Seasoned Marketer: Inside Herbein’s Strategy to Elevate Client Experience (Part 2)

In last month’s AAM Minute, we interviewed Herbein’s Client Experience Manager, Ryen Salo, on her newly created position. She discussed the importance of a CX role and what made the firm realize CX needed to be prioritized. In this article, we continued the conversation with Ryen and took it a step further to address the strategy.

Q: Describe your role as a Client Experience Manager here at the firm. What does a typical day look like for you?

A: My role revolves around client satisfaction, issue resolution and helping identify growth opportunities through cross-serving current clients. Every day is dynamic! You can find me working on strategies to better connect clients with additional services, collaborating with internal teams to meet client-specific needs, analyzing feedback from our quarterly surveys, or writing thought leadership content to share insights internally and externally. There’s never a dull moment—and that’s exactly how I like it.

Q: What are some of the key responsibilities you oversee in your position? How do these contribute to the overall success of the firm?

A: One of my key responsibilities is managing our quarterly client survey program. This is a major shift—moving from an annual survey to quarterly has been transformative. We now have the chance to capture client feedback at multiple touchpoints across the year, which gives us deeper insights and helps us act proactively.

But gathering feedback is just the first step. What really matters is how we respond and use it to drive change. Whether it’s identifying patterns that reveal emerging client needs or adjusting internal processes to better align with expectations, every piece of feedback is leveraged with purpose. This not only ensures satisfaction but also fosters stronger client relationships—which fuels retention and sparks organic growth.

Q: What are the goals you’re currently focusing on to improve the client experience? Are there benchmarks or metrics in place to measure success?

A: Right now, my focus is on establishing initiatives to enhance how we serve clients (outlined further below). When it comes to benchmarks, we’re in the process of solidifying these in 2025, as this is Herbein’s first dedicated CX role. This year is all about laying the foundation—determining key metrics and preparing to roll them out in 2026 so they’re visible firm-wide.

Some of the top initiatives include:

• Firm-wide calendar booking links: Ensuring all client-facing staff have external booking links creates efficiency, minimizes scheduling conflicts and promotes accountability.
• Defining a new onboarding process by practice area: Onboarding for Tax clients is very different from Risk Management. Tailoring processes by area will help us set clearer expectations right from the start, strengthening retention efforts.
• Issue resolution tracking: When a client takes the time to voice a challenge, we need to acknowledge it, listen carefully and respond. Even if not all issues have immediate solutions, simply addressing concerns can lead to stronger client connections and broader success.

Q: What strategies have you implemented to strengthen client relationships at Herbein?

A: Our biggest push has been refining some of the processes mentioned earlier—like introducing consistent onboarding and formalizing issue resolution tracking. However, we’re also ramping up cross-serving efforts across all practice areas. Many clients aren’t aware of the breadth of services we offer, so part of my role involves helping them connect with solutions they may not have realized are available.

Client feedback also takes center stage in everything we do. Listening is key. When a client knows we hear them, it creates an unbeatable sense of trust and partnership.

Q: How does your background help you succeed in this role?

A: My previous experience in the tech space really shaped my approach. Working directly with clients for over a decade taught me the importance of crafting thoughtful solutions and making clients feel like true partners. The insights I’ve gained help me identify and anticipate hurdles that may not be immediately obvious—but that genuinely matter to the client experience.

I’ve learned that when you show clients you really have their back, you build relationships that extend beyond business transactions. It’s crazy how much over-communication can positively impact trust and collaboration!

Q: Any advice for a firm looking to enhance their client experience program?

A: Absolutely! First, start by getting involved with the AAM CX Circle—it’s a great place to exchange ideas and learn from others. Second, take a step back and talk with your practice group leaders or managing directors. What’s their focus this year? Are there client needs or challenges that align? Use those conversations as a springboard to generate ideas.

If you’ve conducted client surveys in the past—hopefully within the last six months—try running the open-ended feedback through tools like ChatGPT to analyze themes. It’s a powerful way to pinpoint what’s top of mind for your clients. And, honestly, don’t shy away from leaning on the marketing team! Tap into the tools and systems you already have—most of what you need to make progress is probably right at your fingertips.

Herbein’s commitment to client experience is already setting the stage for incredible outcomes—not just for their clients, but for the firm itself. With a clear vision for the future, they’re leading the charge on what client-centric innovation in accounting can look like.