Providing high quality client service goes well beyond just answering the phone or responding to an e-mail. It needs to be a mix of ongoing communication, commitment to the client's needs and goals, and an investment of time and effort that goes beyond the norm. Here are some of the ingredients that need to part of the mix to ensure clients receive the level of service they deserve.

Listen to clients Quality client service starts with a team of people who understand how to listen to clients. This goes beyond just hearing their words but listening to what they are really saying and making the connection between what they want to do and ways we can help them achieve a goal, resolve a problem, and answer a question. A strong client services team, like the one we have here at LeapFrog, is able to do all of this and more. The focus of our job is to be a client's point of contact. By the very nature of our relationship with them, we must listen to them to satisfy our responsibility to them.

Make polite suggestions Really being able to listen and understand what a client needs enables us to go a step further and make suggestions for strategies and solutions. These suggestions are not driven by trying to make a sale but are truly useful recommendations that are in the client's best interests. We are invested in our client's success and thinking outside of the box and providing service that goes beyond the norm is one way we can help contribute to that success.

Be reliable - Take an extra effort Making an extra effort goes beyond providing suggestions and making sure a client's projects stay on track. It involves being proactive. We make sure we understand a client's industry, monitor its trends, and stay on top of what a client's competitors are up to online. We also stay in touch with our clients, whether it's as simple as a quick e-mail to check in or a weekly phone call to touch base so they won't feel neglected or forgotten. These efforts are not strictly business, either. We try to develop personal relationships with our client contacts. We want to be more than just a voice on the phone from their agency.

Have a total commitment All of these points add up to the overall goal of being an invested and committed partner for our clients. We work to make sure every client receives the same level of commitment, service, and dedication to their marketing cause. And this devotion extends throughout the team. Our account managers don't work in bubbles. They make up a true team and can step up and help any client if that client's primary account manager is unavailable. We also share ideas about ways we've helped one client that might also help another. It's a commitment to providing a level of quality client service that goes beyond what a client might have ever received before and making sure their ultimate satisfaction, both on a service and a marketing level, is guaranteed.

Reliability is a vital part of establishing a solid relationship with a client. Our client service team members serve as a brand's representative at LeapFrog. We help keep their projects moving, staying on top of their status and getting any questions that might arise answered as quickly as possible. We also make sure any deliverables are ready when promised to our clients. Client service team members essentially work at LeapFrog for our clients, serving as their voice in the halls of the agency and making sure their goals and interests are being satisfied.