Straight talk GLOBAL CONFERENCE Erszébeth Baerveldt - NOAH- TROJE 2001 - Bronze, brass (Rabobank art collection) Thinking ahout business from the client's perspective is as vital as teamwork for continued success. Hence cliënt involvement was a distinctive feature of both GFM events. At the first event, participants were shown a confronting taped interview with two major clients: KPN N.V. and Alliance Leicester plc. At the second event, these clients were joined hy three more key clients, Delta I.loyd, Robeco and Global Liability Management, to continue more in-depth discussions of Rabobank's strengths and weaknesses. These took place in small groups in the 'cliënt zones'. It was an ideal opportunity to hear 'from the horse's mouth' exactly what clients think of us and what they expect. Here's an extract from some of the discussions: Q: Why do clients do business with Rabobank? What are our strengths? Client: We do business with Rabobank because you have a competitive offer. Also, you show commitment and support for us, so we continue to do business with you in the areas where you are capable. We like working with relationship managers over a sustained period because it creates stability. The cliënt coverage we get from the sales team is open and you listen, and show a willingness to structure products to meet our needs, albeit you may not be able to deliver within the time frames we want. Also Rabobank's focused knowledge provides a competitive advantage and that's a definite strength. Your intellectual expertise is another strength. Q: How does Rabobank compare to its competitors? Client: Some perform better, particularly on the after-sales service aspect. Also, your competitors often have quicker response times. A quick response is not only important for our decision- making but gives us more confidence in your abilities. By not responding you are creating a negative image. Perhaps you don't have the exposure anymore, or you don't have the information. Either way, it's not good news. We won't recommend you to others and we'll be less inclined to do secondary business. Every shopkeeper knows that a customer who has a bad experience will share it with at least three other customers, while good experiences rarely get discussed. And people will pay more for good service. Q: Besides our slow response times and lack of after-sales service, what else do you perceive as our weaknesses? Client: If there is a sales pitch, there is only one opportunity to convince a cliënt that Rabobank 18 Rl The Word I

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blad 'RI The Word / The Word' (EN) | 2003 | | pagina 18