Abstract
For sustained profitability, architects must position themselves to attract new clients. This involves understanding potential clients’ choices and how these might impact on subsequent satisfaction. The study ranked criteria for architect selection and how these predict satisfaction among first-time private sector clients in Lagos, Nigeria. Data from a questionnaire survey were analysed using descriptive statistics, relative importance index and categorical regression, identifying timely delivery, cost of service and quality of previous services as the most important criteria. Although personal relationship has been said to influence selection of a professional service provider, this criterion was found to be of relatively low importance here. To attract private sector clients, architects should prioritise improved service delivery and construction skill development.
Highlights
To position themselves to compete effectively and attract customers, businesses must understand customer choices
The present study investigates the criteria used by private sector clients in selecting an architect that they have never commissioned before, and how these criteria relate to subsequent client satisfaction
Conclusion the public sector has been investigated in more detail, there has been little empirical work to date on the criteria used by first-time private sector clients in selecting an architect, and these clients constitute most of the new business of architecture firms
Summary
To position themselves to compete effectively and attract customers, businesses must understand customer choices. Customers are often referred to as ‘clients’; according to Bailey (2000), a client procures professional services while a customer buys goods and services. This is a pertinent distinction for professional services such as architecture, especially in the light of the increasing failure of firms due to their inability to attract more jobs from prospective clients as noted by Pearson, Egan and Nakazawa (2003) and Larsen (2005). In the public sector (which includes government agencies and different tiers of government), there are often well-defined criteria for the selection of service providers, and the process is often managed by persons working in related fields As indicated by researchers such as Sporrong (2011), Mathonsi and Thwala (2012) and Rönn (2014), this can make it easier for architects to position themselves to target public sector projects
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