They say the first 25 years are the hardest! Unbelievably, that’s how long we’ve been serving our clients at First Financial. And although much has changed over the years, the core values of passion, quality, trust and respect that our business was established on, are still the cornerstone of what we do today.
To celebrate everything that we’ve learnt and achieved over the years, we’ve put together a series of short blogs called 25 years of passion, quality and service. They demonstrate how we’ve built our business, delighted our clients and forged relationships that have gone on year, after year, after year.
In this, the first in the series, we’re looking at why if you want to build a business that’s built to last, your mantra should be ‘service, service, service’.
Make a difference
Always give the type of service you’d expect if you were at the receiving end. Our clients are often about to make one of the biggest financial commitments of their life, so naturally, that goes hand-in-hand with a degree of stress and nervousness. We never let ourselves forget that – so go out of our way to provide an easy, seamless journey. Every time.
A quality service at every step
The thing is, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So from the moment you pick up the phone, answer an email or welcome someone through the door, the service has to be spot on and top quality. Quality is one of our core values and really does run through everything we do as a business.
Don’t wait to be asked
Excellent service has to be proactive and driven by regular communication. We feel that keeping our clients up to date with their mortgage process or answering their questions quickly and clearly is the least we can do. If a client has to chase us to find out what’s going on, then we really feel like we’ve let them down. And that’s not how we work.
Play the long game
Good service is rarely about a quick fix – more about forging a long term relationship where you can really get to know your clients and what’s important to them. We’re in an unusual situation where everyone we speak to is likely to need one of our services at some point in their life, whether that’s a mortgage or insurance. So we let them know we’re here. And when they do need our help, they know where to come.
In it together
At every stage, clients need to feel that you’re being open and honest. So be realistic with your timescales. It’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver – and leave your clients delighted, not disappointed. And all the time, let them know that you’re by their side, ready to make their journey as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Want to know more?
At First Financial, we’ve helped generations of families and businesses find their way through all kinds of mortgages, property finance, life and critical illness cover. If it can be done, we’ll find a way, so get in touch.
