Give your clients what they need
September 17, 1999
** Listen to this column on your computer, iPod or other audio player **
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.
<%=INSERTTEXT%>