When this 24-year-old firm started systematically asking clients for feedback four years ago, it helped reshape how they operated. Now, they’ve won VouchedFor’s Client Trust Award and achieved something remarkable: 100% client retention through four acquisitions.
Scott Atkinson leads GPFM, an eight-adviser firm covering the south of England. After nearly a quarter-century in business, he’s discovered that the secret to growth isn’t just delivering great service – it’s showing you deliver great service.
Why trust matters above all else
“Number one on a client’s emotional driver is trust,” Scott explains. “Winning the Client Trust Award gives us validation because it’s based on genuine client feedback, not a panel of judges.”
For Scott, this isn’t about ticking boxes or meeting requirements. It’s about understanding that your existing clients are your most valuable asset. “Your client bank is probably the most valuable source of development and acquisition you can ever have.”
Building a feedback-driven culture
The first challenge wasn’t technical – it was human. “There’s natural anxiety about getting a low score,” Scott admits. “But a low score is actually just an opportunity to improve.”
The firm’s approach was straightforward: explain the benefits to each adviser individually. “We all want new clients, we all want to keep the clients we’ve got, and we all want to deliver great service. The best people to judge us are our clients.”
GPFM doesn’t just collect feedback, they act on it systematically. They review data monthly as a firm and with each adviser individually, making it part of ongoing personal development.
Scott’s emphasis is clear: collecting feedback isn’t enough. “Review the data regularly. There’s no point having it if you don’t actually review it. We review it monthly as a firm and with advisers individually.”
“Anything that comes in as less than five out of five is an opportunity to make an improvement. Why wouldn’t we want to do that?”
One standout example: their passionate advocate programme. They identified clients who scored them highly as advocates and turned this into a structured referral initiative. The result? £11 million in new assets under advice in just one year.
The firm’s success stems from making feedback central to their culture, not just a bolt-on process. They involve support staff, integrate insights into personal development, and use data to drive everything from referral programmes to acquisition strategies.
When feedback suggested communications weren’t clear enough, the support team reviewed all recommendation reports and simplified confusing sections. Scores improved immediately.
“If everyone buys into it, including support staff, it becomes central to the business,” Scott explains. “We’ve seen the reward of that now.”
“Every touchpoint with a client is an output,” Scott explains. “Whether it’s a phone call, email, report, or cashflow chart – if we spot that people aren’t understanding something, we work on it.”
The transformation in numbers
GPFM’s commitment to collecting, reviewing – and acting on – feedback has driven remarkable improvements:
- Clients giving maximum scores for “confidence on track” more than doubled, from 16.2% to 35.1%
- Clients who felt they could contact their adviser between scheduled meetings increased from 63% to 78%
- Clients who would inform their adviser about personal challenges increased from 73% to 86%
Making trust visible
Top Rated Firm and are more likely to recommend. Professional networks of accountants and lawyers also refer more confidently.
“I had a client phone me last week because they saw us in the Telegraph as a Top Rated Adviser, just ringing to congratulate us. That’s a great outcome for us.”
But for GPFM, these accolades represent more than external validation. Winning the Client Trust Award wasn’t the goal. It was the natural outcome of systematically building trust through transparency, measurement, and continuous improvement.
“I can’t imagine now running GPFM without VouchedFor feedback because it’s become so embedded. It’s led us into different paths of development and we’ve seen the reward of that.”
The financial return is clear too. Direct referrals through VouchedFor alone have more than covered the platform costs, while the broader business benefits compound over time.
The acquisition advantage
Perhaps most impressively, GPFM has used feedback scores to support rapid growth through acquisition. In two years, the firm has acquired four businesses and three advisers, without losing a single client.
“VouchedFor is incredibly valuable for mergers and acquisitions,” Scott explains. “The potential business can look at our client feedback to see if we fit with them. And when we complete a deal, we can tell acquired clients: ‘Go online and read what our clients say about us.'”
The proof is in the results: 100% client retention across all acquisitions.
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