Career Opportunities

The High-Tech Career Handbook

A weekly ComputorEdge Column and Podcast by Douglas E. Welch

Give your clients what they need

September 17, 1999


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I had an interesting conversation with a friend and fellow writer the other day that made me think hard about the relationship between computer workers and their clients. After I helped her with a printing problem and explained what had gone wrong she said, "I have a person I usually call for computer work but they just come and fix the computer. I don't know any more after they leave then before they arrived."


I have heard the same sentiment expressed many times by many different types of people. We all need to think about what we are communicating to our clients and how we are doing it. This is true whether we are working as in-house support for a corporation or running our own consulting business with small business and individuals. Otherwise we risk being replaced with people who can help people feel better informed and more comfortable with their computers.


Keep them stupid?


In the past there were consultants that actively tried to make their work look like magic. They would descend on a company, magically solve the problem and just as magically disappear with a large check. Oftentimes companies would pay to have the same problem repaired again and again. Since no one at the company ever learned to solve the problem the company was tied to the consultant.


While this can be a lucrative situation for the consultant, it can lead to bigger problems down the road for all concerned. What happens when the consultant isn't available during a crisis? Most likely the company will lose a substantial amount of money and the consultant will lose the client. Keeping a company ignorant of the computer information they need is never a good idea.


Give them the power


A better situation is to give your clients the information they need to keep their business running smoothly. Rather than milking a cash cow you need to develop a long-term relationship that benefits both you and your client.


If there is a recurring problem that can't be fixed, make sure that the company has procedures to work around the problem themselves. This protects you and makes the client feel you are concerned with their business well being. Offer to train a staff member (for your usual fee, of course) so that they can perform emergency repairs either alone or with your direction over the telephone. You can even work to develop an in-house IT staff that can take over the more mundane jobs you have been performing and leave you free to concentrate on new technology initiatives for the client.


Help yourself grow


It may seem that providing clients with information is putting yourself out of a job, but in reality you are insuring a more productive relationship. None of us want to be stuck doing the same thing for the rest of our careers. You want to learn new technologies, new systems and face new challenges. If you are constantly attending to clients you have purposefully kept ignorant when will you have the chance to face these new challenges. Frankly, I would gladly teach someone how to install Windows on the company's PC's rather than doing it myself. Sure I will get paid more to do it myself but the tedium becomes overwhelming once you do the same task several thousand times. You have to realize that in most cases you can find other billable hours with the client doing more complex work..


They don't want to know


Despite all your best intentions you may still run into clients that practically cover their ears and run away when you try to explain what you have done and why. Some people have convinced themselves they will never understand computers and don't even want to try. You should still try and provide them with some information even if they don't think they need it. In some cases you can break down this wall by providing non-technical descriptions of your work and why it was needed. Over time the client will become less afraid of computers and be more receptive.


If nothing else, you are providing assistance to anyone who might come after you. I am so grateful when previous computer workers have left information for me. It rarely happens, but in difficult situations it can mean the difference between hours of tedious work and a quick solution that gets the client working again.
While it may feel good to play "magician" and make computer solutions appear from mid-air you cannot base your whole career on this illusion. Bring the client behind the curtain and show them that they can have a hand in their own computer productivity. You may find the client will be less awe-struck, but they will develop a respect for you that is important for a profitable long-term relationship.

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