Leigh Burnett, Head of Client Experience (Australia and New Zealand), AECOM
In this interview with Leigh Burnett, Head of Client Experience (Australia and New Zealand) at AECOM, we explore the driving force behind the company's robust focus on customer experience (CX). AECOM, an international engineering, design and advisory firm that is navigating a highly competitive and mature market, recognizes that differentiation through exceptional and memorable client experiences is not just a preference but a necessity. This approach is underpinned by the understanding that a superior client experience fosters loyalty, thereby fueling growth through repeat business and referrals.
We dive into AECOM's strategies to stay ahead, emphasizing a continuous evolution in response to the ever-changing client needs and market demands. Key elements of their client experience program include gathering client feedback, a robust client account program, and extensive development opportunities for client-facing leaders. Moreover, AECOM is keenly exploring ways to synergize their CX with employee experience (EX) programs and harnessing AI and technology to gain deeper insights into client needs and drivers.
This interview sheds light on the personal motivations that drive Leigh as the Head of Client Experience. For her, the feeling of making a real difference becomes palpable when initiatives lead to tangible value for clients, evidenced by their alignment with the company's service standards and constructive feedback that leads to meaningful operational changes.
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However, the journey is not without its challenges. The company is striving to distinctly set its client experience apart in a mature market where client expectations are not only high but also constantly evolving. Internally, ensuring that the workforce is aligned, engaged, and accountable for the client experience poses its own set of challenges.
Leigh discusses AECOM's proactive approach to client feedback, particularly concerning detractors. The introduction of a structured close-the-loop process exemplifies their commitment to not only addressing concerns promptly but also demonstrating genuine care and engagement with client issues. Furthermore, anecdotes from their Client Elevation Workshops illustrate the value of empowering employees to create personal and memorable client interactions, thereby enriching the client relationship beyond mere transactions.
Here is the interview with Leigh Burnett, Head of Client Experience (Australia and New Zealand) at AECOM.
Driving Growth through Exceptional Client Experiences in a Competitive Market
The needs of our clients drive our client experience focus; they expect an exceptional experience each and every time they work with us. We operate in a highly competitive and mature market, so to meet their current needs and expectations as well as their future requirements, we need to differentiate ourselves through the unique and memorable experiences we create. Of course, it also makes financial sense – exceptional client experience boosts client loyalty, which fuels growth through repeat business and referrals. We have a strong client experience foundation, but our client's needs and the market continue to evolve, so we can't stand still. While maintaining an unrelenting focus on the core elements of our client experience program, such as client feedback, client account program and development opportunities for our client-facing leaders, we are also determining how we can build a stronger connection between our CX and EX programs and how AI and technology will help us better understand our client's needs and drivers.
“Of course, it also makes financial sense – exceptional client experience boosts client loyalty, which fuels growth through repeat business and referrals.”
Transforming Client Relations: The Reward of Impactful Service and Feedback
I think the biggest motivation in this role is when you see a program or initiative that we've rolled out provide real value to our clients, for example, when we hear our clients echoing the words or phrases from our client service standard – and not because we've done any sort of marketing campaign but because it's what they are seeing, hearing and feeling when they work with us and it reinforces that yes, our client service standard is making a difference and adding value to the client experience. Similarly, when we receive challenging feedback through our client feedback program and we can get to the root cause of the problem and turn that relationship around or, in some cases, identify a broader issue that requires a bigger operational change to the way we work with our clients or that individual client – if we didn't get that feedback, we'd never know what we needed to improve.
Standing Out in a Mature Market and Internal Challenges to Redefine Client Experience
For us, there are two key challenges. Firstly, we need to be able to truly differentiate our client experience in a mature market – cutting through the sea of sameness! Client expectations of what great service looks like are changing, and they aren't just comparing us to other professional service providers but across all industries. Our competitors are also investing and building their client experience capability. Secondly, an internal challenge is cutting through the noise within the business and ensuring our people feel supported, engaged and accountable for the client experience. Ultimately, we need to tackle both by being robust about what we focus on and by asking ourselves two questions: Will it delight our clients? and Is it going to inspire and guide our people? It will be essential to lean on the human element of client experience, building trust and connection beyond the transactional relationship.
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Setting Industry Benchmarks in Customer Care: From Structured Feedback to Personal Touches
We have formal practices in place to ensure we are putting our best foot forward with our clients. For example, within our close-the-loop process for client feedback, we wanted to tighten up the follow-up for any detractor feedback, so we introduced a new timeframe for our follow-up owners to work within – within two days of the feedback the follow-up owner is required to make initial contact with the client, this could be a call or email to acknowledge the feedback and set-up a time for a more detailed discussion. We then have 30 days to develop an action plan to address the concerns and share the approach and outcomes with the client. Sometimes, the issues are complex and involve multiple stakeholders, so they may take longer to resolve completely, but it's important to demonstrate to our clients that we care and take their feedback seriously. However, it's often the little unplanned moments that stand out. We have been rolling out Client Elevation Workshops for many of our client teams. In one of these, a team member shared a client moment that demonstrated the importance of empowering individuals to rise above the routine. In this scenario, the client and our team had a site visit scheduled; however, the client had hip surgery and could not drive. When our team member heard this, he jumped on the phone and offered to pick the client up. It was a small gesture, but it demonstrated great care for the client. It also allowed them to have a great conversation in the car, further strengthening the relationship.
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