IT problems are often what throws your project off track.  This in turn has the potential to negatively impact your client relationships.  Here are some ideas for mitigating the impact on your client when you encounter IT problems.

Common IT Problems and Client Management
Communication is the key to lessening the impact of your IT problems.  Typically the IT problems you will encounter come in four categories:

  • Skills
  • Deadline
  • Compatibility
  • Data Loss
If the IT problem is a skills issue:
  • Offer to locate an expert for the client.  
  • Obtain approval for an hour or two of exploratory work to better define the IT problem.  
  • Stall for a day or two, if you have to, and tell the client that you have an IT problem that you’d like to consult with other people on.
If the IT problem is a deadline issue:
  • When clients have a rush job, or they are pushing to get a project done faster than your comfort level, you need to be upfront about the issues you face because of it.
  • Give them options to solve a deadline related IT problem:  tell them additional help will cost $X or we can do it in-house by such and such a date.  
  • Allow the client be in control of the solution decision.  
If the IT problem is a compatibility issue:
  • Get approval for a couple of hours of lab piloting or testing.  This gives you time to figure out what the root of the IT problem is.  
  • Include a clause in your service agreements whereby clients agree to a reasonable amount of testing for any IT problems related to non-standard applications you are required to support.
If the IT problem is a data-loss issue:
  • A proactive way to address this type of IT problem is to simply have a policy where you do not do in-place upgrades.  Tell your clients up front that this is your policy.
  • Try not to install things on top of each other.  
  • Insist on parallel installation and perform some kind of staging whenever you can.
  • Always do tests.
  • Don’t assume the backups are working.
Bottom Line on IT Problems
Communication is the key to solving IT problems.  Your relationship management will be greatly enhanced when you keep your clients informed.  As long as you give the client sufficient notice and as much information as you can, the IT problems you encounter should be smoothed out with little effect on the client.

In this article, you’ve been introduced to IT Problems. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about IT Problems, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.