One of my bookkeepers rang me to let me know about a conversation she had with one of my clients. The client has been with me for about seven years and Janet has been assigned to her for about five. The client was concerned about the affordability of our service after she had received the rate rise letter. She also asked if Janet had a contract with BACS and was it possible for her to work directly for her instead of as a contractor for BACS.
Janet told her that not only did she have a contract with BACS she wouldn’t consider going behind my back and working for her directly because it just wasn’t the right thing to do. She then asked if she wasn’t happy with the service would she mind giving plenty of notice so Debbie would have time to get another client for her. The client back-tracked and didn’t hesitate to say that she was very happy with the service Janet provided, loved her work and didn’t want to lose her.
I love my team. Although this happened to Janet this time it’s happened to most of my team at some stage over the past 10 years I’ve been engaging bookkeepers. I would estimate that a client tries to poach one of my bookkeepers about once or twice a year (and every time the bookkeeper has knocked them back, and told me about it). Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that clients are trying to find ways to cut costs. Fair enough. It is good business practice to review your overheads regularly but this blog isn’t about the client. It’s about the loyalty of my team.
Loyalty comes when they trust you, have confidence in your leadership & feel that what they are doing is valued.
And it’s important that you lay the foundations of that the very first day they start by:
• Engaging them in your Vision, Mission and Core Values
• Being clear about your standards and expectations
• Telling them what they can expect from you
Once they start working for you:
• Have great systems which make their job easier
• Keep your word – make things happen that you’ve promised
• Be honest, not perfect – acknowledge your mistakes
• Communicate regularly - listen to their issues and their feedback
• Show by example – walk the talk
• Give them ownership of the client while always maintaining your relationship
• Celebrate together - recognise and reward their contribution to your Vision
• Support them when things get tough
This is what my bookkeepers say:
“What I love most about working for BACS is their deep commitment to providing us the training and support we need to be great bookkeepers. BACS are very dedicated to their clients encouraging us to build a relationship based on trust and honesty. I feel I am a valued and respected part of a totally supportive team. The Pure Bookkeeping System provides consistency in our approach to processing and is a great guide which I believe results in achieving our mission of “providing exceptional services to our clients to empower them around their finances.”
The basis of a profitable, black belt business is building a strong, loyal team of great bookkeepers.
Article by Debbie Roberts
