In the second part of our Back To School series, in which we seek valuable insights from our senior leadership team on the things they’ve learned over the years, we shift our focus to customer satisfaction.
Genasys’s MD of Group Professional Services, Eugene Wessels, knows a thing or two about customer satisfaction and how to manage expectations, whilst delivering exceptional service. In this short article he offers his thoughts on how to ensure your customers are handled with the dedication and focus that they deserve.
Client Engagement: What key lessons have you learned about managing client relationships in your role, especially when delivering complex professional services to the insurance industry?
One of the most valuable lessons about managing client relationships is the importance of understanding each client’s unique strategy and vision. Delivering complex professional services in the insurance industry requires more than just technical expertise, it demands a genuine partnership approach. A critical aspect of this partnership is face-to-face client contact. Engaging with clients in person allows us to build stronger, more personal relationships, which are foundational to understanding their true business needs and aspirations. These interactions provide invaluable insights that often go beyond what can be captured in emails or virtual meetings.
By aligning our services with the client’s long-term goals and values, we build trust and foster deeper connections. This understanding enables us to anticipate client needs and offer solutions that not only solve immediate challenges but also contribute to their broader business objectives. Additionally, clear and consistent communication is key. Regular face-to-face meetings ensure that clients feel heard and involved throughout the project lifecycle, which helps to manage expectations and maintain alignment. This approach ultimately leads to successful outcomes and sustained partnerships, as it reinforces our role as a committed and responsive business partner.
Delivery: How do you approach support delivery to ensure that Genasys’ professional services are delivered on time and within budget, and what challenges have you overcome in this area?
When it comes to support delivery, the approach is around meticulous planning, strict adherence to processes, and proactive risk management. Ensuring that Genasys’ professional services are delivered on time and within budget requires a blend of strategic planning and flexibility. A key component of our strategy is the use of data analytics to track our sprints and gain insights into the planning and sizing of work. By analyzing this data, we can make informed decisions about resource allocation, identify potential bottlenecks early, and adjust our plans to ensure that projects remain on track.
Understanding each client’s operational environment and business pressures allows us to tailor our support plans to fit their unique context. However, it’s not uncommon for clients to lack full visibility into their own business processes or to underestimate the complexities involved. This can lead to misaligned expectations or unanticipated challenges during the project lifecycle. To address this, we take a consultative approach, working closely with clients to help them better understand their own operations and the potential impact of the changes we’re implementing.
The insights derived from our data analytics enable us to align our efforts with the client’s needs, ensuring that our work meets their expectations. A significant challenge is managing scope creep, which often arises in support delivery. Additionally, change management within the client’s organization is a critical factor to consider. Effective change management ensures that the solutions we deliver are successfully adopted and integrated into the client’s operations. By maintaining close communication with clients, providing guidance on change management, and regularly revisiting objectives, we can adapt to changes.
Customisation vs Standardisation: In your experience, how do you balance the need for customised solutions with the efficiencies of standardisation when delivering professional services?
Balancing customisation with standardisation is an aspect of delivering professional services. On one hand, clients value bespoke solutions that cater to their specific needs, while on the other, standardised processes offer efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The key lies in understanding the client’s strategic priorities and alignment of our approach.
For clients with unique or complex requirements, we focus on customisation, ensuring that our solutions directly support their business goals. However, customisation doesn’t end with the initial implementation, it also requires ongoing maintenance and upgrades to keep the software aligned with the client’s evolving needs and industry standards. This continuous support is crucial for ensuring that bespoke solutions remain effective and relevant over time. By staying engaged with clients post-deployment, we can anticipate future needs and proactively implement updates that enhance functionality, security, and performance.
At the same time, we advocate for standardisation where it can provide value, and can simplify maintenance and upgrades, as it allows us to apply consistent improvements across multiple clients, reducing costs and ensuring a high level of service quality. This approach, customising where necessary and standardising where beneficial enables us to deliver high-quality services that are both innovative and efficient. It also reinforces our role as a trusted business partner who is committed to supporting the client’s long-term success, both through tailored solutions and reliable ongoing support.
Building Expertise: What have you learned about building and maintaining a team of experts capable of delivering high-quality services and customer satisfaction in a specialised industry like insurance?
In a specialised industry like insurance, building and maintaining a team of experts is critical to delivering high-quality services. We have learned that expertise goes beyond technical skills, it includes industry knowledge, client understanding and the ability to innovate. However, a key element that we prioritize is cultivating a team with a can-do attitude. This mindset drives proactive problem-solving and a commitment to exceeding client expectations. This attitude is essential for engaging effectively with clients, as it fosters confidence and trust, ensuring that our team is seen not just as service providers, but as reliable partners in the client’s success.
We invest heavily in continuous learning and development, ensuring our team stays ahead of industry trends and regulatory changes. This ongoing education is complemented by a strong emphasis on client engagement skills. We encourage our staff to build meaningful relationships with clients, understanding their unique challenges and collaborating closely to develop tailored solutions. This direct engagement allows our team to apply their technical expertise in a way that is both relevant and impactful for the client.
Moreover, fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team has been pivotal. This not only enhances individual expertise but also ensures that we can collectively deliver comprehensive solutions that address our clients’ evolving needs. By aligning our team’s growth with the strategic needs of our clients, and by equipping them with both the technical know-how and the right attitude, we strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional service and deepen our business partnerships. This approach ensures that our clients see us as an extension of their own team, committed to their long-term success.
Service Innovation: How do you innovate within the professional services space at Genasys, and what role does client feedback play in shaping the services you offer?
Innovation within the Professional Services space at Genasys is deeply rooted in our client-centric approach, and this starts with the Operations Manager, Account Mangers and Senior architect. This team is focused on understanding each client’s business, their specific requirements, and how our software can support their broader strategy and vision. They take the time to dive into the intricacies of our clients’ operations and this understanding allows them to tailor our solutions in a way that aligns with the client’s objectives, ensuring that our services deliver maximum value.
Client feedback is pivotal in shaping our innovation strategy. By maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue with our clients, we gain critical insights into their evolving challenges and aspirations. These insights drive our continuous efforts to refine and enhance our service offerings, whether through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, process improvements, or the development of new service models that better align with emerging client needs.
This focus on understanding the client’s business ensures that innovation at Genasys is not just about keeping pace with industry trends but about co-creating value with our clients. We aim to position ourselves as a forward-thinking partner who is genuinely invested in our clients’ success, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed their expectations.
Thank you for joining us for this insightful conversation and be sure to tay tuned for more expert perspectives in our Back to School series, where we continue to explore the strategies shaping the future of our industry.
