Comments on: When Good Clients Have Bad Ideas http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/ Content on writing, tech, business, marketing, web design. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:10:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: John Hewitt http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805116 John Hewitt Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:39:37 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805116 <p>@ Kim</p> <p>I agree with you 92%. The other 8% is reserved for those rare periods when I might be wrong and the client might be right. Every once in a while, they have a better idea than me, even if I don't think so at first. Luckily, it doesn't happen more than 8% of the time.</p> <p>John Hewitt's last blog post... <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WRC/~3/319455505/" rel="nofollow">5 Ways Writers Can Get Their Lives Back</a></p> @ Kim

I agree with you 92%. The other 8% is reserved for those rare periods when I might be wrong and the client might be right. Every once in a while, they have a better idea than me, even if I don’t think so at first. Luckily, it doesn’t happen more than 8% of the time.

John Hewitt’s last blog post… 5 Ways Writers Can Get Their Lives Back

]]> By: Kim Beasley http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805104 Kim Beasley Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:20:06 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805104 <p>OK, I have to chime in on this one too. I've been there done that and have learned that it is always best to insist on the right thing, always. I learned the hard way by giving into a client's pushiness and allowing them to dictate what was best for their website even though I knew that it wouldn't work the way they wanted it too.</p> <p>In the end, it was an expensive lesson for my client because they ended up going the direction that I had suggested in the first place. This was an early lesson I learned many years ago and have since learned how to handle this type of situation much better.</p> <p>Kim Beasley's last blog post... <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CustomizeWordpress/~3/295010537/" rel="nofollow">Highlighted on Biz Pulse</a></p> OK, I have to chime in on this one too. I’ve been there done that and have learned that it is always best to insist on the right thing, always. I learned the hard way by giving into a client’s pushiness and allowing them to dictate what was best for their website even though I knew that it wouldn’t work the way they wanted it too.

In the end, it was an expensive lesson for my client because they ended up going the direction that I had suggested in the first place. This was an early lesson I learned many years ago and have since learned how to handle this type of situation much better.

Kim Beasley’s last blog post… Highlighted on Biz Pulse

]]> By: John Hewitt http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805098 John Hewitt Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:47:10 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805098 <p>@ Karen - It is hard to imagine. But the justification was that the city had a monopoly on EMS, and used it to put people out of business. Thuys, our very poorly thought out response.</p> <p>@ Mary - I have had more than one incident in which I've had to explain the flaws in a document were due to "client error".</p> <p>@ Paige - When peoples livelihoods are at risk, they tend to make even worse decisions rather than better ones. It's a strange phenomenon, but comes from desperation.</p> <p>John Hewitts last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WRC/~3/318882307/" rel="nofollow">06/24/2008 Writing Jobs and Links</a></p> @ Karen - It is hard to imagine. But the justification was that the city had a monopoly on EMS, and used it to put people out of business. Thuys, our very poorly thought out response.

@ Mary - I have had more than one incident in which I’ve had to explain the flaws in a document were due to “client error”.

@ Paige - When peoples livelihoods are at risk, they tend to make even worse decisions rather than better ones. It’s a strange phenomenon, but comes from desperation.

John Hewitts last blog post..06/24/2008 Writing Jobs and Links

]]> By: Paige Eissinger http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805097 Paige Eissinger Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:32:10 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805097 <p>Boy, does that ever strike home! I'd bet we've all done it, no matter what type of service we supply our clients. We've had it drummed into us for so long that "The customer is always right!" that we've often gone against our better judgement, and to the detriment of both the customer's and our own reputations. The real challenge for me has been to persuade the client to try an alternate approach without making him or her feel like their initial idea was bad. I like to think the idea is midguided rather than bad. I can't imagine any client purposely pursuing a bad idea, can you?</p> Boy, does that ever strike home! I’d bet we’ve all done it, no matter what type of service we supply our clients. We’ve had it drummed into us for so long that “The customer is always right!” that we’ve often gone against our better judgement, and to the detriment of both the customer’s and our own reputations. The real challenge for me has been to persuade the client to try an alternate approach without making him or her feel like their initial idea was bad. I like to think the idea is midguided rather than bad. I can’t imagine any client purposely pursuing a bad idea, can you?

]]> By: Mary McDonald, Process Improvement Specialist http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805092 Mary McDonald, Process Improvement Specialist Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:33:56 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805092 <p>I come across situations like this all the time -- I, too, learned that the client is paying me to tell the truth, not agree with them. I 'let' a client implement a clunky, awkward system because after I suggested a more streamlined approach, they said no. This person left the company, a new Quality Manager came in, and didn't want to keep me on as he thought that the clunky system was MY doing! Moral of the story - it's better to be a bit more forthright than to agree with a client's bad idea!</p> I come across situations like this all the time — I, too, learned that the client is paying me to tell the truth, not agree with them. I ‘let’ a client implement a clunky, awkward system because after I suggested a more streamlined approach, they said no. This person left the company, a new Quality Manager came in, and didn’t want to keep me on as he thought that the clunky system was MY doing! Moral of the story - it’s better to be a bit more forthright than to agree with a client’s bad idea!

]]> By: Karen Putz / DeafMom http://www.meryl.net/2008/06/when-good-clients-have-bad-ideas/#comment-805089 Karen Putz / DeafMom Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:13:11 +0000 http://www.meryl.net/?p=2991#comment-805089 <p>I have to admit, that headline shocked the heck out of me when I read it-- I guess by human nature, we can't imagine depending on anything but 911-- so I can see why the uproar unfolded from that. Thanks for sharing. I took a copywriting gig last year when I was first starting out with freelancing and I made a mistake on the very first copy and got canned. I've been sticking to non-fiction since then, but like you said-- gotta get up the courage to put it behind and move on.</p> <p>Karen Putz / DeafMoms last blog post..<a href="http://deafmomworld.com/hp_wordpress/are-you-living-your-dream-life/" rel="nofollow">Are You Living Your Dream Life?</a></p> I have to admit, that headline shocked the heck out of me when I read it– I guess by human nature, we can’t imagine depending on anything but 911– so I can see why the uproar unfolded from that.
Thanks for sharing. I took a copywriting gig last year when I was first starting out with freelancing and I made a mistake on the very first copy and got canned. I’ve been sticking to non-fiction since then, but like you said– gotta get up the courage to put it behind and move on.

Karen Putz / DeafMoms last blog post..Are You Living Your Dream Life?

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