When dealing with client relations, it’s important to keep an eye on the big picture. It isn’t too big of a leap to assume that the general goal of a customer service department is to keep your clients happy — all of your clients. Unfortunately, developing a plan for successfully achieving and maintaining this goal might be easier said than done.

The reality of the situation is,  it’s too easy to fall back on the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” When you spend your days (as most CSR’s do) in the trenches assisting your more vocal clients, it’s easy to begin to think of silence as a form of positive feedback. It is sad but true that people rarely pick up the phone just to tell their service vendors that they’re doing a great job. It is understood that if a client is making the effort to call, they’re either unhappy, or otherwise in need of assistance. This, however, does not mean that you should fall into the trap of assuming that a quiet client is a happy client.

I’m not trying to negate the importance of being accessible to clients. It’s rule number one in customer service that a client should be able to reach you whenever they pick up the phone. What I am saying, is that perhaps this is an incomplete approach. When was the last time YOU picked up the phone to see how things are going? Best case scenario, things are great, and you just went the extra mile to show your client how much you care. Worst case, maybe you’ll have a chance to turn around an account that would have otherwise been lost.

I’ll be the first to admit that it can be challenging to pull yourself away from clients who naturally consume most of your time and attention. However, when you do take that moment to glimpse the bigger picture, I think you’ll find it’s very much worth the effort.