Exceeding Client Expectations

All part of the service? – when exceeding client expectations is the wrong thing to do

You’re only as good as your last job. So naturally your tendency is to do the best you can.

Sometimes, this can result in you over delivering.

They asked for 20 photos? Give them 30, they’ll love you!

They needed a simple website that seldom needs updating? Why not chuck in content management capabilities, they’ll think you’re really clever.

Yes, sometimes this can be a good tactic – if you exceed a client’s expectations in this way, they’re more likely to return or to refer you to their friends.

But is it always a good idea?

Can I have some more?

Your response to the client’s brief was impossible for them to resist. It was detailed, clear and competitively priced. You even went fixed cost for the whole job, after carefully defining the scope in precise detail.

You’re excited and itching to get going.

You start the job. Soon, you’re on fire. You’re racing through the work; it’s up there with your best. You’re on such a high and so far ahead of deadlines, you decide to throw in something a little extra, just for the heck of it.

You let the client see it and they love it. You both do happy dances in your heads.

Then, a couple of days later, you get a phone call.

“Thanks so much for that flashy gizmo / extra 50 photos / whistling bell!” they say, gushing with excitement. “Can I have some more please?”

You pause before replying. It didn’t take that long, after all. It won’t hurt, surely? They’ll love you even more for it…

“Of course!” you reply. “It would be my pleasure! Extra charge? Don’t be silly…”

You roll up your sleeves and dive in. After a few minutes, an aching realisation dawns: this extra piece you’ve just taken on – for free – isn’t quite as straightforward as you first thought. In fact, it’s going to take almost as long as the rest of the job put together.

You slave away, burning the candle at both ends, trying to make the extra piece fit. The outstanding work you still have to do sits there, grinning at you impishly. Your dreams are filled with marching clocks and scary laughing clowns.

The next morning, when you wake up slumped across your desk, there’s an email waiting from the client.

“Hello,” it reads.”We expect the job to completed today, as agreed. Please have it delivered by 5pm to avoid incurring penalty clauses.”

Stick to your scope

Defining your scope in detail is the most important part of your response to a brief. You and your client have something you’ve both agreed to; something you can refer back to politely and professionally when you get one of those “can I have some more” type demands.

Stick to the scope and you’ll deliver exactly what the client expected. They’ll be happy; you’ll still have your hair. And – if you really want to exceed expectations – do it in a way you can easily manage, such as providing excellent customer service, responding to emails quickly or just making sure periodically that the client’s happy.

Stray from the scope and you run the risk of a night-time visit from those scary clowns.

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This post was written by Keith D, freelance web designer & photographer. Find out more here.