How to win private clients: top takeaways from the latest edition of In Flight

National Insurance contributions are increasing, overseas recruitment is in jeopardy, and many public contracts radically underestimate the cost of delivering quality care. Here at Birdie, we know that many homecare agencies are asking the same critical question: “How do we not just survive, but thrive in this environment?”

In this month’s edition of In Flight Magazine, we explore a sustainable answer: building a robust private client base. Read on below for real advice from successful agencies and a few other highlights, or download the full magazine for even more concrete steps: it covers everything from pricing your services right to adapting them for private clients.

Quick tips from other domiciliary care providers

1. Meet the need for speed

The pace of activity and change is one of the key differences between dealing with public and private payers. This is both in a literal day-to-day sense that demands you to be highly responsive, but in the bigger picture where you’ll need to keep innovating and changing so you can stay two steps ahead of the competition. You’re moving the dial, rather than trying to keep up, as Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO of Walfinch, explains. In his words:

“Responsiveness is absolutely critical in this business - the companies that thrive will be those that can move fast, and adapt rapidly to changing conditions.”

2. Keep the private clients you have happy

So how can you create and maintain a service that private clients love? Values are key. Identify 3-5 values that guide your agency – and make sure these values are supported in your daily work.

Think about how you bring on new clients, how you plan and deliver their care, how you schedule your team, how you check for quality, and even how you handle billing and feedback. Each of these interactions is an opportunity to showcase your values and build trust with private clients.

Claire Reader, VP of Community Services at Newcross Healthcare Solutions, had this to share:

"Work with absolute integrity. Know your worth and who you are. Know what your specialism is and stick to it. People will remember when you act true to yourself, and they’ll also remember when you claim you’re something that you’re not."

3. Identify the best referral partners for private clients

How do you know who to approach as a referral partner? It makes sense to start with the obvious: GPs, hospital discharge teams, community nurses. But challenge yourself to think beyond the obvious too. Sometimes the most valuable relationships come from unexpected places. Check out our long read on building a private referral base in the full magazine for a step-by-step breakdown.

When you’ve got your list, it helps to prioritise these partners by how many good leads you think they might send each year. Daniel Archer, CEO of Visiting Angels, says:

“A CRM system to measure the effectiveness of the referrer is invaluable for tracking this, so you can invest accordingly.” HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho are all examples of customer relationship management (CRM) software. These can be used to track how many referrals you get from each partner – and how many convert.

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How Birdie’s smart technology helps you work with private clients

You’ll need the right systems in place to meet high private client expectations: consistent carers, flexible scheduling, close attention, and personalised communication. Birdie helps you deliver on these high expectations by having a system of three interconnected apps:

1. The Agency Hub gives managers oversight of every aspect of your business - from care planning to rostering to compliance - all in one place.
2. The Carer App puts everything your team needs in their pockets. They can access client information, complete tasks, record medications, and document observations easily - even in areas with poor signal.
3. The Family App gives relatives secure access to care information, enabling client’s loved ones to check visit times, carer notes, and client wellbeing whenever they want.

Beyond daily operations, Birdie supports growth with instant business insights via Birdie Analytics and integrates with external systems, like NHS England’s GP Connect, for seamless workflows. Its unique Q-Score feature helps demonstrate quality to potential clients by predicting your likely CQC rating, positioning you to improve both care delivery and your bottom line.

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I’m losing my private clients to a new agency - help!

Our Flock Agony Aunts are a group of providers and professionals who have been there and done that. We share your questions with them, and from their expert answers create a tailored response just for your business.

Question

“We have been active and successful in the private care sector for six years but client turnover has been increasing, and we seem to be losing our private clients to a new agency in the area. We are more established and better-known, but this new agency seems to be doing something right... and maybe we are doing something wrong?”

Answer

High or growing client attrition is always worrying to see. That said, this situation can provide you with helpful feedback to make your service better for private clients.

1. Check in with your teams

Your care team is the face of your business they're the ones making the difference when it comes to keeping clients happy. So how are they really doing? Are they feeling overwhelmed or stressed? Do they have everything they need to succeed?  If you can uncover any issues within your team, you might just get to the heart of why private clients are moving to a competitor.

2. Dig into the data

Talking to your team is crucial, but solid data should be used to balance what you're hearing. Your care management platform should let you pull reports that show where issues are arising. Is punctuality becoming a problem? Are complaints ticking upward? Are you seeing more errors or alerts than usual? Data can make a huge difference, so it’s definitely worth exploring.

3. Gather feedback from clients

The best way to know why a client leaves is simply to ask them. Make it standard practice to survey clients who cancel. And, even better, check in regularly with your current clients to see how satisfied they are. This proactive approach might just help you stop attrition before it starts.

4. View this as an opportunity to innovate and improve

While attrition is stressful, there is a silver lining. The situation is forcing you to examine your business and figure out how to make it stronger. This might be the perfect time to invest in new training, improve your CQC rating, or reconnect with your values. Ask yourself the right questions, even if they’re difficult, and you can come out of this difficult time even stronger than you entered it. Good luck - and let us know how you get on over on Flock!

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Check out the full June edition of In Flight magazine for more practical advice, or reach out to our team to learn how Birdie can help you find and keep private clients.

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