Accountants are fortunate for the position they fill in their clients business. The compliance (think annual accounts and tax returns) work rolls around with a seasonal regularity, and we have had Governments keen to keep the playing field an evolving one. However, the assistance that clients receive, especially the compliance work, is becoming increasingly commoditised with many smaller firms staking their place through price. Without getting in to the usual arguments around you get what you pay for, we should look closer at why clients are increasingly willing to move their “preferred advisor”. Value added services is a phrase Accountants roll out on a regular basis, but I believe that this is only part of what clients want. Clients want to be valued. They don’t want lip service or someone who is reactive to their needs. They want someone who cares so much about their business that the Accountant will contact them before things go sour. Increasingly in the service industry we want/need providers who anticipate our needs. We don’t want those nasty surprises popping up when we are paying someone to take care of things for us. This is not unique to accountants and indeed spreads across all services such as IT, Human Resources, Law and Operations Management. As service providers we need to constantly be challenging ourselves to deliver a better service, one that is personal, enthusiastic and inquisitive. We need to look to the future and ensure that the services we provide are outcome focused rather than just another delivered commodity. And we should expect our clients to be demanding this.
Cheers
Lincoln
Lincoln Sharp - Thinking Forward 