Development of client care initiatives in construction contracting organizations

Customer care begins from the moment they come into contact with the organization to beyond the point customers become part of it. Customer care programmes involve a complex series of relationships between customers, individual employees and the organization. They need to cover every aspect of the organizations operations in order to improve the quality of service to the customer. The concept of customer care has been widely used in manufacturing, service and public sector industries. Service organizations are particularly dependent on levels of customer care provided by their managers and staff. Organizations in construction have been slow to develop customer or client care programmes which may provide a number of important benefits. It may help to differentiate them from the competition in highly competitive markets, improve perceptions of their clients and their professional advisors, increase client satisfaction with the services provided, encourage loyalty, and create a reputation for being a caring and client-orientated organization. Internally, the construction company may benefit from improved staff morale, increased employee participation and foster internal customer/supplier relationships. By introducing a client care programme, a construction organization may bring about continuous improvements to the operations of the organization.