My business develops mobile apps for clients. They love when I analyze major announcements from Apple / Google and explain how the new features may apply to their apps. They feel they have a partner, and it typically results in new development for us.
Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
31–40 of 288 posts
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#32One thing we did a few years ago when we found that a customer didn't use revision control was to bring in a server. A small PC with Linux, Subversion and Trac. We not only could explain the benefits of RCS, but the customer could see changes, att issues, get them resolved etc. When the job was done, the customer kept the machine.
I occasionally bump into old customers and many still run the same server. All of them are today using revision control systems.
So basically we didn't just provide a tech solution, but also brought in methodology and free tools to implement that methodology.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#33I never disagree with a client. Even if I internally feel it won't work in reality, I always start my response with "That's an excellent idea you proposed, let me try if it works and get back to you". I come back after a day or two as to why the proposal won't work (if it was a bad idea to begin with) with sufficient data. Client is happy you that you considered his proposal and you've avoided a potential standoff th…
Depending on the context in which you do this, you've also just wasted 2 days of billable time.
If you know it won't work from the start, you're not providing value to your customer by fake considering it.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#34Use CloudFormation to do anything.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#35I never disagree with a client. Even if I internally feel it won't work in reality, I always start my response with "That's an excellent idea you proposed, let me try if it works and get back to you". I come back after a day or two as to why the proposal won't work (if it was a bad idea to begin with) with sufficient data. Client is happy you that you considered his proposal and you've avoided a potential standoff th…
and it's billable!
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#36I never disagree with a client. Even if I internally feel it won't work in reality, I always start my response with "That's an excellent idea you proposed, let me try if it works and get back to you". I come back after a day or two as to why the proposal won't work (if it was a bad idea to begin with) with sufficient data. Client is happy you that you considered his proposal and you've avoided a potential standoff th…
Interesting. We usually say that a good consultant should be senior enough to stand up to the customer and at least be able to inquire the basis for something. And also disagree when the customer is clearly wrong. But your way of doing it clearly removes the initial head-on.
One could always reason about things. But to promise to investigate (and then deliver) looks (and is) professional.
But I will never say yes when a customer suggests to "encrypt dsta using the cipher md5". Yes it has happened. More than once.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#37We call them back.
I run The Human Utility (formerly the Detroit Water Project) and we help folks with their water bills. When they reach us, they're used to dealing with other social service agencies that aren't very responsive and don't do something as basic as ever calling them back. We do and we find that people are grateful even for that.
Edit: People are happy to hear from us regardless of whether we actually help with their bills. If we say we can't, at least they know to try elsewhere and can do so fairly quickly.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#38I never disagree with a client. Even if I internally feel it won't work in reality, I always start my response with "That's an excellent idea you proposed, let me try if it works and get back to you". I come back after a day or two as to why the proposal won't work (if it was a bad idea to begin with) with sufficient data. Client is happy you that you considered his proposal and you've avoided a potential standoff th…
Depending on the context in which you do this, you've also just wasted 2 days of billable time. If you know it won't work from the start, you're not providing value to your customer by fake considering it.
Good counterpoint. Obvious errors you should not spend much time on. But providing some references to why is probably better than simply stating "no".
And I don't think the parent comment suggested to fake work and bill for work not done.
We should always be honest.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#39Look at how many of the answers in this thread are simply about communicating effectively.
That mirrors my experience when I was on the service provider side, and as someone who is now consuming those same services, I can confirm that I am most impressed by my providers when the communications are focused, helpful and timely.
Re: Ask HN: What is something you do for clients that consistently blows them away?
#40I discuss wit a client about some data they collect using an Excel form. Prototype quickly under one hour a small CRUD app based on Django and set Django Import-Export [0]
Get an easier Excel sheet containing data. They're gaga about that. I've won contracts just by showing them that they will get all the data in an Excel sheet.
[0]: https://github.com/django-import-export/django-import-export