Role of Client Servicing in Infrastructure Company

PREFACE

Companies with a high customer retention rate know the value of client servicing. Essentially, this is the process of creating and maintaining a strong working rapport with each customer. Often referred to as customer care, it is about understanding the needs and desires of the customer, and moving to meet those needs in a proactive manner.

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While there are a number of client service programs on the market today, there are a few elements that form the basis for any type that is effective. One of the most important keys is providing the client with people who know the account well and are able to be of assistance whenever needed. This means looking beyond the data that is gathered during the sale cycle. Client servicing dictates that the vendor develop a working knowledge of the goals of the customer, the conditions that the client works within, and what expectations must be met in order to keep the client.

Many companies make the mistake of securing a new customer, then never allow the sales contact to introduce other support personnel to the new client. Often referred to as a handoff, this allows the customer to be incrementally migrated from relying on the sales contact and begin to develop a relationship with customer care professionals. The idea is to help the new client understand that he or she has a support team that is in place for the long haul.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Objective of study
3. Role of A client servicing executive
4. Introduction to Infrastructre Company.
5. Research methodology
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

Advertising offers very interesting, lucrative and mentally satisfying career options. Over the last 5-6 years the business of adverting has increased manifolds.

Before you plan to enter the field you need to know how a typical advertising agency is structured. Generally, the various departments are:

* Client Servicing/Account Management

* Media Planning

* Creative, which includes:

Copy writers

Visualisers

Client Servicing/Account Executive

Client Service Executive: As the name explains, you will act as the bridge between the client and the agency. You will speak to the client to get a brief understanding of what he/she wants. In addition you will also study the market for the product or service for which the advertisement is being made, analyse market dynamics, target customers, their needs and behavioural patterns, the competing product, buying patterns of customers and various other market related factors.

After going through the entire process the Client Service Executive then prepares the brief which will be used by the creative, account planning, and media planning department of the agency. Over cups and cups of coffee you’ll brainstorm about the product features, the target market and customers, strategy – what the ad will speak, how it will speak and other relevant details to decide the right concept for the advertisement.

It will then be taken over by the creative people, visualisers and the media-planning department who will prepare a presentation for the client. It is only after the client’s approval that the ad lands at the production table. Client servicing executives are also called Account Executives.

As a trainee in this department you will report to the Vice President – Accounts or an Accounts Director. The top boss plans business expansion (bringing in more clients by approaching various companies), implements the plans with the help of Account Executives; and controls all the activities. His basic duty is to coordinate all the activities relating to development and implementation of advertising campaigns.

Just under the Vice President/Director – Accounts are senior and junior Account Executives. In big agencies there may be a few Account Supervisors who look after big corporate accounts.

Ranking wise Account Supervisors are directly below the Vice President/ Director – Accounts. A number of Account Executives report to the Account Supervisors. You’ll interact daily with existing as well as new clients.

Some big agencies also have a different department called Account Planning department headed by Senior Manager/Manager – Account Planning. Senior Account Executives get to work here.

What is a client Servicing Executive?

Client servicing executive should generate new clients

Advertising agency runs by getting new clients or retaining their existing clients and help in branding their services through effective advertising solutions. Hence, client servicing becomes the most vital part of an agency.

Client Servicing Department

The major focus of a client servicing department lies on:

Generating new clients

Enhancing existing customer relationship

Public relationship

Client servicing department is a crucial part of any advertising agency which deals with television, print, radio or Internet.

Client Servicing Executive

Client servicing executive acts as the bridge between the client and advertising agency. He represents what the agency is all about and what it is capable of. The client servicing executive is responsible for all the communications that happens between the client and the agency.

Responsibilities of a Client Servicing Executive

The client servicing executive is responsible for handling queries from the clients.

Should take down briefnotes from the client and make the desired changes as per the client’s needs by communicating to the creative team.

Have an in depth knowledge about the clients’ products, brand, culture, market position and their overall needs/services.

Should have exemplary communication skills, so as to increase the comfort levels of the client.

The client servicing executive should ensure that the client stays with the advertising agency for a longer period of time.

Responsible for generating business and billing from the client.

Attributes of Client Servicing Executive

Coordinates with all the departments in the agency and clients, besides staying calm under pressure

Should possess good managerial, presentation and exceptional communication skills

Should spend ample amount of time with the client, fulfilling their needs and requirements

Attend meetings with the clients when there is a need and jot down the brief of the session

Client servicing executive should be well groomed and properly attired

Client servicing executive is the face of an advertising agency. Hence, recruiting an appropriate client servicing executive will enhance your business needs.

How to Define a Good Client Service?

Businesses function when they have customers or clients, and businesses survive and expand when they have good client service. Good client, or customer, service is a hallmark of respected businesses, to the extent that several organizations, including the Customer Service Institute of America, give annual awards to companies that provide excellent service to the people who keep their business going. Defining good client service is largely a matter of placing the customer first and making business decisions that allow the company to respond to market changes and provide customers with the best service possible.

Step 1

Provide customers with the best service you can in a timely manner. Bear in mind that your clients do not want to be kept waiting. If you promise a product or service within a certain amount of time, be sure to provide it within that time, or offer the customer something to apologize for the time extension. The word will spread about a business that keeps its promise to deliver on time.

Step 2

Place the customer needs first by listening to what the customer needs. Companies that listen to their customers are more likely to hear what the customer wants and thus be able to respond effectively. Listen to the client’s needs, and respect anyrequestsor recommendations of the client. Doing so will show the client that his needs are your first priority.

Step 3

Include a guarantee with the product or service that you sell. Show your customers that you stand by your product or service, and that you are willing to guarantee its quality. Be willing to provide corrections or replacements if the product or service is not what the customer wants. Doing so can actually bring you further business, when the word spreads that you work hard to please your customers.

Step 4

Add new technology where appropriate. The latest and greatest technological advances are not necessary for every business. But some elements of technology can prove to be very useful in providing excellent client service. For instance, specialized software can help you keep track of customer orders better and locate products from your inventory that customers need. Apply technology where it will help you service your customers better.

Step 5

Respond immediately to client questions and comments. Provide a stated turnaround time for all client communication; for example, promise that your business will respond within 24 hours. Although some wait time might be necessary, be sure to keep the wait time as short as possible to demonstrate to clients that you take their communication seriously.

Step 6

Let your customers know that you appreciate their business. Send thank-you notes, or keep a client address list to send out cards at the holidays or birthdays. Doing so places a human face on your business and creates a family atmosphere for the company.

Infrastructure and client servicing

Infrastructure & Client Services

Infrastructure & Client Services is the new amalgamation of Infrastructure Services and Client Services. One component designs and manages the campus telephone and data networks and services; operates NetID, email, and other campus accounts; administers co-located servers and virtual storage space; and runs campus administrative production jobs. The other component are the customer-facing units of UITS which provide services to students, faculty, researchers, and staff, including computer labs, online learning, multimedia services, high-performance computing, the 24/7 IT Support Center, workshops and training, departmental workstation support, web development, IT assessments and service agreements, classroom technologies and more.

More detailed information:

Infrastructure & Client Services:

Infrastructure & Client Services supports the core building blocks for IT projects and services on the University of Arizona campus. Their function plays a critical role by enabling a service-centric IT delivery model. Infrastructure & Client Services is the central computing infrastructure for facilities and services which support numerous computing and network system for the institution. Student, faculty and staff rely on systems and resources from Infrastructure & Client Services to effectively connect, collaborate and create. This group enables applications, processes, operating models, enterprises and extended enterprises.

Some of Infrastructure & Client Services Offerings Include:

Data Center Services: provides stewardship of both academic and administrative data as well as tools for date presentation, visualization, analysis, and collaboration. Management of all platforms including Mainframe, Open System Servers, System Programmings, High-End Cluster Solutions, Production Scheduling and Control, Enterprise Backup and Storage, System Management, Global Management Center (GMC), SAP Basis Support, Web Hosting Services, Production Integration and Change Management.

Network Services: LAN/WAN Configuration/Support, Firewall Configuration/Support, Remote Access Services, Network Management and Operations Management

Desktop Services: Electronic Desktop Management, Collaborative Computing (Lotus Noters, Exchange, Backbone Messaging Services, Portal Support and Middleware) and Field Services

Other Services: Directory Services, Identity Management, and Productivity Applications like email and calendaring. Determines standards and Best Practices for Infrastructure Development within UITS. Promotes Compatible Standards and Best Practices across Campus IT Infrastructure Groups. Develops reusable components for use in Infrastructure Solutions, Project Management, Architecture and Design Engineering, Global Security Services and Asset Management

Functions of Infrastructure & Client Services:

Responsive: with technology, management systems and operations built and optimized to sense and respond to the unique needs of enterprise applications unlilke traditional approaches that retrofit legacy voices or computing infrastructures

Cost Effective: based on scale economies from operations and technology that can deliver secure slices of a massively scalable IT platform

Managed: with both visibility and control through web-basedportals

COMPANY PROFILE

Kairos Infraventure is a newly launched company in Lucknow. So, working towards building it a brand was a task in its own. We had to find out new and innovative ways to promote it and make it reach a level up to the customers satisfaction and reach its goal towards reaching the audience and fulfilling the needs and wants for them and, building an empire for themselves.

For the promotion of Kairos we used the local newspapers ,radio and distribution of the pamphlet’s and generate awareness among the public . The main idea for promotion was to provide something to the public that hasn’t been given to them before.

To carter the consumers and make their plans according to the needs and wants, so that they can provide them with want they want.

Infrastructure is the largest growing industry .with many companies coming up and making this industry rise and shine ,towards a future .

With the help of effective client servicing the company can gain many clients and increase their business by huge leaps and bounds. Along with good client servicing the campaign should be advertised to the maximum possible reach. because for every company the maximum amount of audience or public you reach the more chances of increasing clients .

Also.as the infrastructure company is growing a great amount ,Kairos has to provide something unique in its own plan to the proposed clients for them to invest in them.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter aims to understand the research methodology establishing a framework of evaluation and revaluation of primary and secondary research. The techniques and concepts used during primary research in order to arrive at findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical deduction towards the analysis and results

RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design applied here was exploratory research and descriptive research.

Exploratory Research is one in we don’t know about the problem, we have to find about the problem and then work on solving the problem. Whereas in case of descriptive research, we know the problem, we just have to find the solution to the problem. Generally descriptive research design is applied after exploratory research design.

Here after doing the secondary research, we found the general perception about the retail baking but then in second phase we tried to figure out where the difference lies and on what basis the banks differ from each other

RESEARCH TOOL

Research tool

The purpose is to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which remain unanswered , this shall be further taken up in the next stage of secondary research. This stage shall help to restrict and select only the important question and issue, which inhabit growth and segmentation in the industry.

DATA COLLECTION:

Both primary and secondary data have been collected very vigorously

Secondary data: it is collected by the study of various reports. The reports studied under secondary data.

THE RESEARCH REPORT

The report is the result of a survey which was undertaken in Lucknow city. The objectives of the project has been fulfilled by getting response from the customer associated to these segments through a personal interview in the form of a questionnaire. The responses available through the questionnaire are used to evaluate the requirements for the upcominf infrastructure Companies and the willingness of the customer to purchase its products on future.

The project also covers an analysis of the switch over of customers to

competitors products in the market.

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

The problem formulation is the first step to a successful Research process. Project undertaken the problem of analyzing the customer satisfaction level of the KAIROS and to find the Consumer wants and needs from the upcoming companies

THE RESEARCH DESIGN

The research design used in the project is exploratory design. The investigation is carried upon the customers in Lucknow city. The reason for choosing this design is to get responses from the customers so that their perception about the products of the company and their loyalty could be predicted.

THE DATA SOURCE

The data has been taken from two sources

• Primary data source

The primary data source has been collected through questionnaire by personally interviewing each respondent on a number of queries structured in a questionnaire.

• Secondary data source

Secondary data was collected from following sources

Prior research reports

Websites

Books

Newspaper

Personal consultation

THE AREA OF WORK

The field work is conducted in the Lucknow city

CONCLUSION

With the past experience of working in Kairos for about one and a half month. The experience and exposure which I gained from the institution has not only helped me to broaden my knowledge about advertising, public relations and client servicing but has also given me a hands on experience on how and what to be done and through what ways can the clients be managed, and also the various things which are required to be asuccessful person in this field.

The main factor that works in promoting any industry is how well is the company advertised and what is the reach of the company.how many people actually know about the company when the go in the market looking among the other companies.what is it the customer or client wants and what are they looking for. Do we have what our client wants? Are we providing our customers with something new and different or just following along the old guidelines.

All these factors are meant to be kept in mind well before starting anything, because at the end of the day your success and failure only depends on your customers.

REFERENCE

Hiebert, R.E., Ungurait, D.F., and Bohn, T.W. (1988).Mass Media: An Introduction to Modern Communication, NY, Longman.

Johnston, J. and Zawawi, C. (eds.) (2000), Public Relations: Theory and Practice, NSW, Allen& Unwin.

Kwansah-Aidoo, Kwamena (2001), GSC2410 Public Relations Theory and Processes, Victoria, Monash University.

Lasswell, H. (1948) cited in Littlejohn, S. (1989), Theories of Human Communication Belmont, Wadsworth.

Leedy, P.D. (1997), Practical Research: Planning and Design, (6th edn), NJ Prentice Hall.

Mackey, S. (2000), ‘Public Relations Theory’, in J. Johnston and C. Zawawi (eds), Public

Relations: Theory and Practice, Sydney, Allen & Unwin.