Introducing our aggregates
Here at Q&R, we work with a range of communications agencies helping them measure and manage client satisfaction using our simple on line Pulse Check™ tool.
Over the past couple of years, we have built up a wide and varied, emotionally-driven smorgasbord of the things clients say when they are happy and the things client say when they are not.
We know what triggers unhappiness, resentment and discontent and the impact on the client/agency relationship.
We are now sharing our aggregate data; helping you to know what good looks like. We’ll also be sharing what clients are saying (anonymously of course!), what’s working well and what’s hurting them and consequently what shapes their views on whether to switch agency or not.
What does good look like?
Only 39% of clients say they are ‘really satisfied’ with their agency according to 2015 Q&R Pulse Check™ aggregate benchmark based on a sample size of 2000 + in-house clients.
So, what does it take to keep a client happy?
One answer may be in the creative approach used by agencies to meet the communications objective.
Only 24% of clients rate their agency’s creative skills as ‘excellent’ which means 76% of clients are not hitting the mark. One client, who just wanted to see ‘something creative’ come back from it’s monthly retainer and was ‘quite appalled’ that it hadn’t. Clearly, a red flag.
So, what to do?
Asking your clients for candid feedback on a regular basis is half the battle. However it is the action you take on the basis of the feedback that is critical and can bring accounts back from the brink if handled well. In this case:
7 steps to boost creativity:
- Conduct an honest appraisal on how the agency approaches creativity
- Dig deeper and try to understand what each client is really after
- Bring in external experts, to help inspire you and to think laterally
- Invest in training your team
- Share best practice across the agency including master classes of the good, the bad and the ugly using agency case studies
- Share cool stuff competitors are doing to encourage the whole team to have their antennae out and to be on the pulse
- Set yourself the goal of injecting fresh creative ideas to a client’s campaigns on a regular basis – surprise and delight!
For coverage in PR Week 11th March 2015:
vhttp://www.prweek.com/article/1337843/less-creative-less-likely-satisfy-clients-think-pr-agencies