Thursdays with Tushar - Is the cilent always right?
View Comments Published by on 12/6/07 at 00:02.
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"Sir, I am working in a medium sized PR agency as an Account Director in the NCR. Recently, I went for a client meeting along with a team. We had a small argument with the client representative on some event we were planning for and though we arrived at a mutually agreed solution to that problem, he contacted CEO of our company and complained about us with adding more fuel to it and in the end, we felt the ire of our CEO without any fault of our team. This was very demoralising and disturbing for all of us.This leads me to a question, why do we always believe that client is right? Why can't the bosses have trust on their own team? Would you help us understand this issue? - Vikas & Team"
Dear Vikas:
I am not surprised. We have heard so many such stories. We also read a lot on 'Customer is King', 'Customer is always right' and 'Grahak hamara bhagwan hain' and so on... The client is paying the money to the company, while you are being paid by the company. Am I sprinkling salt on your wounds? Hold on. Don't reach to any conclusion yet.
The problem may not be you or your team. The problem may not be the client or his behavior either. The problem may lie within your organization. Let me try and give you some examples, you can choose whatever best is applicable to your life and time!
a) The organisation is small and surviving on few clients: This is the most common cause of such instances. Once your company's weakness is exposed to any client, he or she is likely to take maximum advantage of it. He will make you do extra work than you need to do. He will make you do things, which are beyond your contract or job description. He will also delay payments and try to take advantage of the situation in a best possible manner. I am not saying that all clients are like this, but this is more to do with human nature - we are all sadistic by nature and such behavior is reflection of this reality
b) When a client-advisor relationship is converted into master-servant relationship: This is another cause. Look at the relationship and how it is being handled by your organization for various clients. It is more of a 'yes sir' approach by your coworkers/bosses or they have been advisers to the clients. If the relationship has been handled in a 'master-servant' manner and client is used to it, he or she may not like your suggesting something (even if it is an idea better than that of his or hers) good for the client organization. It is again a realm of human psychology where not many people like being challenged upon on their authority
c) When a business relationship is converted into a personal relationship: Well, client is your best buddy and you enjoy your evenings together - going for drinks, discos and generally having fun together. Great going! Not really. This is a biggest mistake we make. In such environment, we forget that we are client-agency and take a different trip by talking about personal lives, office politics, and so on without knowing the repercussion of such talks. Revealing too many secrets so that clients start taking you for granted is a dangerous situation to land yourself in to. Maintaining a safe distance and never forgetting that the person sitting across the table and gulping beer is not your friend is the secret to a long lasting professional and respectable client-agency relationship.
d) When your organization is not confident about the business they are in: Phew! How is it possible? Anything is possible in this world, my dear friend - anything is possible. I have come across many such organizations which are there because they are there. The purpose of their existence is known only to the man on top. They lack focus, vision, dynamism and sometimes even adequate infrastructure to execute the very business they are supposed to perform. Purposeful existence is the key.
e) When your boss is under tremendous pressure: Do bosses have a pressure? (Now, please don't read between the lines!) They do have lot of pressure. Managing the organization, surviving the business environment, fighting the competition and making enough money to pay your salaries and office rent. He has to undergo all such things, which may not be visible to you and me - and last thing he expects is to listen to client's crib (right or wrong is secondary). Unless, he is running a highly successful business and in a position to trust you fully (there are various factors, which we may discuss later) he is always going to stick to 'Customer is always right' strategy even when deep within he knows that 'Customer is not always right'.
All the best, Vikas and keep writing to us!
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Excellent writeup Tushar. Many of us have worked in small agencies at some point and can relate to what you are saying.
Many small agencies also service small companies that may not have any inkling on PR and might have dozen unreasonable expectations. Of course there are those small agencies that services big MNCs.
Learning professionals in their young years should be exposed to the right practices less they get the wrong impression of what PR is about. This is critical today.
good write up boss.
"When we do not provide value."
When we do, however, provide value as a partner who knows the business, can offer strategic advice, have done our homework (at all levels), I have seen...nothing comes in the way of earning respect, then size doesn't matter; personal relationships don't come in the way.
Dear Rajesh:
Good insights. The value is important so does values. The case here was not about value not being added but a problem of the value not being acknowledged in the right spirit. However, the insights provided by you are extremely important for all PR Pros to follow. Good thought Rajesh.
Take care.