Clientfacing

Clientfacing is a term used to describe activities, roles, and interfaces that involve direct interaction with clients or customers. It distinguishes those elements from back-office or internal operations that do not directly engage external users. The term is commonly written as client-facing, but clientfacing is also used in some contexts.

In business, clientfacing functions include sales, account management, customer support, consulting, and client-facing marketing communications. In technology, clientfacing software refers to interfaces and services intended for external users, such as customer portals, billing dashboards, support web apps, and public APIs.

Key considerations for clientfacing work include user experience, accessibility, readability, response times, privacy and security of client data, compliance with standards, and reliability under service levels. Effective clientfacing practice requires clear communication, empathy, and the ability to interpret client needs; miscommunication can damage relationships.

Operational and design implications involve aligning branding and messaging with service levels, providing onboarding and training, gathering and acting on feedback, implementing escalation paths, and monitoring metrics such as customer satisfaction, response time, and first contact resolution to ensure quality.