Stuart R. Crawford

Does this sound like your client relationships

Thanks to my good buddy Jeff Brockhoff for sharing this priceless video with me.  Man, it hits the nail on the head for how many customers, I won’t even say clients (remember customers are a swear word around me) look at the services many of us in the technology business offer.  I know many of you that read this blog can totally understand the message in the video.

Why do customers feel this way about the services that you provide? I have to take some responsibility for not laying the ground work ahead of time.  Let’s face it guys, many of us blindly go into contracts and jobs without setting the expectation up front.  This is why I love flat rate projects and managed IT services.  Bulletproof does offer this and I know that our clients are happier, the expectations are defined up front and there are no surprise invoices at the end of the job.

The IT world is moving to this “free” mindset – Thanks to the Open Source Community for setting this expectation.  Many customers (again I didn’t say clients) feel that IT is supposed to be free or that it simply works.  The nice thing about the Managed IT services business model is that it is similar to the model that I pay Chrysler for the maintenance on my car.  I paid up front for 5 years of maintenance when I bought my car, I know that all the oil changes and routine maintenance when done according to the manual are covered in the program.  Well, Managed IT Services is the same thing.

You will notice that I didn’t say, go by the computer at the local office supply store and I will set it up as part of the program.  This is a packaged deal, when you supply the equipment or make the recommendations then you can bundle into a support package.  This is the funny thing about IT today, so many people are selling stuff, influencing the customers and they are investing in junk or the wrong product.

Always trust the professional and always pay the cost of the bill when the job is done according to the expectations.

In the video you see a couple debating a bill for the food, or the hair salon and the CD sale.  The expectation is clearly set up front.  That is the price in the menu, on the sticker or posted on the wall.  In the IT space, especially in years gone by, we took a crap shoot and said around this long.  No wonder the customers were upset, no expectation clearly defined up front.

Would you like it if you clients debated every bill with you?  We all need to clearly defined goals, objectives and deliverables and then re-enforce them in writing.  Making sure your clients understand everything is very important.

So thanks to my good buddy Jeff or reminding me about the importance of setting expectations, clearly qualifying people or prospects and then delivering on what you said you would deliver on.

Please enjoy the video.