Going the extra mile

When Robert Dowling was unable for weeks to get in touch with a client by phone — or leave a message — he bought that customer an answering machine and sent it to him with a pre-recorded message. “He thought it was very creative,” said Mr. Dowling, an adviser with Modera Wealth Management, whose firm manages $500 million in assets. “He did change the message greeting because he wanted it to be his voice.” Advisers are using unique methods to provide personalized touches to their clients, said James Barnash, a consultant with Stride Consulting Inc., which works with about 35 advisory firms. “I always encourage advisers to find something special and unique about each client and offer them a type of concierge service,” Mr. Barnash said. That means what works for one client may not work for another. In Mr. Dowling’s case, the purchase of the answering machine helped him communicate with his client, as well as make a good impression. Mr. Dowling said the answering machine fit the situation because his client doesn’t trust using e-mail for financial matters. Reaching the client by cell phone was also difficult, he said, because he often travels overseas. Mr. Barnash recommended that advisers get to know their clients’ tastes. Say, for example, an adviser’s client loves to go on cruises, the adviser could sign that client up for a subscription to a cruise magazine, Mr. Barnash suggested. This strategy has worked for Kirk Kinder, an adviser with Picket Fence Financial, whose firm manages about $12 million in assets. He pays close attention to the issues his clients grouse about and tries to find a way to help. He said one client bought a new computer but didn’t know how to set up the wireless network, so he went to her house and spent several hours setting it up. He helped another client who was having trouble using Excel. “When we’re talking, clients will often complain about something and I’ll give them hints on how to fix the problem or try to fix it myself.”