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As organizations continue to modify budgets in response to the economic downturn, greater attention has been placed on “getting back to basics.” Sandlin explains how focusing on customer service and reinvigorating relationships both are part of taking time to refocus attention on the fundamental business elements and habits that may have been neglected during recent times of business hardship.

It seems like no matter where I go or with whom I have spoken, during the past 18 to 24 months everyone seems to be saying the same thing: “it’s time to get back to basics.” In fact, this has been a recurring theme that has resonated at mobility conferences and events throughout the country, as well as being written about in various newspapers, magazines, and blog posts. Almost by default, as companies were forced to slash budgets and jobs to combat the challenges imposed by the economic downturn, greater importance has been given to the idea of getting back to basics.

What does “back to basics” mean? Have we not been focusing on the fundamental elements of our business? Did we lose sight of our core values? How did this happen? What important lessons have we learned? And, more important, can we rest assured that we have regained our focus?

In the broadest sense, “back to basics” means taking the time to refocus our attention on the more fundamental business elements and habits that may have been neglected during recent times. When times are good, it often is easy to say that we are too busy to focus on rudimentary details but, when times are tough, it is essential to evaluate those things that made us successful and begin implementing those strategies once again. As such, the idea of getting back to basics even may need to be incorporated into our goal-setting and/or strategic planning activities.

In strategic planning, a company or organization looks at where it is now, where it has been, where it wants to go, and determines the strategies necessary for getting there. Simply put, it develops the road map of necessary strategies or actions for achieving a pre-determined goal. Is this not what we are doing now as an industry?

Reinforcing Relationships

The most obvious example of this concept can be seen within our very own Worldwide ERC® organization. I was intrigued this past May when I first heard Peggy Smith, SCRP, SGMS, CEO of Worldwide ERC®, speak at the Relocation Directors Council (RDC) Spring Event and at the Worldwide ERC® National Relocation Conference about how she was embarking on a “listening tour.”

Smith’s plan was to spend the first 120 days in her new role as CEO listening to what Worldwide ERC® members had to say. She said that she wanted to stay connected and to keep her finger on the pulse of what is important to the members, and stressed that she really wanted to hear from us and listen to our ideas. She is looking to take it back to the basics, if you will, by talking with members to better understand the issues that are important to them, and what value membership in Worldwide ERC® brings to them professionally.

I was fortunate to take part in Smith’s listening tour, first by telephone and then in person. During our initial hour-long telephone conversation, Smith explained the idea behind her tour. She said that Worldwide ERC® is ready to embrace challenges and examine new approaches. She said that she thinks the listening tour is important as an input valve to help determine what the strategic plan for the next three to five years might look like.

She also said that based on the member input she gathers, she should begin to see key themes develop that she can return to the Worldwide ERC® board of directors during the upcoming Global Workforce Symposium in Seattle, Washington.

Everything she said during the course of our conversation really resonated with me, both as a member of Worldwide ERC® and as the person responsible for the global relocation services of my company. Her lis­tening tour exemplifies how organizations find their way back to center by first focusing on fundamentals.

I have seen this same basic principle put into practice by mobility service providers, both within the relocation management companies (RMCs) and within the real estate companies that partner with them.

For mobility service providers, getting back to basics means a realignment of their organization’s goals to more closely reflect those of their customers and clients. This, too, is much like a listening tour. It is about listening to clients’ needs, and rising to the occasion to solidify business relationships in the best way possible. It is about evaluating the ways in which companies can best partner with their clients to achieve that all-important level of synergy.

There seems to be a shared sentiment among mobility service providers that they must put even more time and energy into their existing relationships. This has to happen on the client level as well as on the partner level. Thus, it is more important than ever before that our clients and our service partners know what sets us apart.

The Value-added Proposition

The idea of a value-added proposition has increased importance in the relationship between mobility service providers and their clients. For example, in my role as director of global relocation services for John Daugh­erty, Realtors, Houston, Texas, I partner with RMCs on a regular basis to provide homefinding and home marketing services. Okay, that is great, but what is the value-added proposition that I am able to provide to the RMCs that my competitors cannot? Without giving away any trade secrets, this has to do largely with the fact that I am constantly asking questions, intently listening to the responses, then jumping into action. We live in a very competitive environment where consistent follow-up, follow-through, and communication can be key differentiators.

According to Jo Ann Royer, CRP, GMS, director of relocation and business development at Williams Trew Real Estate Services, Fort Worth, Texas, “The idea of going back to basics reflects what many of the relocation management companies are doing and are asking us to do by providing continuing education opportunities and relocation training for their teams.” She says, “Everyone is trying to utilize some of the quieter moments or slower times to try and regroup a little bit and take stock in what is important to our clients, and what is necessary for us to remain successful as relocation service providers.”

Royer is right on point. I also have seen a growing trend among RMCs for seeking additional continuing education and training opportunities for their team. They also are coming to expect that of their service partners. As it continues to be more expensive to send employees to mobility conferences and travel budgets grow tighter, it becomes increasingly important to be able to bring education and training opportunities into their offices. And for those team members who have their CRP® designation, training classes that have been approved for CRP® recertification hours are king.

Ryan Agee, CRP, director of supplier partnerships at Altair Global Relocation in Plano, Texas, says that, “Altair encourages our service partners to bring educational opportunities to the table. At Altair, continuing education for the front line personnel is paramount. We strive to expand the industry knowledge base of all client-facing employees. For instance, while we certainly don’t expect our relocation consultants to double as loan consultants, they should be and are kept abreast of fluid changes within the mortgage industry. They know and understand the impact of changes such as HVCC legislation and RESPA guideline modification on the relocation industry… on our clients… on our transferees. The same can be said of the evolution of other service sectors.”

The Art of Customer Service

Perhaps the most basic of all back-to-basic principles surrounds the sometimes lost art of customer service. This is no time to turn our back on customer service. Instead, it is time to focus on custom service.

Agee added, “Our clients are asking us to focus on customer service. Cost-saving policy changes, for some clients, have resulted in narrower scopes of benefits for relocating employees. If Altair can enhance the overall relocation experience by delivering outstanding customer service, it is our responsibility and pleasure to do so.”

Agee says that Altair’s CEO and co-founder, Gail Plummer, SCRP, coaches their relocation consultants, stating, “When you hear a phone ringing, lend a hand, pick it up. It’s customer service 101. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your phone or your transferee for you to answer a burning question, to ease a concern, or to make a positive difference in the course of a relocation, especially in this challenging economic climate. Altair expects the same of our service partners.”

The business climate we live in is far too competitive to have the words “customer service” be viewed as an oxymoron. Our clients expect much more from us than ever before and, if we are not willing or able to deliver exceptional customer service every time, then we are putting our client relationships at risk. More personalized attention is necessary, so do not make the mistake of hiding behind your computer and shooting off an e-mail when a phone call or personal note might be more appropriate and have the potential to deepen the relationship.

Ginny Logan, CRP, GMS, senior vice president of Briggs Freeman Corporate, Dallas, Texas, agrees that back to basics seems to be the trend. She says that, “From 2005 to the first quarter of 2008, the market was so hot and everyone was so busy that there wasn’t time to focus on the basics. Due to the downturn, it is time to refocus on what we are doing and how to do it better.”

And I think that is exactly what we are all trying to do within the mobility industry and beyond. Our clients and customers always appreciate that we are not taking their business for granted and that we are always seeking ways in which to improve our service delivery, but it has to start with the basics. We have to make sound improvements at the ground level to build a strong foundation in which business relationships can flourish. We must always remember the little things, the basic things from which everything else will follow.

Borrowing from the theme of the Spring RDC Conference of, “Rebound, Rebuild, Reposition,” the economic recession certainly brought with it an opportunity for all of us to rethink, reflect, and get back to basics as a necessary step toward recovery. We were forced to look at what we were doing, review how it was that we got there, and put important measures in place to hopefully prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past.

As mobility professionals, during a time when international and domestic mobility numbers were down, we were faced with the challenge of remaining valuable to our clients, and many of us had to do so with smaller budgets and reduced personnel. We had to use our time and resources in new, creative, and productive ways. So what did we do with the extra time? For many mobility service providers, the slower times allowed us to evaluate, reevaluate, and yes… get back to basics.

Michelle Sandlin, CRP, is director of global relocation services for John Daugherty, Realtors, Houston, Texas, and a member of the MOBILITY Editorial Advisory Committee. She can be reached at +1 713 561 7500 or e-mail michelles@johndaugherty.com.