What Is Client Facing?
A client-facing role is one that entails direct interaction or communication with a customer, sometimes in-person. Client-facing functions are important and are used to understand the client's needs or to solve problems a computer or automated software would have too much difficulty doing.
Client-facing positions are sometimes referred to as the front office, which can be contrasted with back office roles.
Key Takeaways
- Client facing generally refers to job activities that involve direct interaction or contact with a client or customer.
- Individuals in these roles advise customers and help to solve problems for companies.
- Client-facing roles include everything from retail door greeters to personal financial planners and realtors.
Understanding Client Facing
The way client-facing staff respond to customers can have a substantial effect on retail sales, repeat business, and spending activity. A customer who believes they have been listened to, think that their needs have been addressed, and feel they have received helpful advice, might be inclined to use a business again, if not increase the size and scope of their purchases.
Companies may make a special effort in choosing employees to fill client-facing roles given the effect their interactions with customers can have. An unsatisfactory experience at a retail location or a restaurant could compel a consumer to visit a rival establishment in the future in the hopes of receiving better service.
Many companies attempt to automate or outsource client-facing functions as technology advances, sacrificing human interaction and personal touch to save money and time.
Depending on the industry and role, the client-facing personnel of a company may be some of either the highest-paid or lowest-paid employees. Examples of well-remunerated client-facing professionals include stockbrokers or bankers. Jobs such as receptionists, on other hand, tend to command much lower salaries.
Types of Client-Facing Roles
Customer service representatives, cashiers, hotel receptionists, and sales floor staff can all be considered client-facing positions given their one-on-one interaction with clientele. Professionals such as realtors, insurance agents, and event planners also have client-facing duties based on the nature of their roles.
Realtors, for example, take prospective home buyers out to see different properties that may appeal to them and show features of the dwelling, parts of the house that need refurbishment, and the aspects of the neighborhood and community. An insurance agent, meanwhile, may have a discussion in their office with a client about the types of policies that might best suit their goals and needs for coverage.
Client-facing jobs can also include serving as a personal financial planner. These professionals often spend considerable time discussing their client's goals and investment needs. Both parties use this interaction to decide if or how the needs can be met.
Special Considerations
Social Media
Client-facing roles are changing with the ever-increasing use of social media to communicate and interact directly with customers. It's not uncommon for consumers to voice their displeasure and praise by issuing comments that are directed at a business.
The employee whose role is to respond to such comments on social media can have a comparable effect as one who greets customers at a store. Not only will the customer receive the message, but anyone in the public who is paying attention to the interaction might also judge the company’s response and react accordingly.
Client Facing in Financial Services
In financial firms, such as banks, brokers, or financial advisor companies, so-called front office staffers typically have the most direct contact with clients. In the financial services industry, front-office employees are typically those experts that generate revenue for the company by providing direct client services, such as wealth management.
