June 2017

Join us 9:30am - 12 noon : Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, BH7 7AF 

Click here to register for Bournemouth

If you have any questions, please contact Clare Yates on 07977 256748 or email c.yates@tmgroup.co.uk