The Client Experience Starts with Processes | My Episode on A Well Designed Business with LuAnn Nigara
I'm so excited and honored to share that I am LuAnn Nigara's Power Talk Friday guest on her Well Designed Business Podcast (the #1 podcast in the interior design industry).
Talk about a business and life goal come true.
If you're a designer, you know LuAnn is a thought leader in the industry (as well as a podcast host, author, speaker, and business owner). She and I had such a fun conversation about the ROI of a well-designed client experience and the impact it can have on your business when done right.
I'd love for you to listen here.
Here’s what LuAnn Nigara wrote about the episode, from her website:
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. The client experience is something we all think about. How do we elevate the experience for our clients so that they feel like we truly care about them without making ourselves crazy by bending over backward for each client? The answer just might lie in your processes. Today, I’m joined by Katie McFarlan of Dakota Design Company. Katie works with designers to build a strong client experience through streamlined processes, smooth operations, and clear expectations. She’s sharing with us how defined processes lead to a luxury client experience that helps you and your clients.
Pick it apart:
[2:19] Katie shares why she’s so passionate about the client experience and why it’s so important for designers.
[9:13] Katie explains how she helps clients uncover their processes—even if they haven’t formally defined them.
[16:24] LuAnn and Katie dive into what the client experience actually entails.
[25:49] Katie discusses how the backend of the business shapes the client experience.
[46:30] Katie talks about the common hangups she sees with her client’s processes.
LuAnn Nigara and Katie McFarlan’s Ah-ha Moments:
“Every time there’s a new delay or a new charge if you have already set the expectation of ‘Hey, this is what’s going to happen, I’m going to be there with you every step of the way,’ it allows the client to just enjoy it rather than be terrified the entire time. I think having the client experience nailed down is so key for businesses that have a long deliverable or lead time for delivering their final service.” -Katie McFarlan
“The ROI is not just that it benefits your clients, but also that it shows just how much your company is doing for them, and that speaks to the value and how you’re charging what you charge.” -Katie McFarlan
“You’re not necessarily imposing a process or a system on any one business. You’re taking the existing processes and systems (whether they are formalized or not), whatever individual process a firm might have, and you’re analyzing it and saying, ‘How do we announce, describe, explain, or give collateral information on that phase so that the customer feels informed and cared for.” -LuAnn Nigara
“I think the biggest takeaway that I have is that the client experience is everything you do, not just a thank you note. So often we throw the word “client experience” around when we’re talking about the subtleties and the niceness and the pretty that we bring to the relationships, but a really terrific client experience is one where the process feels organized and systemized, and the client understands their role in it and can know what’s coming next and see what it is that you’re doing on their behalf the whole time.” -LuAnn Nigara
Talk soon!
Katie
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