Achieving the “Wow Factor” in a Consulting Firm
February 25, 2008 by Bob Turek
Filed under Leadership
One firm that specializes in providing consulting services related to energy planning does something that is very impressive. They tell their customers that they can call anyone in the firm, from the CEO on down, if they have a concern or question about their project. This policy impressed customers but seemed to introduce chaos into customer relations.
In my projects, I always insist on a primary contact point inside the customer along with providing one from our end. This maintains some control on the project especially during the initial start up phase. Later on people form relationships and both sides become more comfortable with loosening up the communications.
The energy firm’s view is that all customers should be able to access who they want to access quickly from day one. This requires very clear and frequent communication inside the consulting firm as to roles and knowledge about projects. The VP who told me about the policy said it helped their firm become more in tune with their customers while achieving a “wow” that helped win business.
What do you think of the “contact anyone” policy? Would it work in your consulting firm? How about internally between departments? i.e., ignoring hierarchy and contacting others across departmental boundaries? What problems do you have with such a policy?
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