Last weekend, a client of mine called me in a panic with a problem completely unrelated to website design. About 3 minutes into the call I realized that there was a 95% chance that the problem was not fixable (based on past experience.)
At this moment I had 2 options: communicate that I didn’t think the problem was fixable and get off the phone or try a number of different things in an attempt to find a solution, even if chances of success were bad. I told her that I had bad news: “The problem is likely not fixable, but with your permission I’d like to try out a number of different approaches that have a slim chance of working but we could get lucky.” She agreed and we explored several different ways of solving this problem.
At the end of 20 minutes, we had tried everything possible and what was clear to me at the beginning of the call was now clear to my client. The problem was not fixable and we had to proceed while accepting this reality. She thanked me for spending 20 minutes of my Sunday evening trying to help her.
I normally don’t take client calls on weekends but for some I did. And at the end of the call, it was clear to me that I likely have a loyal customer for life in her. If I had ended the call at the 3 minute mark, it could/would have come across as not caring to someone in a panic.
Bottom-line: Sometimes a solid effort is what it takes to communicate that you care.
