When was the last time you asked your clients about your firm’s performance?  If you rely on your service to be a key differentiator among a sea of service providers this question needs to be asked often.

Many service based businesses operate with the philosophy that if a client hasn’t complained all is well.  Then one day the client stops returning calls and emails. Next you learn they’ve contracted with a new service provider. They were mildly unhappy but never said anything until the day they walked.  Perhaps if you had cared enough to ask…they would have told you why they were unhappy.

I suggest an annual client debriefing, where you ask for candid feedback about how your services are received.  This is a good way to use some of the free time you find yourself with due to the recession.  It’s a tool to keep clients by showing you care enough to ask and it may present an opportunity to up sell.

Here are five questions you might consider asking:

1. What is working and what isn’t working about our services?
2. What could we be doing to improve our services to you?
3. What is an unexpected benefit of working with our firm?
4. If we changed just one aspect of our service, what should it be?
5. Would you recommend our firm?

If the last question is not a resounding yes, you have work to do. If you’re concerned clients won’t respond use an on-line survey tool.

I will be debriefing with my long-term clients over the next few weeks.  I’ll let you know if I learn anything interesting.

This is the first in our series Thriving in Turbulent Times.

One bright spot on the gloomy economic horizon may be the availability of interns for the summer.  You need to act now though to secure an intern.  See Kelly Spoors’ Wall Street Journal post on summer interns.  Make sure to read all the related links for tips on managing the experience for all involved.