How To Improve Client Service During The Holidays
When the holidays arrive, most people are more concerned with buying and wrapping presents, planning travel, and attending holiday events than making sure their financial house is in order. That doesn’t mean it’s time for you to sit back and wait for them to come to you when their schedule clears up. You can still offer the same level of excellent service during the holidays and help your clients through what could be a stressful season. Here’s how.
Be Proactive
With so much on their minds, your clients may not think to reach out to you during this time. That means you have a prime opportunity to carry some of their burdens and help them feel confident about their finances as the year closes out.
Reach out to clients to remind them about important year-end financial considerations, such as contributing to their employer-sponsored retirement accounts, using up their flexible spending account (FSA) balance, making charitable donations, and doing some tax planning.
And did you know that finance-related resolutions consistently fall in the top five most popular New Year’s resolutions? (1) From saving money to cutting down on debt to creating a budget, your clients will likely start the new year ready to make some changes in their financial life. Don’t wait for them to come to you. Start booking appointments for January in the last bit of the current year. This gives your clients a head start on thinking about their goals and holds them accountable by having a meeting date set on the calendar.
Communicate
Miscommunication or lack of communication can cause major headaches, something you’re trying to avoid. Communicate about important topics and news clearly and promptly during the holidays to set everyone up for success. If your office is going to have some closures or reduced holiday hours, be sure to let your clients know ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. The last thing you want is for a client to panic on December 29th when they realize they forgot to take care of a year-end financial issue and not be able to get ahold of you.
Also, make sure your clients have an opportunity to share their thoughts with you about how your firm is serving them. As the year draws to a close, it’s an ideal time to think about what’s gone right and what can improve going forward. Create a client satisfaction survey and speak with your clients about what they’d like to see more of, how you can improve, and what you can do to better serve them, meet their expectations, and take care of their needs
Show Your Appreciation
The holidays are often a time of reflection and thanksgiving. Why not include your clients in this? Pick up the phone and call a few clients every day, simply thanking them for their loyalty and wishing them a happy holidays. You could send out a card from your staff or even give a small gift to show your appreciation. Your clients will remember your thoughtfulness and it will do wonders for building your relationships with them.
Improve Efficiency
This is not the time of year to get bogged down on paperwork or take weeks to handle a client’s requests. Make sure your staff has the support they need to take care of client questions and needs and set up the appropriate workflows, technology, and best practices to wow your clients and reduce their stress in at least one area of their life!
We Are Here For You This Holiday Season
Just as you are there for your clients, we’d love to be there for you, helping you finish the year off strong and start next year off right by partnering with you to grow your firm, blow your clients away with your exceptional service, and support you in your role as an independent advisor. Learn more about our firm and its distinctive advantages by visiting www.explorefreedomwealthalliance.com. You can also email us at krozman@freedomwealthalliance.com or call Kurt Rozman at 262-798-7979.
About Freedom Wealth Alliance
Freedom Wealth Alliance is a Registered Investment Advisor providing a home and multiple affiliation options for financial advisors seeking business growth and/or succession planning, operational excellence, and turn-key placement. We created this firm to relieve your stress no matter the stage of your firm. We take the burden of running the business off your back, so you can spend your time doing what you do best and love the most. If that means spending more time with clients and prospects, you can. If that means spending more time with your family, just do it. Visit www.explorefreedomwealthalliance.com and sign up for a free account to access all the tools and resources we have developed to help you transition to true freedom and business ownership.
For Investment Professional Use Only
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
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(1) https://vitagene.com/blog/most-popular-2019-new-years-resolution/