ALWAYS ABOUT THE CLIENT

I recently was awarded a small pharmacy project, only 1,200 sf, with a scope including architectural, MPE, and interior design. Julie Johnson with GPE and Veronica Davis with SAB were kind enough to invite me to the party, both members of the Healthcare Chicks.

I chose to partner with Karen Shakman, principal of Iconic Architecture and Design. I have known and worked with Karen for several years. We share the same philosophy about customer service, and that is "it's always about the client".

The owner of the small business is from South Africa, a delightful lady. The general contractor is Hispanic, Karen is from Brazil, and I am from the south. Accents abound, cultures collide and the fun begins.

In any case, Karen and I understand the challenges of running a small business. Therefore we are always in tune with the needs of our clients. Karen has been proactive in providing connections for pharmacy equipment providers, and I have quizzed the client on move management, FF&E, logo design, SEO, and other marketing information and advice.

You see, we are not only concerned with our scope, but a holistic approach to the business of the business we have been hired to help create. Most of our clients are unfamiliar with the process of construction, design and architecture, not to mention the hundreds of other details required to open a business. Therefore we try and do our best to head off any problems from the start. To alert the client of any services they may have not thought about or might be lacking. While we are not compensated for our proactiveness and or referrals overtly, we have the satisfaction of knowing our client has been well cared for and that their success is better assured because of our knowledge and willingness to share. Paying it forward always pays it back.

Make Something Good Happen

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