Post Project Reviews with Clients Will Enhance Your Practice.
Practice makes perfect. Whether it’s playing a musical instrument, learning to drive a car or improving your architecture/design practice, consistent effort with immediate feedback helps you get better…here’s how.
So, the builder has just handed over your most recent project and the client’s moving in.
In your practice, do you:
- Move onto the next job, hoping the most recent client was happy?
- Book in a client meeting for you to co-review how it went?
Most experienced architects and designers will build a post project review into their project process because it delivers a rich source of information from a very select group – their clients.
It’s highly valuable feedback because it helps you identify opportunities to improve your process for future projects.
Client feedback in these meetings tells you what you’re doing well, how well you’re managing client expectations, likelihood of referral, satisfaction with the builder, budget expectation management, where to improve the client experience and so much more.
However, while we all love positive comments from clients, it can be tough to receive more critical feedback.
The key is to consider how you can stop the same issues occurring in the future by updating your approach (systems & processes).
That is, when clients make a comment, focus on the systemic improvement you can make in your practice that will stop that from happening in the future. For example:
Client Feedback: “We requested some changes throughout the project that extended the timeline more than we’d like”
Your Systemic Response: Create an info pack for all clients that explains (amoungst other things) that changes during build will be time consuming and expensive.
Give this pack to them well before build.
Client Feedback: “The builder was good but we didn’t feel we had a full view of project progress”
Your Systemic Response: Implement project management software that allows greater transparency OR engage only builders who use this type of system so clients are automatically kept up to speed online
Client Feedback: “The cost was greater than our original expectations”
Your Systemic Response: Manage client budget expectations by implementing ProCalc – free trial
Client Feedback: “Town Planning took way too long. We feel you should have pushed it through faster”
Your Systemic Response: Include likely town planning timeframes and processes in your client info pack
This approach means you’re constantly improving your work practices to make your practice easier to manage, more professional, more profitable and more referrable – with a better reputation.
Download a Post Project Review Meeting Template
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