Working in Account Management for a creative agency can sometimes feel like being the middleman (or woman) for absolutely everything. You need to know a little bit about a lot of things. Creativity, strategy, insights, media, printing, budgets, timelines… the list goes on. But amongst all the juggling, chasing and occasional firefighting, our most important job is simple: support our clients, deliver great work and make sure it all happens on time.

But what makes the difference between a good client experience and a memorable one?

A little hotel mishap that stuck with me

I remember being asked in a research workshop to share a customer experience that had stayed with me and made me want to use that brand again and again. My answer was a hotel chain.

Not because the pillows were particularly fluffy or the breakfast was life changing, but because I'd made a mistake. I'd managed to book my hotel for the night before I was actually due to arrive - well done me!

Seeing that I was tired and upset, the receptionist went above and beyond to find me a room. They didn't have to. It was my mistake, not theirs, and they were under no obligation to help me out. But they showed empathy, understood that we're all human and sometimes make mistakes, and did what they could to help.

I couldn't tell you what the room looked like or whether the WiFi was any good, but I can tell you exactly how that member of staff made me feel, and that’s why I’ll always remember the brand and why I’ll almost always choose them over their competitors.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because when it didn't, someone cared enough to make it better. Which got me thinking: how can we create those same memorable experiences for our clients?

So, what makes a memorable client experience?

There's no magic formula (unfortunately), but here are a few things I think make all the difference.

1. Getting to know the person behind the brief
   Yes, we need to understand our clients’ businesses, but we also need to understand the people we're working with. What makes them tick? What stresses them out? How do we get the best out of each other? Building genuine relationships makes everything that little bit easier - it leads to more honest conversations, which fosters more efficient decision making, better ideation, and sharper focus.
   
2. Anticipating their needs and remembering the little things
   We only see a small portion of our clients’ workloads. If we can think one step ahead, take something off their plate or solve a problem before it becomes a Friday afternoon emergency (nobody wants one of those), we're doing something right.
   More often than not, there’s a transactional element to customer/business interactions, but that doesn’t need to be the case every single time. Remembering an important meeting, checking in after a big presentation or simply picking up the phone to see how they're getting on - these are all small gestures in the grand scheme of things, but they go a long way to making someone feel valued.
   
3. Make the journey enjoyable
   We work in a creative industry, so why should the process feel like pulling teeth? Of course, there are deadlines, budgets and rounds of feedback that need to be navigated carefully and efficiently, but we can still have a laugh along the way. Clients should enjoy working with us, not just the work we deliver.
   
4. Make your clients look good
   We all like to look good at work, and making our clients look good is the quickest way for us to achieve that. Whether it's delivering brilliant creative, sharing useful insights or helping them hit their targets, our job is to help them succeed.
   
5. Knowledge is power
   We're not expected to know absolutely everything (although sometimes it feels like it), but understanding our clients’ industries, their challenges and the ever-changing world around us means we can bring more to the table than simply delivering what's in the brief.
   
6. Memorable doesn't always mean perfect
   Things go wrong: deadlines move and mistakes happen - we're only human. But it's how we deal with those moments that makes the lasting impression. My hotel experience wasn't memorable because everything went to plan, it was memorable because someone showed genuine care and empathy when I needed it.

So, what do we want our clients to remember?

At the end of the day, we all want to deliver brilliant work. But it’s the people, the relationships, the trust and those little moments that make clients’’ working day easier. So, I'll leave you with one question:

If your clients forgot the work you delivered tomorrow, what would they still remember about working with you?

Because good work might get you through the door, but a memorable experience is what makes people want to keep that door open.