A little summer reading
Welcome to The Happy Client!
Written by our Director, Anna Lake, this monthly newsletter shares insights, ideas and inspiration to help you build stronger client relationships and create move value for your business. If you're not already subscribed, click here to never miss an issue!
August feels like a good time to slow down a little, take a breath and perhaps catch up on some of the things that have been sitting on your reading list.
So, rather than a new topic this month, I’ve pulled together a few favourites from The Happy Client archive. Consider it a little summer reading list, whether you’re by the pool, in the garden, on holiday or simply enjoying a quieter moment with a cup of tea.
There are some old favourites in here, alongside a few more recent conversations, but the questions they raise about clients, relationships and experience are just as relevant today.
So, grab a drink, find a shady spot and enjoy…
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
I’ve been thinking what happens when things don’t go according to plan. Mistakes happen, clients get frustrated, and sometimes relationships become difficult. But what matters is how we respond.
In this edition, I explore why a genuine “I’m sorry” matters, why issues need to be dealt with decisively, and the difference between responding thoughtfully and reacting emotionally. I also look at psychological safety and why people need to feel able to admit mistakes before they become bigger problems, because great client relationships aren’t built on perfection. They’re built on honesty, accountability and the courage to do better.
The lost art of conversation: why email isn’t enough
So much of our professional communication now happens through screens. Email, Teams, instant messages - they’re quick and convenient, but are we losing something along the way?
In this edition, I delve into why conversation still matters, particularly in professional services where trust, nuance and understanding are at the heart of client relationships. A written message can share information, but a conversation gives us the opportunity to ask questions, pick up on tone, clarify assumptions and build rapport.
I also share some simple ways firms can bring more conversation back into everyday working life, from picking up the phone to creating more opportunities for informal dialogue and investing in conversational skills.
Why happy clients stay: Building loyalty in an age of automation
A big question at the moment seems to be ‘what keeps clients loyal?’, particularly as more of our interactions become automated. And the answer isn’t more technology. It’s the things technology can’t easily replicate: trust, reliability and consistency.
In this edition, I explore what these three pillars look like in practice, from delivering on promises and acting in clients’ best interests, to being a reliable sounding board between engagements and creating a consistent experience across teams.
It’s important to remember that clients don’t expect perfection. They want to know they can trust you, rely on you and know what to expect. And those things still matter, perhaps more than ever, in an increasingly automated world.
If you only listen to clients, you’re only hearing part of the story
We often talk about the importance of listening to clients, but I believe we need to widen the lens if we really want to understand the client experience.
In this edition, I look at why listening to the people who create that experience (from fee earners and support teams to IT, finance, referrers and other stakeholders) can reveal what client feedback alone can’t.
A client might tell you that responsiveness is poor, for example. But internal teams can help you understand why. Where are processes breaking down? Where are teams under pressure? And which issues are behavioural, rather than structural?
You don’t need a huge listening programme to start. Pick one moment in the client journey, look at it from different perspectives and see what the gaps reveal because sometimes the most valuable insight comes from the voices we don’t usually ask.
When assumptions meet reality: What clients really notice
One of the most interesting things about client listening is how often it challenges what we think we already know.
In this edition, I share the assumptions professional services firms make about what clients value, and what happens when we actually test those assumptions through meaningful conversations.
Clients often highlight things firms consider secondary, such as responsiveness, consistency and ease of working together. They also reveal friction points they’ve simply learned to work around, alongside opportunities that haven’t been uncovered because nobody thought to ask.
The value of listening isn’t simply reassurance that you’re doing a good job. It’s about challenging what feels certain, uncovering blind spots and finding opportunities to do things better. So, a question to ask yourself: What do we believe our clients value most, and when did we last test that belief?
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I hope you find something here that makes you stop, think or perhaps look at your own client experience a little differently.
I’ll be back in September with a brand new edition of The Happy Client but until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer!
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