{"id":149,"date":"2018-05-04T12:22:29","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T12:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/?post_type=chapter&p=149"},"modified":"2018-05-07T17:46:30","modified_gmt":"2018-05-07T17:46:30","slug":"chapter-16-resolving-client-issues","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/itmcapstonesurvivalguide\/chapter\/chapter-16-resolving-client-issues\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 16: Resolving Client Issues","rendered":"Chapter 16: Resolving Client Issues"},"content":{"raw":"Experiencing hiccups with a client can be a nerve-wracking experience for even those who have nerves of steel. Most times, some sort of conflict can be healthy for your relationship though, as discussed in Chapter 15<\/a>. How you respond to these issues can really make or break things (hopefully not literally). Keep reading on to discover how to navigate tumultuous waters with your client.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n

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What to Watch out For<\/h1>\r\n*cue cheesy infomercial<\/em>* Is your client cutting you sideways glances? Throwing shade at random moments? Giving you the cold shoulder? Stakeholders not returning your calls? Does it feel like someone\u2019s broken up with you?\r\n\r\nYou have a case of the client blues. It can happen to the best of us for a multitude of reasons, including mistakes you\u2019ve made to things completely outside of your control. Though, nothing\u2019s worse than the client falling to pieces because things have gone awry and you\u2019re oblivious to it all.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDo a gut check. If any client interactions have made you feel uncomfortable, or you\u2019ve left a discussion wondering if everything\u2019s okay, or even if something tiny seems off, don\u2019t ignore those warning signs. Sure, it\u2019s much easier to pretend that nothing is wrong, but it\u2019ll be much more beneficial for your team and client if it gets addressed and soon.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Responding to the Issue<\/h1>\r\nFreelancing for Dummies encourages freelancers\/consultants to do whatever is necessary to bring your client relationship back on the mend and to get client satisfaction back to a good spot. This is especially true for a client that you\u2019d like to keep, and equally as true for a client you\u2019d desperately like to \u2018fire\u2019. Ending a client relationship on a sour note, no matter the intentions or reasons, can cause a reciprocal bad opinion of you and your group mates and word gets around quickly!\r\n\r\nWhether the issue arose because of a mistake your team made or a client faux pas, deal with the problem straightaway once you discover it. Problems typically don\u2019t resolve themselves and it\u2019ll be your responsibility as professional consultants to address the issues head-on and make attempts to smooth things over.\r\n\r\nBefore you take things up with your client, have a general understanding of what caused the issue. If it\u2019s something that requires some digging, start by discussing it amongst your team to come up with possible triggers. You can also try connecting with other stakeholders (ex- secondary contact) who aren\u2019t part of the issue but may know what caused it. It might also just require that you speak directly with the \u2018culprit\u2019 to get some answers.\r\n\r\nThen, request a meeting with your client and tell them you\u2019ve noticed things have been a bit off and your team hopes to talk it through with them in person. It takes a lot of guts to request this sort of meeting and knowing that it\u2019ll be done face-to-face is especially scary since you can\u2019t hide behind a screen, but it\u2019ll be so worth it. Be flexible, but insistent. You may get initial pushback with a barrage of excuses like, \u201cOh, my calendar\u2019s full\u201d or \u201cI didn\u2019t even know there was an issue\u201d, but sweeping the problem under the carpet won\u2019t do anyone any favours. If you\u2019re met with excuses to not meet or discuss, let your client know that it\u2019ll be really important to you to chat and that your team is willing swing by whenever there\u2019s a small pocket of time (over the next week) to work things out.\r\n\r\nWhen the discussion does finally happen, it should give your client just as much opportunity to share thoughts as it does for your team. This meeting isn\u2019t just about you. It\u2019s about both sides coming to an amicable solution so that you can move forward. This meeting is not a platform for your team to round off a bunch of issues you\u2019re having. It should be a discussion with things like, \u201cWe\u2019ve noticed that you do xyz when we try to abc\u201d and \u201cWe think a better way to navigate through things like that might be pqr.\u201d In other words, don\u2019t just bring the issues, bring up possible solutions as well. If it\u2019s something you or a teammate has done wrong, own it, apologize, and explain how things will be done better next time.\r\n\r\nFreelancing for Dummies[footnote]Drake, S. M., Recorded Books, & LLC. (2013). Managing Client Relationships. In Freelancing for Dummies (pp. 205-206). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.[\/footnote] has an excellent 6-point list for turning client complaints into compliments:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Don\u2019t be defensive. Listen. Keep your focus on the client\u2019s need<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Apologize. [Do the very Canadian thing of] apologizing even if you didn\u2019t do anything wrong. Actually say the words, \u201cWe\u2019re sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Look for solutions. Collaborate with the client on finding suitable solutions.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Take action right away. The sooner the issue is resolved, the sooner that awkward tension can be avoided and the sooner everyone can move forward.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Follow up. Ask the client if they are happy with the solution and how things have been going.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Send a note of appreciation. Let your client know how much you appreciate their business.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n \r\n

    Other Things to Consider<\/h1>\r\nWhat about when your client is suggesting something or pushing you in a direction that isn\u2019t quite right? How do you professionally tell your client they\u2019re wrong? Before you lash out with a resounding \u2018no\u2019, take some time to consider if the client is actually wrong. Just because you might not agree with the client\u2019s suggestion, doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that what\u2019s being proposed isn\u2019t right for the project.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nStart by determining what the reason or business case for the request is. This may help to give you information that you weren\u2019t already aware of. Knowing the reason behind the ask will also give you better context and will hopefully allow you to be better positioned to offer beneficial alternative solutions for the project\u2019s end goal.\r\n\r\nWhen it comes down to it, if the client is giving you a nonsensical request that makes you want to bang your head against the wall and should \u201cwhy?\u201d repeatedly, there is a right way to tell your client that they are wrong:\r\n