Is true client service extinct?

Elaine Akermann, client service director of Aristos Marketing, says: "After interviewing dozens of candidates since January, it has become clear to me that the client service ethic which was so evident in the advertising industry in the late 80's and early 90's, no longer exists.

"I wanted someone who understood what it means to live, eat and breathe a brand. Someone who not only puts in the hours, but also really understands and experiences the brands they work with. Instead, I have seen dozens of junior account executives and corporate brand and marketing managers who want to exchange the corporate world for an agency environment."

Akermann believes a large part of the problem lies in the wide definition of what an account manager is and the experience and skills that the position requires: "Recruitment agencies had no clearly defined descriptions and simply work according to the briefs they receive from employers. This results in an account manager in one agency being vastly different from an account manager in another."

Akermann says the problem is being exacerbated by premature promotion: "A newly qualified student today enters the industry as a junior account executive and can be appointed as an account manager within six months. There is no way a newcomer to the industry can learn all there is to know, not only about the client, but also about the actual workings within an agency in such short time.

"There is certainly no short term solution to this problem, but I do feel that the advertising industry owes it to its clients to ensure that the account managers they appoint are truly qualified for the job. And to do this, as an industry, we need to take a critical look at the various job descriptions, advancement criteria and our internal and external training activities."

With no such watchdog in place, Akermann suggests initiating a forum of client service directors who actively agree on an industry standard of experience and knowledge applicable to up-and-coming account managers. In no way does she suggest halting any individual's personal quest for success, merely to propose an industry bar that will no doubt put the credibility back into the world of client service, which after all, is surely the bottom line.

If you are interested in taking this issue further, Elaine Akermann can be reached on +27 +21 480 4140 or .