Most businesses seek to nurture their relationships with clients, but successful businesses enchant their customers. They go above and beyond by creating a magical experience that earns repeat business and referrals. The magic flows when a company creates a good product and provides great service, supporting the client as their business grows. A dynamic company like Broughton Software seeks to meet their clients’ expectations through responsiveness, empathy, anticipation of needs, and honesty. Other practices include accountability, insight, and consistency.

Responsiveness

Clients expect a responsive business, one that answers their queries quickly and efficiently in a way that they understand. Waiting for replies or being talked down to is unfortunately all too common in business, and especially in the software business. Clients often have stumbling blocks that prevent them from moving forward in their work. These blocks, if left unrepaired, can be frustrating and turn the user off, leading to a decline or stoppage in using the software. A responsive business answers quickly and solves the problem at hand.

Empathy

Empathy goes a long way. Seeing and feeling the client’s position validates their viewpoint. Without validation, people cannot move forward into solving problems. A successful business seeks to understand a client’s business environment, culture, language, and goals. It operates at a personal level as well, supporting the user with pro-social efforts. Broughton personnel form bonds with the people using their software.

Anticipating Needs

A customer-focused business anticipates needs. It stays in touch with its customer via regular emails and phone calls to see how they are doing and to play detective and discover unmet needs. Regularly scheduled meeting are another way to anticipate needs. When Broughton offers progress reports at these meetings, it also listens for feedback on software features and service offerings that may serve the client in the present or future, thereby anticipating the customer’s needs.

Open and Honest

Being open and honest shows integrity. While no one likes delivering bad news, sometimes bad news is the better news because it brings the problem into the open so it can be improved or repaired. Being honest also invites reciprocity. When Broughton personnel are forthright, clients respond in kind, creating an environment of mutual disclosure, which is the only way to make progress.

Accountability

Accountability is an advanced skill wherein a person or business holds themselves responsible. At Broughton, staff conducts meetings with clients to update them on progress, to seek feedback, and to agree to a course of action. The client is crystal clear on the path forward, who will be involved in the next steps, and the timetable for resolution. Broughton holds itself accountable for delivering results.

Insight

Of the two types of information, encyclopedic knowledge or insight, Broughton delivers insight. Data points delivered without intelligence is just reciting from the encyclopedia. Meaningful information, however, is presented in a way so that the client says, “Aha,” and feels the magic. For instance, infographics, charts, or tables of last year’s test batches are more powerful due to the rich visualization that connects the data points, allowing the client to make more informed decisions.

Consistency

Consistency is the key. The woeful opposite is a product or service that varies or is unpredictable. The effect of inconsistency is that the client feels disappointment, anxiety, or any number of negative emotions. Downstream, the organization suffers and loses valuable time. Broughton’s software is consistent and predictable and staff works hard to provide assurance to clients that they will be looked after time after time.

Broughton Software and LabHQ

Broughton Software has created a sophisticated Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), called LabHQ, for quality control laboratories and manufacturing entities in the pharmaceutical sector. The LabHQ software meets clients’ needs for data integrity and Broughton personnel are dedicated to providing excellent service. The company operates dynamically with fast responses, empathy, honesty, and anticipation of the clients’ needs. Broughton also applies insight, acts with consistency, and holds itself accountable.