BGE Software Publications

Anteo Java News - Anteogroup Newsletter

Fall 2005 Issue

Customer Service and the Software Consultant

By Gil Estes, President - BGE Software, Inc.

Being a software consultant, I find myself having to balance the needs and wants of the client with working to do what is right. Typically the players involved are you (the consultant) and a manager or technical lead (the client). Seldom do you get the opportunity to work with the truly senior executive leadership of a company. Most likely it will be with a mid-tier management position of some kind.

In a Perfect World
In a perfect world, you are brought in by a confident, self-assured manager who is technically savvy, experienced and successful. This person has a solid understanding of the business issues involved, the technical possibilities and what is a good solution. A true communicator, this person will also be open to suggestions from you, the hired consultant.

In a Less than Perfect World
Unfortunately, there are those times when this is not the case. The client (manager) may be relatively inexperienced and therefore, lacks the understanding of just what it takes to get the job done. In addition, they may have read a few too many “technology of the month” articles in the weekly trade publications.

In my experience, I have had the privilege to work with some outstanding clients who fell into the former category. If all of your clients are like this, then you need read no further. If not, read on....

Identify the Goal
More than likely, the actual scenario will fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Either way, the first thing to do is identify what the goals of the project and/or your role are. At the highest level, the fundamental goal of both the client and you should be to have a successful, satisfied client. How to go about achieving that goal is the focus of this article.

The Customer is NOT Always Right
For many, the old saying "The customer is always right" seems to be a safe path to follow. This is what worked in our parents’ generation and has proven to be a hallmark of retail sales for decades. This is also what some clients are looking for. But what happens when the client is just plain wrong? In this case you have a few options:

Do what the client wants since they are, after all, writing the checks.
This will almost surely result in an "unsatisfied" client when, in the end, the project fails. Even though you can say "It wasn't my idea," you will surely be blamed because you are, after all, the consultant. In addition to being blamed, seldom is a consultant retained who is "perceived" as responsible for a failed effort.

Do what you think is right, in spite of what the client wants.
In this instance, if you end up with a solution that accomplishes the task, the client may be appreciative and grateful. At the same time, depending on the client’s ego, you may also alienate the client so that even though the problem is solved, any chance of further work with that client will be gone. Then again, if you miss the mark, and you did it your own way, you will surely be blamed and not hired again for future work. In a worst case scenario, you may even find yourself open to legal issues.

Illuminate the perceived issues for the client to see.
If you understand your role as one of "helping" the client, then the best option would be to help them discover the problems and possible resolutions. But how do you do this without coming off as arrogant?

Ask Questions.
Ask lots of questions. Even if you know the answers, ask questions that will make your client think. By asking intelligent questions, you show your client that you are interested in doing more than just coding a solution. It shows that you want to have a deeper understanding of what they are trying to accomplish. It will also force the client to understand "why" they are doing certain things, and may show where there are short comings in their thought process. The key here is self-discovery.

Provide Examples.
Provide examples of how others have solved a similar problem. For the purpose of discussion, it never hurts to have an example or two available that show how a similar issue was resolved successfully. When presented as a question (What if we approached it like ACME, Ltd did in this article I read... ), it will come across as trying find alternative, successful methods of accomplishing the clients objectives.

Understand the Client.
Not understanding the client is probably the single biggest mistake I have seen consultants make. Try to understand where your client is coming from. They just might have a valid reason for wanting things done in a certain manner. They just might have a better understanding of the business need than you do, and there may be other factors driving the decision. Again, ask questions. By asking questions, it may reveal flaws in your own thought process, and will again show that you are taking more than just a passing interest in their needs.

To summarize, a primary key for success as a consultant is understanding that your job is to help the client succeed. To accomplish this, it may mean going beyond doing just what the client asks. It may well mean pushing for deeper understanding on both your part and that of the client by asking questions that help you both come to an understanding of how best to satisfy his needs. By doing this, you put yourself into a role of partner who will be called back again and again for future projects.