Client management at Task Papa! You learn to walk after you fall!

Getting a client is tough, sustaining them is ultra-tough!

Early days at Task Papa were super challenging. Day in day out we use to struggle a lot to get clients on board. But things started working out slowly and steadily until the day came when we lost our first client.

Things changed completely. Like every startup even we realized that getting clients on board is nice but sustaining them is the main goal of startups, SMB, and any form of organization.

In short – One of our executives had extended his break by few minutes. Our client Stanley (last name withheld by choice) was not informed about the same. We never thought few minutes will make any difference but it did. Stanley called for some urgent work and Mr. Task Officer of Task Papa was not at his desk. We missed his call. Second try and missed again. No third try – direct email stating that our service was poor. Thanks.

Indeed, it was. We lost a client in 3 minutes and realized that probably getting a client on board is just a start, the honeymoon period. The real challenge begins after the client has signed up with your services.

Things changed, goals changed, plans changed, the strategy changed…

Fast forward – 4 years now and we have not lost a single client except the ones who decide to move on happily after the contract is done. Since then taking care of our client has been on our priority list along with few other important activities.

So how did this happen?

We feel it’s important to share it with everyone whether you are SMB or just a startup.

Here is what we RELIGIOUSLY FOLLOW:

1) Every Client is special:

Yes, every client. No matter small or big. If they are paying you then they deserve to get better attention from you and better service from you. Please don’t differentiate between your clients based on the size of the product they buy from you. This leads to negligence towards small clients and ultimately you will end up losing them. Negative feedback is all it takes to spoil your brand.

2) Your employees need to be trained and nurtured:

An employee with a healthy mind is half the job done. It is often said that all we need to do is take care of our employees and they will take care of our clients. Make sure that your employees are well informed about the rules related to your company and client. Train them well. You don’t have to be rigid towards them to make them follow the rules. Instead, explain to them the importance of all the rules on the daily basis. Slowly and steadily you will note that things are much disciplined than before.

You would like to check our other blog on Employee Nurturing at Task Papa

3) Customer service is a key to success:

Your client’s job is not to pay you the money and forget it. Their job is to ask you for a better service, in return, your job is to give them what they want and deserve. We have noticed that many people forget to make clients happy once they get the payment. My question is Why? Is that all you need to survive in the market?

No. A happy customer is what a business should look for.

Make sure that your customers are happy. Inform them of the rules that you follow in advance. Let them set the expectations and ask for better services from you. In case of emergency please inform them as soon as you come to know about the issue. No need to keep them waiting and then tell no. It’s a big harm to your customer service. We at Task Papa inform our client about the issues on time. Don’t worry about a bad impression. Be honest. Trust me, they will cooperate.

Remember:

Deliver everything to them that you have committed but commit only what you can deliver.

Alternatively, follow up with them on the regular basis regarding the concerns they are facing. Ask for feedback and areas where you can improve. The best advice in the area of improvement will come from your client. Remember that’s what their expectation is from you which is coming to you in the form of advice.

And Bingo!

Your client will always be yours if they need a similar service.

Of course, all the points mentioned above are the key points to make your client happy. Apart from that, we can’t ignore the points like – Being flexible in payment date and payment options, putting extra hours on weekdays and even on weekends if the client needs it on priority, sending them emails during occasions and festivals, etc. It’s a mix and match of everything but for a start, follow the key points and see the outcome.

So did Mr. Stanley came back? No. We lost an awesome client who taught us a beautiful lesson on client management. In better words – Stanley gets the credit for all the clients who are happy with our services now.

Four years down the line we are still learning and implementing new ways to keep our clients happy and this is ongoing.

Let’s share and learn: How do you take care of your clients? Send your answers in the comments. Let other people read them and create a good and healthy atmosphere for our respective clients.