EXCEPTIONAL CLIENT SERVICE HANDBOOK
Useful resources
USEFUL RESOURCES
Setting your out of office
- While OOOs are often set last minute before heading off on holiday, they can be a key communication to prospects, clients, professional advisers, and colleagues. Therefore, it makes sense to treat an OOO much like you might treat a reply to an email to show you’ve anticipated being contacted and to offer some help.
- It can also be an opportunity to communicate in a genuine way, allowing a little insight into your life and personality – clients like to know they are dealing with real people not robobankers! Use your discretion to judge the right balance.
- You should also set fair expectations around your ability to be contacted.
- Remember you can also set different OOOs for internal and external audiences if you don’t feel like being too informal with everyone.
- Think carefully about who you put as contact whilst you're away and make sure they know they are on your OOO and can be prepared to be responsive.
Here are some examples of best practice:
Basic
Thank you for your email.
I am out of office, returning on DD/MM/YYYY.
If you require urgent assistance then please forward your email to [individual email / phone] or [team email]. Otherwise, I will respond as soon as I can. Please note, this email will not be auto forwarded.
Usual sign off
Holiday
Thank you for your email.
I am away on holiday in France with my wife and two young daughters until DD/MM/YYYY. I will be checking my emails twice a day and can be reached on my mobile (07777 888999). If urgent, however the rest of the team is in the office and would be delighted to help.
The team’s email address is: [team email]
Usual sign off
Extended leave
Thank you for your email.
I am now off on paternity leave, helping to juggle the demands of my three-year-old daughter with those of a newborn baby! I will not be checking email however I can be reached on my mobile (07777 888999) if urgent. The rest of the team are available and happy to help.
The team’s email address is: [team email]
Usual sign off
Study leave
Thank you for your email.
I am out of the office, studying for the second part of a professional qualification. I will be checking emails at the start and end of each day but won’t be able to answer my mobile between those times. The rest of the team are in the office and available to help.
The team’s email address is: XXXXX@rothschildandco.com
Usual sign off
USEFUL RESOURCES
Answering phone calls - script
It is important that we answer phone calls professionally and that clients know they have got through to Rothschild & Co.
“Good morning/good afternoon – Rothschild & Co – XXX speaking, how can I help you?”
If the phone has been ringing for an extended period or has been forwarded to you:
“Good morning/good afternoon – Rothschild & Co – XXXX speaking, sorry you’ve had to wait, how can I help you?”
USEFUL RESOURCES
Voicemail - script
When unavailable during the working day:
The voicemail message should be natural, speak as you would when talking to a client.
It should include:
- Your full name
- Your email address as an alternative point of contact
- Optional: leave another team member’s telephone number as an alternative
Example:
“Hello, you have reached the voicemail of [insert full name]. I am currently unable to answer your call, but please do leave a message or email me on xxxxx.xxxxxx@rothschildandco.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Alternatively, please contact [insert team member name] on [insert team member phone number] and [she/he/they] will be happy to assist.”
When on annual leave or out of the office:
Clients who leave a voicemail expect a timely response. When someone is off on annual leave, or out of the office, this can become a challenge in delivering exceptional client service. Client teams must put steps in place to make sure that a client’s voicemail is addressed within the working day, or the next working day if it’s left after 6pm.
Make sure that your clients know that the voicemail won't be listened to until your return and direct them to a colleague instead.
Example:
“I am currently on annual leave, so will be unable to access my voicemail until [insert date]. Please contact [insert team member name] on [insert team member phone number] and [she/he/they] will be happy to assist.”
USEFUL RESOURCES
Holding emails
When a client or prospect sends an email, we should always send a holding email on the same working day as it is received to acknowledge receipt and summarise next steps (if the answer is not immediately available).
Dear <xxx>, Thank you for your email. We will look into < issue/query client is asking about > for you and respond to you as soon as we can. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to ask. Best regards, <xxx>
“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear.”
- Socrates
USEFUL RESOURCES
Template for client welcome email
Dear XXXX, We’re delighted to officially welcome you as a client. Hopefully we can find a date for a lunch here at New Court soon to introduce you in person to the rest of the team. We understand that selecting an adviser is an important decision and we very much acknowledge the trust you have placed in us. Please do let us know if we can ever do anything to help and do not hesitate to call should you have any questions at all. To ensure you have easy access to all the details relevant to your accounts, please find attached the following documents:
- Remittance details for your accounts. We have password protected these documents with your date of birth in the format DDMMYYYY.
- Portfolio strategy. This is a copy of the Portfolio Strategy document, which you confirmed for each account, and it includes the agreed investment approach.
You will also receive an automated email from our online platform (“eAccess”) with instructions on how to set up your online account. As the email is automatically generated it may not be the most intuitive and therefore, I include a link to our website, which has some helpful videos describing the set-up process in more detail. As always please let us know if you have any questions at all. All the best Alex and Charlie
Your team at Rothschild & Co
Here to assist you with any queries or support you may need
eAccess
Finally, you will separately receive an automated email from our online platform ("eAccess") with the steps detailing how to set up your online account in case you want to be able to see it all online. We have also included a link to our website, which has some helpful videos describing the process. However, if you have any questions do reach out to the team.
