Updated: 19/03/25
In the dynamic realm of facilities management, delivering exceptional customer service is pivotal for sustained success, considering that poor service can actually cost you money. As we navigate 2025, it’s imperative to revisit and enhance strategies that not only meet but exceed client expectations. If you’re struggling with getting your customer service efforts up to par with what customers today have come to expect as the baseline, we have seven strategies for facilities management organisations specifically to update in order to successfully move forward.
Facilities professionals are often tied to different problem-solving tasks that change daily, making it easier for them to forget about their customers on a micro level. Understanding and valuing each customer’s unique needs and feelings is crucial.
As such, it’s important to remind whoever is interacting with your customers that they should remember to view each situation via that individual customer’s perspective as opposed to the service system as a whole. Doing so makes it possible for your staff to have a clearer viewpoint into the customer’s needs and how you can improve across the board in delivering your services to your customers.
Training customer-facing staff members to use empathetic listening and language such as, “We’re here to help you with your problems”, and “I know how you must be feeling” do wonders to solidify positive customer relationships.
If you use an automated response system or a chatbot to handle any of your customer support inquiries, be sure to humanise them as much as possible by assigning them names and friendly language, which can also enhance the customer experience.
While service addresses tasks, hospitality enriches the overall experience: the friendly and generous reception of guests, visitors, or strangers in a way that facilitates their needs and desires. Train your staff to engage warmly and proactively with clients, transforming routine interactions into memorable experiences. This shift from basic service to genuine hospitality can significantly boost customer satisfaction.
Remember that customers can receive service from automation, but they can only receive hospitality from other people. Take a look at different and more interactive ways that you could welcome new customers, onboard new employees, etc. in a way that’s more memorable than simply just handling a task.
Customer success should be a company-wide commitment. Equip your team to take ownership of client issues, guiding them to appropriate solutions even if it falls outside their direct responsibilities. This holistic approach ensures clients feel valued and supported at every touchpoint.
Integrating customer feedback directly into your CRM can further enhance this strategy. For instance, the Trustpilot integration for SugarCRM enables teams to manage and analyse reviews within the CRM, turning feedback into actionable insights that drive growth and strengthen relationships. You should not only be collecting customer feedback to know how you’re performing, but you should be actually putting that feedback to use in order to improve or double-down on what’s working well.
Every interaction, no matter how minor, shapes the customer’s perception of your brand. Strive to make each touchpoint positive and memorable, reinforcing your commitment to excellence. Utilising CRM systems that integrate customer experience (CX) data can provide deeper insights into client needs, allowing for more personalised and effective engagements.
This is the first step towards enabling your customer success team to deliver optimised client interactions throughout your sales cycles, as well as ensure your clients gain maximum benefit from their time with you.
Your marketing efforts should consistently reflect your core value proposition. Develop strategies that reinforce why clients should choose your services, ensuring that all communications and campaigns are aligned with this central message.
Your marketing model should outline strategies for interaction with all of your customers at every step in the chain, from staff to other departments to senior management. Your strategy should consistently reinforce your value proposition, which states why exactly customers should indeed do business with your organisation.
Your value proposition should define exactly what facility management does and what sort of value it adds. Stop and consider what value you can provide that is unique or different from your competition, and craft your value proposition around that.
Along with your value proposition, you should ensure that you’re striving to build a brand that people notice and can relate to.
Implementing advanced CRM systems can streamline communication, track interactions, and provide valuable insights into customer behaviour. This technology enables your team to anticipate client needs and respond proactively, fostering stronger relationships.
Think about implementing an internal newsletter, or a place to share departmental information. These are great ways to get everyone involved, and publicise what the facilities department focuses on and help people understand how you can support their daily jobs.
Regular training ensures your team is equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to serve clients effectively. Emphasise the importance of soft skills, product knowledge, and the use of technological tools to enhance service delivery.
Delivering exceptional customer service in facilities management is no longer a “nice-to-have” – it’s a necessity. With growing customer expectations and increasing competition, organisations that prioritise service excellence will gain a significant edge. By embracing a customer-centric mindset, prioritising hospitality, and ensuring every interaction is meaningful, facilities management professionals can build long-lasting relationships and boost overall client satisfaction.
Moreover, adopting a robust customer success strategy that incorporates actionable feedback and leverages CRM technology can transform service delivery. Ensuring that your customer experience data is properly integrated also helps provide deeper insights into your clients’ needs, allowing for more personalised and efficient interactions. With these modern tools at your disposal, it’s easier than ever to create an environment where your team is proactive rather than reactive, continuously improving your service approach.
By refining these seven strategies, your facilities management team will not only meet but exceed customer expectations, driving loyalty, retention, and long-term business success. Now is the time to reassess your approach and take your customer service to the next level – because in an industry where trust and efficiency are paramount, the organisations that truly put customers first will always come out on top.
For a deeper dive into how CRM can transform facilities management, check out our comprehensive Client Relationship Management for Facilities Management eBook. This resource breaks down the evolution of CRM in the industry, outlines the four key CRM models, and highlights the most effective strategies for streamlining operations, improving service quality, and aligning with business goals.
Download the full eBook now to discover how you can future-proof your facilities management operations and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape!
