How firms select professional services

To gain insights into the process by which business clients select and evaluate a professional services firm, executives and clients of architectural and engineering firms were queried as to the criteria clients use in the selection and evaluation of providers. They were also asked about factors contributing to client satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Responses, which were obtained from both questionnaires and follow-up directed discussions, revealed considerable overlap among the criteria used in selection and those used in quality evaluation. Several implications for building and maintaining relationships between the professional services provider and client emerged.