More often than not, our customers tend to be home or commercial property owners, developers and investors who are looking for an architectural practice like ours to build, extend or remodel their asset. What they look for is rigorous education and training, responsibility, an intimate knowledge of clients living and working habits, and knowledge of design and structures throughout time. Residential clients need to find an architectural firm whose values match theirs, but who also may challenge some of their assumptions whilst also forming an intimate working relationship. Commercial clients need to select a practice with whom they feel they can form a good working relationship, this is based upon the fact that these types of projects usually hold much more complexity.
At Building Tectonics, we are trained and experienced in the design of buildings, analysis of project requirements, creation and development of the project design, preparation of drawings and specifications and if required coordination and supervision of all aspects of the construction of both residential and commercial buildings.
We understand how important it is to build a base of customers who will return to our business. However, despite providing our customers with a good design, they won’t need to start work on their property for some time unless they move and buy a new property to work on. Developers, investors or customers who own several properties often come back to us because they liked what they saw the first time around, and they look for an experience which is consistent.
Interaction with clients can cement relationships, which in turn brings customers back to our business. At Building Tectonics, we understand the importance of creating positive contact with customers. We know our customers well, and we keep track of vital customer data and the communication we have had with them so that we are tuned into their histories, this helps us to know what our customers value or need from our business.
It is key to connect with customers and find ways for them to communicate with their circle of contacts about our company, that is a good form of publicity for us as it shows trust in the service which they received. A repeat customer is someone we get to know, so it is important to nurture that customer by keeping our relationship as personal as possible. Sending them a short “thank you for using us” note and asking them for feedback can go a long way.
Despite getting recommendations, we also take into account the expense of advertising via leaflet delivery, keeping our website up-to-date, staying in touch with customers through blogs which offer expert information and using social media. These are necessary tools to encourage repeat business and lure new customers. Also, getting new customers' attention can often be a matter of timing, some customers have kept our leaflet on their fridge and will contact us when they are ready to make a change to their property. This means that we constantly need to be on the hunt to find new customers, connecting with them on a personal level is one of our best competitive advantages.
Written by Emmanuelle Clement – Building Tectonics Ltd.