Читать книгу Voices of Design Leadership - Ken Sanders - Страница 19

Joe Brancato is Co-Managing Principal of Gensler’s Northeast and Latin America regions and currently serves as Chair of the firm’s Board of Directors. A remarkable client experience story involving Joe began during the global financial crisis.

One Sunday afternoon, Joe was watching football at the home of his client and good friend, a senior real estate executive at Lehman Brothers. The date was Sunday, September 14, 2008. The New York Giants dominated the St. Louis Rams that day, 41–13. But the biggest news broke during the game: Lehman Brothers was planning to file for bankruptcy the following morning. At the time of its collapse, the company was the fourth-largest investment bank in the US, with over 25,000 employees.

Imagine yourself at the home of your good friend – a husband and father – as he watched most of his retirement savings and his job vanish before his eyes. The possibility of future Gensler projects with Lehman Brothers disappeared as well. But the relationship did not. Joe kept in touch with his friend and always returned his calls. After a few months, Joe helped him land a real estate job at a smaller firm – at less compensation – but his friend was grateful for Joe’s help.

His friend subsequently moved on to a better position at another company, and a couple of years later, Joe let him know about a Vice President of Real Estate position opening up at one of the top financial services firms in New York. With Joe’s encouragement and support, his friend applied for the job and was hired. Today, that firm is one of Gensler’s top financial services clients.

Years later, Joe’s friend told him that after the loss of his job, he made calls to other architects as well. But Joe was the only one who always returned them. The story is an illustration of Joe’s loyalty to his friend as well as a tough commentary about architects who pay attention to clients only when they have projects in the pipeline.

The strongest client relationships always extend beyond the project at hand. Just ask yourself two questions. How many of your clients are good friends? And how much attention do you pay to them when they don’t have work for you?