Some of my favorite posts on the Internet are the ubiquitous "Client from Hell" stories. Probably the best ever is "How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell", on the The Oatmeal. I was reading a post that came across Twitter that started talking about different scenarios where customers' expectations were absurd, from wanting to pay $150 for a Web site, to someone taking advantage of a college kid for a logo. We've all been there, situations maybe difficult to handle at the time, but fun to commiserate later.
A Different Client Story
At the risk of sounding like a Polly Anna, I thought it would be cathartic to post a different kind article. We always hear and talk about the power of positive thinking, and the Internet seems to swirl around negativity, so I wanted to discuss some of the best clients. Please feel free to include your favorite client story in the comments.
The Understanding Customer
We have some clients that really do understand a lot about IT, whether that is their computers, network, or Web site. These customers are often the easiest to work with, as they know the level of complexity of our job. When we explain that something might take longer than expected, they are fine with that.
There are also the understanding clients that maybe don't understand IT so much, but understand the importance it plays in their business. I remember talking to one customer about needing a new tape backup system. They work in a warehouse, so the environment causes equipment to degrade much faster than a typical office. The customer's response? "Scott, I need these people (his employees) to work, if they aren't working, I lose money. Do what you need to do to keep them working." Wow! Makes sense. I love this guy!
The "Trust Your Expertise" Customer
We spend a lot of time studying Web design and development trends, reading the blogs, the specifications, and practicing our craft. Believe it or not, we actually know what we are doing. So it can be a little annoying when a complete novice hires you to build a site, and like in the Oatmeal comic, proceeds to tell you how to build it.
Standing in stark contrast to this "customer from hell" is the "customer on the shining hill," who says the magic words, "I trust your judgement." This is not to say that we never make mistakes, or miss an opportunity, but in general, a professional can build a better site than a rookie. Sometimes, I think the only reason we get hired is because the customer just wants a keyboard jokey.
One customer in particular, has turned over all of her online operations to us. And her operations are extensive, from her e-commerce site, blog, and email newsletters, to her social media, and even a YouTube channel. We have a weekly meeting where she simply asks, "What are you guys up to now?" It is so refreshing for us. She generates content, and we find new and inventive ways to distribute it. This allows us to work on some unique projects that develop our capabilities, and allows her to stay ahead of the curve, without dwelling in the minutia of running an online business. LOVE IT!
The "I love it" Customer
When we build a Web site, or deploy a new piece of technology, there is a lot of personal pride involved. After all, we gave up a portion of our lives to the project. Customers often do not know how much time, effort, and struggle went into making the final product as slick as possible. In fact, if we did our job properly, it should seem simple. So, it is extra rewarding to us when the customer is just as impressed with our work as we are, even if they don't truly understand what we went through.
This is often the case with projects that don't even seem incredibly complex to us. One time, we set up a computer for remote access so that a remote employee could access the scheduling software. The customer was thrilled. When I showed him how to use LogMeIn, and Firefox's tabs, he almost cried. We had saved him hours each week.
Conclusion (sort of...)
It is important when dealing with the daily grind of support calls and project over-runs, to sit back and find reasons to appreciate your customers. If you can't appreciate them for anything more than the paycheck, then you need to find the ones you love. Otherwise, you will be miserable, and probably not very successful.
Share your favorite customer story below. Be positive!