The Client Dynamic with the AM Squad
Marmeto’s been around for almost 4 years now. In our time as tech partners for brands, we’ve seen it all! Every problem, every issue, every worry, everything.
We've worked on dedicated solutions, seen how each impacts business, and experienced the change in Indian as well as overseas ecommerce culture. What we’ve also seen are different kinds of clients and how each personality type impacts the project. Our account managers are the first responders in almost all cases and while we want to believe it's smooth sailing, it’s not always the case!
Rightly so too as human interaction is ruled by emotions and personalities!
Put different personality types together and it's one hot pot of a dynamic and constantly challenging environment. Much like the websites we work on!
We spoke to our account managers at length to understand the different clients they've come across and what they felt about working with them!
The “Perfect” Client:
The perfect client is honestly one that’s open to suggestions and solutions! We've had many such clients over the years that do not have the required tech background or tech expertise but allow us to experiment and come up with the perfect solution for them. They rely on our expertise and experience. I remember once a client wanted the website’s product page redesigned and redeveloped. As per my experience, I suggested full-size images for all products and he loved it! We went ahead and developed it and it’s doing superbly well today!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Accelerated Deadline” Client:
We've had quite a few of these over the years. Be it 21 days or 3 days, we’ve done it all. Product launch, website launch, website redevelopment, we’ve seen it all! I remember once for a new product launch for a client, we worked from 6 am to 12 am straight! As our primary POC was not available due to personal reasons, our CEO stepped in and ensured the project went smoothly! After the launch, the client appreciated us for getting it all done perfectly on time and that appreciation went a long way in lifting the team’s spirits!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Considerate” Client:
This is one special client we will always remember! We had worked on some solutions over the weekend outside our scope of work and genuinely forgotten to raise an invoice for it. Little did we expect the client to come back and remind us to raise an invoice for the same! It was a very different experience to see a client appreciate us the way this client did!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “I’m a Tech Newbie” Client:
We often come across clients who have limited or in some cases no tech background and understanding but they need dedicated solutions. And they needed it yesterday! In many cases, what they need vs what they want are two different things and that’s where we step in as tech partners. Through our expertise, we explain everything to them and come to a mutually agreed-upon solution. From then on it’s all about building their trust in us and we do that with our well-developed and integrated solutions and open communication channels!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “We could have handled it better” Client:
This happened sometime back when I was handling a client who had previously had some work done with us. Due to miscommunication in the initial days of onboarding the client for the second time, I was unaware of the previous custom implementation on their website. So I went about explaining the process as per my usual brief and the client was a little upset with it. The expected and what transpired were a little different and his anger was justified. We could have handled it better!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Angry” Client:
We had a client come up with a requirement that could be solved with third-party integration. So we got the client connected with a third-party app but there was an issue with the integration. The client got back and expected us to solve it. However, we explained that it wasn’t in our control but that didn't help. To say he was very angry would be an understatement. It’s rare but we do come across such issues.
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “I need to escalate this” Client:
I was once told that I wasn’t proactive enough in sharing the details as the client had been waiting for some required updates. Internally, we had been facing an issue getting the required information but as I’m the first responder for my clients, I had to face the fireworks. There were a few other occasions when the client needed some information and I couldn't answer it directly as it was very technical. So, that escalated. Sure, I felt bad but I do understand the stress and tension under which brands operate. What might seem a small bit of information for us, might be a huge bit for the brands. Now I try to get information across as soon as I can.
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Just Get it Done” Client:
There was a project Marmeto had worked on before I joined. As luck would have it, a new project for the same client landed in my kitty. For unknown reasons, this project was always delayed and I tried my best to bring it back on track. Deadlines were missed and the client dissatisfaction was growing. This doesn't usually happen at Marmeto and it was puzzling to us all. The client had reached out to me on all possible channels and I had tried my best to assure them of the closure. We somehow closed it and got it done. While a one off thing, we learned a great lesson here as a team!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Payment will be delayed” Client:
Once we had provided a dedicated solution to a client after thorough testing. The client, unfortunately, went into the Shopify backend and made some inputs expecting it to appear on the front end, but it doesn't work like that. So they came back to us with a requirement but refused to clear the pending invoice before beginning the new project. We did our best to explain the dynamics of it. However, we’re still waiting to receive the payment today.
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “I’ll always have a general distrust in you” Client:
There was a client once who needed the website developed. As per the requirements we went ahead and did it. Post completion, we shared all accesses with them in working condition. However, the payment was withheld as they needed a KT and thought we might not do that once the payment was made. I assured them that the KT will be done but then they came up with a few revisions which were not under the SOW. Due to the back and forth, disappointment flared but we did our best to instill their trust in us. Currently, we’re working on a few revisions and expect this to be sorted very soon!
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
The “Frustrating” Client:
This happened once when we had a POC from the client’s side who did not have the required decision-making authority. So it happened that even with us suggesting solutions and alternatives, we would never get any informed response. The baton would be passed from person to person causing delays. This caused a delay for the team as well as led to my tasks going into the pending pile for days. I believe one of their calls went on for 4 hours. It was a difficult time.
~Account Manager @ Marmeto
Conclusion
- Dealing with 10-15 clients daily can take its toll and when escalations, issues, and problems surface, the going gets hard!
- We cannot help but admire the tenacity, empathy, and determination with which our account managers handle every solution while trying their best to minimize damage and maintain client satisfaction.
- Every business faces client dissatisfaction at some point or the other but it’s learning from mistakes and never making them again that makes us different.