The Don’ts of a Service Business

So, you were looking to make some quick cash, or you have been desperate for money, and you wandered across this site somehow. And, following my brilliant advice, you started some kind of side business. We all know a service business is the least expensive to start; you are basically trading your time for money. But you also have to provide good customer service, especially if you are depending on word of mouth for referrals.

And then you get the customer from hell.

I have one of them. Really, I think, just one. Now, this particular person demands perfection in their projects, which I do not mind at all. The better my projects work out, the better off both I and my customer are in the long run. And sometimes somebody who has not been staring at the same thing for hours on end can provide fresh insight, or catch mistakes you may have overlooked. Again, not a problem for me.

What does become a problem is this same person trying to take advantage of me, or trying to get out of paying me, or trying to get free work.  Or trying to get me to push their projects up on my calendar (basically bumping other clients out of the way) because they want what they want…and they want it NOW.

The saying “The customer is always right” does not necessarily hold true though. For instance, this customer wants me to go back and completely redo a project that was completed 6 months ago. To their specifications. And the completed project was completely approved, and paid for, by this person.

So, now it’s turning into this big drama, but I don’t really care.  After working on several projects under this person’s direction, I have learned that they are not very profitable for me. They have a tendency to make a lot of changes from the original specs.  Then, when things are changed to the new specs, they want them changed back.  Sometimes (alot of times)  this happens several times. And each time, it costs me time. Tome that I could be using on another project for another client.  Not to mention the stress, or the havoc it wreaks with my schedule.

So, they want to go back and re-open this project, which was a nightmare the first time around. He is furious because I told him there would be charges for the changes.  Luckily for me, I specified in my contract, that certain changes would be considered billable time, and any changes after the project’s completion was signed off on would also be billable at an hourly rate. Whew! They are giving me hell, but I am glad I had that in writing!

So, here is a brief list of don’t. I consider this especially applicable to all of us single parents out there, who may have side businesses not only for the money, but also for the schedule and other benefits.

1. Don’t let your customers set your schedule.
   Ok, there is some leeway in this one. For instance, if you work on things that have a deadline, you and your clients should both agree on a realistic deadline.  Or, if you provide a service, and your clients need to be present, then of course,  accommodate that as much as you can. But, if your client is making you crazy by insisting on a completely unrealistic deadline, or setting an emergency meeting last minute when you have to be at your daughter’s dance recital, don’t let them bully you into it. Part of the reason you have a side business is to be more available for your children, and a clients that gets away with being unreasonable but catered to will continue to do so.
2. Don’t work for free!
   Going above and beyond what your client expects can set a great tone for customer service, and lead to some great referrals from that person in the future. And, if you make a mistake on something fix it. Maybe even throw in a little something extra. Make your mistake right.  But, do NOT let somebody bully you into working for free. Not by trying to convince you that you screwed up (especially if it is documented that you did not.)  Not by just harassing you to the point where you will do it just to shut them up, not by anything that isn’t completely, reasonably justified.  It may not always be true…but it’s been my experience that this kind of client is either slow pay or no pay, no matter how incredible of a job you may do.
3. Don’t let your client run your life
   This may be kind of rehashing the 2 above items. But seriously, don’t let your client’s demands overrun your life. For instance, I don’t necessarily keep regular business hours – I often start working at about 5:30 a.m., answer the phone & email as much as possible during business hours, but I also sometimes don’t wrap things up until 1 or 2 in the morning.  I often take my lunch when my daughter gets home from school, and I have a few clients that I need to be somewhat available for after business hours, so it all pretty much evens out – especially considering that I don’t actually need to talk to my clients that much. I have a client, though, who will call me 8 or 9 times in a row. Usually when I am with another client. Then gets furious when I don’t answer the phone because I was with another client and he wanted something silly. Now, if somebody wants me to be available 24/7, exclusively for them, I’ll be happy to do so, for the right price! In the meantime, though, I have several clients, and try to provide good service to all of them. This does not include being rude and taking other client calls while we are in meetings.

So, that’s the short list for now. Don’t let your service clients get away with whatever they want, and keep in mind the reasons you started your business. If you started it to make a certain amount of money, and your price is reasonable, don’t drop it because somebody throws a fit. Don’t set unrealistic deadlines – you’ll pay for it in the long run if you miss a deadline. If there is really an emergency, set up an emergency meeting – but just because your client wants to see your happy smiling face does not necessarily mean you have to drop everything for a meeting.  If worst comes to worst, there are always other clients out there, and you’ll be better off with the 10 easy ones you can take care of in the same amount of time as the one difficult, stingy one.