As a commercial contractor looking to work for a number of clients and manage them as best you can, part of that effort means updating your client in line with every step of the journey.
This is not only for their peace of mind, but for yours as well. This means if a client accuses you of work not completed, or performed to an insufficient standard, then you have the recourse to prove them wrong with documented and photographic evidence.
Of course, that doesn’t mean being hostile about this negotiation is the right way to proceed. It’s important to be professional and cordial at all times, and if the disagreement persists, you can escalate this issue through the appropriate channels.
In many cases, this will become an essential topic of the future, as creative contractors are having to cope with proving that their work hasn’t, in fact, been generated by an AI. For this reason, verifying work between client and contractor is essential to get right, so both parties are happy and can move on amicably, or continue the relationship on friendly terms.
In this post, we’ll discuss how you could achieve that:
Use Essential Work & Client Management Software
Depending on the kind of work you do, many software utilities could help you schedule your jobs, assign tasks, make the most of your monthly calendar, and most of all, update and schedule projects with your client.
For example, HVAC software allows you to update the client as well as attach documents, photographs, or any supporting information to help you retain the proof of work conducted and find the best outcome as a result.
This kind of software can also help you sustain long-term relationships with your clients, such as by keeping them on file and helping them raise requests for potential maintenance within a warranty period. Depending on the suite you use, features may vary. This is why it’s important to use software dedicated to your particular industry. This will help you apply new working tools designed with the very professional perspective you operate with each day.
Offering Feedback Pathways
It’s important to provide healthy feedback pathways so that clients feel they can contact when you when they need to. That might sound obvious, but if clients have a specific place they can look for updates, they don’t have to call you on your personal contact number, nor expect you to attend to tasks at all hours of the day.
You can also refer them to your website, open an emergency contact number if necessary, and also offer a complaints line or portal so that you can attend to clients who may have questions or worries about work conducted.
Of course, it’s also healthy to have a public review space for testimonials from prior clients. This way, if a client reviews you poorly, you can prove, step by step, actions undertaken as cordially as possible. This way, other clients can see that even negative responses are treated with utmost respect, and a methodical approach to defending your brand from improper claims.
Clearly Communicable Warranties & Revisions
It’s always important to give a specific warranty duration so that clients know what to expect, and also stipulate what that means. For example, you might offer a five-year guarantee on household work conducted, with unlimited repairs in the first six months after installation for free.
Clearly, communicable revisions can also be important for creative work, such as article rewrites or changes in your graphic design. Make the client know exactly what you offer before they accept the contract, and ensure both parties agree to that before moving forward.
This means particularly challenging clients are handily managed from the offset, and you can prevent small issues from ballooning to a point that you’re not comfortable with.
Mutual Sign-Offs & Quality Sign-Offs
It’s important to make sure that you review your work conducted to absolutely make certain that finished projects have hit the level of quality assurance you’re known for. You might not sign off on any finished projects until two managers from your team have signed off on it.
This way, those you’re training, apprentices, junior members of the team, or even clients themselves can’t cause issues by committing to deviations of your standard practice, thus placing a spanner in the works of your quality control.
For example, installing a new roof you may inspect all the shingles and ensure the guttering has been installed correctly before you’re truly happy with moving on to the next step. Several levels of internal accountability help you avoid small issues biting you later on down the line, which is always an important and essential step to take.
Everything In Writing
No matter how many quality assurances, updates, and positive feedback mechanisms you put in place, none of it is worth anything if you don’t document everything in writing. Any agreements must be written and agreed to with the correct signatures. Important correspondence should be noted within the case file. Don’t move forward with anything (like the purchasing of specific materials) without that being embedded in the contract.
It’s also important to back up any communication related to the running of your business. That might mean saving backup texts on work phones, emails, documents in cloud storage files, and anything else you feel is most relevant.
You never know when this backup could be needed to resolve a dispute. Perhaps a client might complain that you’ve only attended to the drive and not the formatting of the border wall of the garden, only for you to showcase that there were no stipulations or communications about providing said wall.
When you have everything in writing, you make any prospective legal counsel so much easier to handle and can sustain your reputation despite difficult clients. Note that this is just good business practice, not just a self-protective measure. It adds to the clarity and healthy management of your organization.
Security In Communications
Of course, it’s essential to manage client data and secure correspondence. It may not seem it, but even the most tepid conversations can be personal to your clients. For example, a client may not be too happy to see details of the dimensions of their house less secure thant they could be.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you use encrypted messaging services, that all correspondence is backed up through secure server management (managed IT services and the aforementioned software can help you commit to the correct standards), and that all personal and identifying data is appropriately handled.
You can also add certain essential information of note to client files, such as their invoice payment habits, provided they are secured and only approved members of management can visit them as appropriate.
Comprehensive Contracts Cause Clarity (CCCC)
Keep this motto in mind and you’ll be able to prevent any and all miscommunication issues. No one wants to have to deal with these, and so making sure no verbal agreement is good enough for work to be conducted should be a mantra you teach your team.
Here you can also manage curating comprehensive yet clear contacts without all the small print or endless terms and conditions that seek to confuse rather than stipulate with clarity. If you’re known for an easy, yet secure and informative onboarding process, you can bet that clients will positively rate you for such a virtue.
With this advice, you’re certain to better verify the work conducted between you the contractor, and your cherished clients going forward.
