Style and substance: why our conduct matters to clients

At Clarion, the manner in which we conduct our business matters. It goes without saying that, as financial planners, earning clients’ trust is paramount. Time and again, our clients tell us they are struck by our uniquely high standards and personalised approach to client care.

Retired businessman Ray Briggs and his wife have been Clarion clients for four years.

After working around the world with an American facility management company until the 1980s, Ray, struck out on a new venture with a business partner. They launched their own hugely successful business facilitating the opening of global brands’ office facilities.

Retiring some 20 years ago was a tough moment, Ray explained: “I was gutted but I always said I would stop when it was no longer fun, and we had become victims of our own success.”

Unsurprisingly instead of embracing a quiet retirement, Ray threw himself into a previous pastime of flying light aircraft, and also becoming a qualified diver, as well as working with a classic car auction house.

As with most people who have enjoyed this level of success, Ray had already had experience of Financial Advisers when he came to Clarion.

He said: “I really didn’t have a lot of confidence in the financial planning industry – I felt it was too self-interested.

“I had known Keith (Thompson, Clarion’s chairman) for a long time. And when I met with Sam Petts, (Clarion Chartered Financial Planner) and him about moving to Clarion I was struck by their true professionalism.

“Coming from a business that placed a lot of value on putting forward the right image, I appreciated the way they conducted themselves from the very first meetings”.

“The client journey is much more thorough than their contemporaries and feel Clarion are light years ahead in terms of their professional approach in my opinion and experience.”

“They are good listeners which translates to good results. They offer balance to reach our objectives; we are careful investors and as such are not looking for massive growth, but are keen to avoid depleting our funds”.

“During Covid, we particularly liked the continuity of communications, the regular newsletter is very beneficial.”