Media Bytes – Issue 11
Sac City Tech Media Bytes
June 4, 2019
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Confusing Client Situations
Have you ever had something confusing regarding a client transaction or project?
It used to seem that this was specific to website clients, but more recently it seems to be all types of business transactions with certain types of clients.
The situation is, the client contracts to do business, makes payment in advance as required by the contracts. Then suddenly, the urgency to complete the work evaporates! For example, with a website, the client would suddenly stop providing input for the content. This has happened many times. One client a few years back decided that they didn’t need a website right then and asked for a refund of the work not yet done. The site had been completed and was waiting for the content from the client that simply needed to be cut and pasted into the completed website. Of course, the money was not refunded per the website contract. Many hours went into setting up everything to host the website as well as the complete website design. Other clients will act like they have you on a lifetime retainer during and after the work is completed want change after change after change even after the work has been completed.
Another example is clients that prepay for a purchase and never claim their purchase. This is extremely confusing as they have nothing to loose from just claiming their paid for product.
While there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason for any of the above examples, it’s apparent there are 2 basic reasons it happens.
1) The client just has too many other priorities and/or doesn’t really care by the time the final product is ready, even when delivered in a timely fashion as agreed upon in the contract.
2) The business owner needs to have simple but clear wording in the contracts and processes to keep the work going as smoothly as possible.
With number 1, there will always be that client that nothing works for, but as business owners, we can hopefully minimize issues to taking the time upfront to understand the clients needs and requirements as well as make sure they understand our requirements of them so that we can provide the best solution to fit their needs.
Number 2 isn’t going to work all the time no matter how well crafted and executed the processes are, but it is important.
Have a great, successful and prosperous week. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you!
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