This may sounds familiar.
You did everything right and was expecting to deliver a job well done to the customer. Then out of nowhere problem came. What’s worst part is that the problem was not caused by you and there is no way you would have anticipated that.
Just this shit happened to me last week and the aftermath dragged on to this week.
We did a job for a client, exceed their expectation, below budget and well within schedule. How perfect can it get? We were going to surprise the customer. But alas, we were suprised instead.
The first sign of storm came when the customer emailed us to say that they did no received the goods at the specified time. We called the shipper and was told it was in the custom processing. That was before the weekend so everyone happily put it at the back of the mind.
Last Wednesday, another email. This time the warning sounded.
Countless calls later we dugged up a whole can of worms. How the whole thing could happen still baffles me. Some might say “Well, it is China.”
Suffice to say some heads rolled but that isn’t going to save us. The goods that was supposed to be in the customer’s hand is now sitting somewhere held ransom! It wasn’t our problem but we got dragged in nevertheless.
More calls and negotiation later, the boxes of goods returned back to our office. By now we are now a week late. Digging into our pocket we sent some of the goods via UPS so that the customer could use them immediately. That arrived today. The rest of the goods is leaving office tomorrow.
Hopefully no surprises this time. But who know, touch wood.
I truly empathize. I can’t say for sure that you can’t do anything about it, though. Oftentimes, the client gets angry.
I had a 2 day presentation with a ‘professional’ videographer who erased my presentation. I was totally whacked out. Needless to say I never use him again.
Trouble is, no matter how angry a client is at that point, there is no reason to assume he will be this way forever.
A sincere apology, an indication that you did your best, and a request for reciprocation is in order. I mean, remember what happened when your best friend in school ate the last ice cream that you wanted and never shared? Cold shoulder treatment right? But after some time, things work out.
I think it’s the same way.
I know that entrepreneurs doing our work leave us times when we have to be tested. Maybe it’s just part of the contingency planning process - and gaining solid experience!
Hi Stuart,
You are right to say its contingency planning. Yet contingency can be plan only if foreseen. In this case it was not even imagined.
Truly 人算不如天算 (literally man’s calculation is not heaven’s calculation).
But things did have went well. Although the client did not express openly, I sense that they are happy that we send them a box in advance via UPS.
We then send the rest via DHL, at totally exaggerated expenses.
And there was an unexpected turn a well which could be a good topic for a new post.