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Matthew Kuzmin

Mar 08, 2023

What should I do when the customer has wrong expectations?

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As a development agency, we often deal with customers who expect 100 features while he paid only for 10. You can talk for hours about potential limitations and the client can assure you that he understand everything. At the same time, after a month he will shout on you why did you fail with the delivery of things you promised.

As a development agency, we often deal with customers who expect 100 features while he paid only for 10. You can talk for hours about potential limitations and the client can assure you that he understand everything. At the same time, after a month he will shout on you why did you fail with the delivery of things you promised. Some agencies resolve it really different. There are couple of strategies which agencies and consultants prefer: 1. Keep all the risks in the price, which may lead to decrease conversion in the first place 2. Keep everything under agreements and spend hours of arguing with the customer about specific features 3. Don't agree on the fixed price in the first place and use only T&M mode, which may lead to potential issues when customer refuse to pay Unlike some development agencies, IT consultants without an internal team will struggle because they don't have the money to "eat" all the costs.

This article wasn't meant to explain how to fix it once and for all - I'm sorry to disappoint you. Every case has a different outcome, but the reasons are the same. So I'm going to show you how to avoid these problems from the start.

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The main rules on how to keep a good terms with your customer: Set a clear boundaries. It's important to keep a clear understanding of what you promised and let the customer know when to stop to ask for something extra.

Always negotiate. If the customer wants something beyond what you agreed on, tell him it's possible, but you have to give up something else. The other option is to turn it into an upsell and get some extra money. Never give up something for nothing. Give clients more options so they can keep them in mind. There might be a case where you can say: hey, we'll give you two extra developers. It'll cost you twice as much, but you'll get your app twice as fast. It won't work for some, but others will use it or refer to it later on. Be firm but fair. It is important to communicate your limitations to your clients with firmness, but you should also be fair and respectful. You'll have a better working relationship and less conflict. Don't be scared to lose customers. Whenever there is a problem with a customer, you can always say that it's over and stop the development process. The best option is to do a full refund and assist him in working with another developer,

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In case you are facing the same problem and are looking for a development partner

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