Comments on: Are Your Customers Promoting You? http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/ News, opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The official podcast of sitepoint.com. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:18:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: mauteri http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-644071 mauteri Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:32:41 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-644071 @AnandC Yes, you would assume being prompt, courteous, polite, and honest is nothing special, but I've heard many horror stories that my now clients have told me. Web development isn't known for being full of people with many social graces. A lot of people that enter the field are a lot of times more techy than business-oriented. In order to be successful, you need a bit of both. @AnandC

Yes, you would assume being prompt, courteous, polite, and honest is nothing special, but I’ve heard many horror stories that my now clients have told me. Web development isn’t known for being full of people with many social graces. A lot of people that enter the field are a lot of times more techy than business-oriented. In order to be successful, you need a bit of both.

]]> By: AnandC http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643762 AnandC Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:32:58 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643762 Being prompt, courteous, polite, and honest is expected behavior of a professional. It is nothing special. From my experience little things that acknowledge your personal relationship with your client help the most. Things like sending a nice card with a box of chocolates or wine during Christmas/New Years, sending a birthday card/gift/email, or sending a gift to celebrate a major milestone for you client's company regardless of whether you are involved in the project. I also find that sometimes it is nice to treat your client to a nice lunch or dinner meeting at an upscale restaurant. And ofcourse "freebies" are helpful in building a relationship. I personally find it tacky to throw in an "extra feature" for an app for free, but instead I'll leverage other relationships to facilitate discounts on services and products. Sometimes I also help out a client's relative or friend by dishing out free advice on how to set up a personal blog or use anti spyware apps on their PC. Basically all these things I described above tell your client that you care about them and their business and not just more billable work. Good luck out there! Being prompt, courteous, polite, and honest is expected behavior of a professional. It is nothing special. From my experience little things that acknowledge your personal relationship with your client help the most. Things like sending a nice card with a box of chocolates or wine during Christmas/New Years, sending a birthday card/gift/email, or sending a gift to celebrate a major milestone for you client’s company regardless of whether you are involved in the project. I also find that sometimes it is nice to treat your client to a nice lunch or dinner meeting at an upscale restaurant. And ofcourse “freebies” are helpful in building a relationship. I personally find it tacky to throw in an “extra feature” for an app for free, but instead I’ll leverage other relationships to facilitate discounts on services and products. Sometimes I also help out a client’s relative or friend by dishing out free advice on how to set up a personal blog or use anti spyware apps on their PC. Basically all these things I described above tell your client that you care about them and their business and not just more billable work. Good luck out there!

]]> By: Toby Somerville http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643703 Toby Somerville Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:42:27 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643703 @Alain - you assume that: 1. that was the only reason I drove the 185km 2. that I am American Wrong on both counts. @Alain - you assume that:

1. that was the only reason I drove the 185km
2. that I am American

Wrong on both counts.

]]> By: mauteri http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643681 mauteri Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:26:16 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643681 I try to do the same thing for my clients and I find that the little things like politeness, honesty, prompt replies, small free updates, even something like personally thanking them for their business really does pay off. Most people I've done work for have come back with new sites, and have also passed my name along, some which have deep pockets. I haven't ever done any advertising (yet) and still I'm kept busy with constant work. Very good, relevant post. Thanks. I try to do the same thing for my clients and I find that the little things like politeness, honesty, prompt replies, small free updates, even something like personally thanking them for their business really does pay off. Most people I’ve done work for have come back with new sites, and have also passed my name along, some which have deep pockets. I haven’t ever done any advertising (yet) and still I’m kept busy with constant work. Very good, relevant post. Thanks.

]]> By: delfincantv http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643609 delfincantv Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:39:57 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643609 Of course this is about Customer service. It´so related to marketing, sales, price all, if you provide a good service, customers will always come back, and refers to friend. If they recomend a good provider, then they earn extra points too. I tend to assist my clients on the proccess of developing a webapp. I try to explain all the details as general facts not even about their project, but internet and IT in general. If you explain customers about the diferent areas you work, they could recomend you when somebody talks about it and needs help. The more info you handle, and people know you, the better chance to get interesting projects Of course this is about Customer service.
It´so related to marketing, sales, price all, if you provide a good service, customers will always come back, and refers to friend. If they recomend a good provider, then they earn extra points too.
I tend to assist my clients on the proccess of developing a webapp.
I try to explain all the details as general facts not even about their project, but internet and IT in general.
If you explain customers about the diferent areas you work, they could recomend you when somebody talks about it and needs help.
The more info you handle, and people know you, the better chance to get interesting projects

]]> By: Matt Mickiewicz http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643608 Matt Mickiewicz Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:37:02 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643608 Too many companies view customer service as an expense, rather than a marketing investment. Amazon has been known to have employees drive out to their local big box retailer to pick up an item for an important customer when it's out of stock at their own warehouse. Now that's customer service! Too many companies view customer service as an expense, rather than a marketing investment.

Amazon has been known to have employees drive out to their local big box retailer to pick up an item for an important customer when it’s out of stock at their own warehouse. Now that’s customer service!

]]> By: NuPixel http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643605 NuPixel Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:29:52 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643605 I think this is a good post and speaks well on on customer service. Thanks. :) I think this is a good post and speaks well on on customer service. Thanks. :)

]]> By: Php_penguin http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643464 Php_penguin Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:01:29 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643464 how much of this was actually about the customer service, and how much was you thinking "This would make a great anectode for my next blog post"? how much of this was actually about the customer service, and how much was you thinking “This would make a great anectode for my next blog post”?

]]> By: AppSol http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643373 AppSol Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:19:00 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643373 Absolutely true. I've worked for big corporates in IT support, and one thing they all do is talk <em>a lot</em> about customer service, but actually spend most of their time trying to limit what they do about it. A great phrase we often heard was to "limit customer expectations". This meant, don't go the extra 5 yards for customer service as the customer will expect it next time. My folks run a small business and their philosophy is sell a good product at a reasonable price with good service and you'll always find a customer. I run my own web development business now, guess who's ideas I follow? Absolutely true. I’ve worked for big corporates in IT support, and one thing they all do is talk a lot about customer service, but actually spend most of their time trying to limit what they do about it. A great phrase we often heard was to “limit customer expectations”. This meant, don’t go the extra 5 yards for customer service as the customer will expect it next time.
My folks run a small business and their philosophy is sell a good product at a reasonable price with good service and you’ll always find a customer.
I run my own web development business now, guess who’s ideas I follow?

]]> By: Alain http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643347 Alain Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:46:07 +0000 http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/02/26/are-your-customers-promoting-you/#comment-643347 Imho it is just way stupid to drive almost 200km to get that fixed, no matter how great the service is. It once more shows how unaware of the pollution caused by cars americans are. I am sure there would be a great one closer, too. Imho it is just way stupid to drive almost 200km to get that fixed, no matter how great the service is. It once more shows how unaware of the pollution caused by cars americans are. I am sure there would be a great one closer, too.

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