Comments on: The Customer May Be Wrong http://stevenclark.com.au/2007/07/30/the-customer-may-be-wrong/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:29:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: steven http://stevenclark.com.au/2007/07/30/the-customer-may-be-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-16 steven Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:27:04 +0000 http://stevenclark.com.au/2007/07/30/the-customer-may-be-wrong/#comment-16 Yes I have to admit I'm learning the hard way how to negotiate that one too. But its really a critical part of what we are out to achieve. It gets harder when your client on hearing your input just puts up their hand and says "I don't want to learn anything, I don't have time, that's why I need you!"... so you're in a client isn't listening phase. Returns back to a basic communication problem. In the end they need to realise they hired you for your expertise and trust when you say certain things that you know what you're talking about. That being said - sometimes people just don't listen too. So if it gets to the crunch you might have to think about whether or not you need that job versus your reputation being shot for producing an epileptic eyesore for example. In the end if you do what they say they might well be on your door after a month past launch asking why they have no customers when the OLD site made them money. Then they could even badmouth you in a word of mouth industry like this and cost you in the long run. So its something that needs careful consideration I guess. It sounds like you've been in the situation too Matt :) Yes I have to admit I’m learning the hard way how to negotiate that one too. But its really a critical part of what we are out to achieve. It gets harder when your client on hearing your input just puts up their hand and says “I don’t want to learn anything, I don’t have time, that’s why I need you!”… so you’re in a client isn’t listening phase. Returns back to a basic communication problem.

In the end they need to realise they hired you for your expertise and trust when you say certain things that you know what you’re talking about.

That being said - sometimes people just don’t listen too. So if it gets to the crunch you might have to think about whether or not you need that job versus your reputation being shot for producing an epileptic eyesore for example.

In the end if you do what they say they might well be on your door after a month past launch asking why they have no customers when the OLD site made them money. Then they could even badmouth you in a word of mouth industry like this and cost you in the long run. So its something that needs careful consideration I guess.

It sounds like you’ve been in the situation too Matt :)

]]> By: Matt Robin http://stevenclark.com.au/2007/07/30/the-customer-may-be-wrong/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Matt Robin Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:30:41 +0000 http://stevenclark.com.au/2007/07/30/the-customer-may-be-wrong/#comment-11 Very good point mate! Everyone in the web industry should be aware that the customer can be wrong (sometimes horribly wrong) and how to proceed accordingly. The harder task is making the customer realise and accept that they've got something a bit wrong...and to do that without destroying their ego in the process! Very good point mate!

Everyone in the web industry should be aware that the customer can be wrong (sometimes horribly wrong) and how to proceed accordingly. The harder task is making the customer realise and accept that they’ve got something a bit wrong…and to do that without destroying their ego in the process!

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