The Art Of Client Service, Revised And Updated Edition Part 8

CHAPTER 48.

No Surprises about Money or Time After I took over running a major account at one of the agencies I worked for, I discovered the agency had, during a period of seven months, exceeded the agreed-on fee budget by nearly $1 million (yes, $1 million). The client/agency relationship had been rocky, and the previous leadership on the account chose not to disclose the fee overrun to the client, fearing it would jeopardize the account.

I inherited this problem knowing that a cardinal rule of account service is to never surprise your clients about a cost overrun or a scheduling delay. But I had the advantage of being the new guy on the account. I investigated the cost overrun. It appeared that roughly half of it was due to agency inefficiency, the other half due to excessive client changes and unbudgeted additional a.s.signments.

When the client made revisions to the work and added a.s.signments, the agency of course should have adjusted its budgets and secured client approval for the higher fees. The agency, fearing for the future of the account, failed to do this. Over time, as the problem grew larger and larger, it became increasingly difficult to address. Rather than bringing up the issue with the client, the account team ignored it. When the agency's accounting department pressed the account team to speak with the client, the account people responded, "If we do, we'll lose the account!"

I told my management that I was going to settle the issue without delay. I prepared them to expect nothing better than half of the $1 million overage. Then I went to see the client. I took her through the problem, apologized for the agency's failure to disclose it, offered to have the agency absorb half the overage, and a.s.sured them it would never happen again.

Instead of being angry, which she had every right to be, and instead of firing the agency on the spot, which she easily could have done, the client accepted my apology and my solution. We went on to have a very productive relationship for years thereafter.

This was a problem not of my own making, but even so, I vowed I would never be placed in that position again. I made a commitment to myself that I would always advise clients up front about the cost and timing implications of their decisions, so they could make fully informed decisions.

When a client calls with a change or a request, it can make you feel a little uncomfortable to say, "Let me figure out what the change will cost and if it will have an impact on the schedule, then get right back to you." But you owe it to your clients, and to your agency, to do exactly that. By doing so, you avoid the perils of "scope creep," when a project grows beyond what initially was planned. And you avoid any after-the-fact surprises that result in painful consequences, ranging from a loss of money, to a loss of trust, to a lost account.

CHAPTER 49.

Deal with Trouble Head-On Advertising is people intensive. Given the number of hands that touch even the simplest a.s.signment, it is astonishing how much work gets produced error-free.

Still, things get derailed; on occasion, there is a full-scale train wreck. A deadline gets blown. There is a mistake in a print ad. The wrong commercial gets shipped.

When something goes awry, get to your client with a full explanation of what happened and why. Whenever possible, be prepared to outline one or more ways to address the problem. Move quickly; you want to deliver the bad news to the clients. You don't want them to hear it from another source.

If the agency is on the hook for serious money, get senior management involved immediately and work out what you are prepared to do financially before you call the client. Volunteer the financial solution before the client asks for it.

Above all, never, ever lie to your client. Sure you might get away with it this time. At some point, though, you won't. Once you're caught in a lie, your single greatest a.s.set-your credibility-will be gone forever.

CHAPTER 50.

If Things Go Wrong, Take the Blame Steve Gardner, president of Gardner Nelson & Partners, says, "The best account people have such a profound sense of responsibility that they literally find a way to blame themselves for anything that goes wrong." He's right, and that's the way it should be.

Years ago an agency creative director and I had lunch with a trade publication reporter. The reporter asked about the work we were doing for one client. The creative director explained that we were working on a new product launch for that client. The reporter took note, and a couple of days later the published story on our agency included a reference to the client's product launch.

There was just one small problem: The client had not announced the new product yet.

The client was furious when he called me. He demanded to know how the agency could be so stupid. I explained it was my fault. I didn't say anything about the creative director spilling the news. As far as I was concerned, it was my job to make sure the creative director didn't reveal anything confidential. I wasn't the author of the mistake, but I didn't think twice about taking ownership of it.

You provide air cover for everyone in the agency. If something goes wrong in media, in creative, in production, then it happened on your watch. You are responsible. Take ownership, and be prepared to take the heat from the client.

CHAPTER 51.

What Happens When I Screw Up?

Alittle earlier in this book, I said that when working with clients, there should be absolutely no surprises about money or time. You'll recall that I rode in on the proverbial white horse to rescue my agency from a very difficult financial situation. My solution was actually quite simple-split the dollar difference and learn a lesson-but it saved the agency, and it kept our client. I was pretty proud of myself for being so wise and resourceful.

But enough about this rare occasion of personal competence. Let's talk instead about a more frequent example of when I screwed up.

The story begins innocently enough. I wrote a direct mail recommendation for a client that included a rough cost estimate and a projected mail quant.i.ty. I developed the estimate on a fairly logical set of a.s.sumptions based on my years of experience, and I felt I was safe with the number.

My client liked what I presented and gave us approval to proceed. I wrote a creative brief, confirmed a schedule, and met with the creative team. After some back-and-forth with the writer, art director, and creative director, we arrived at a couple of ideas we liked. We took them to the client. And after a few more back-and-forths, we arrived at a plan that pleased all of us.

I then wrote detailed specifications for the idea and put the job out to bid.

The numbers came back. We were over budget. Not by 10 percent, or even 20 percent, which I might have been able to defend. No, as I added up the costs, it became clear that we were over by more than twice what I had estimated earlier. Yes, that's right: the actual cost was more than twice what I had said the work would cost.

These were not hourly fees that we could absorb, which would be bad enough; these were hard costs due to third parties. It's a good thing the windows didn't open, because I might have been inclined to jump.

Because jumping was out, I needed another solution. I thought about revising or eliminating some of the pieces that would go in the package. But in the end, it became clear only one thing would truly make an impact: cut the mailing quant.i.ty.

I asked our printer to refigure the package at 50 percent of the original press run. To my eternal relief, the numbers came back nearly on target. And although the final mailing would be half the initial estimate, it still would be larger and more ambitious than anything the client had previously attempted. That at least was one positive note in an otherwise grim reality.

Now all I had to do was to sell this to the client, but there was one complicating factor: I was scheduled to go out of town the following week, and I wouldn't be able to speak with him face-to-face. No problem, I thought-I'll write him an email (remember Chapter 46 Chapter 46)?

Over the weekend, I wrote a long, meticulously detailed a.n.a.lysis of the problem, described the various solutions I explored, then offered the solution. Before I pressed "send," I wanted another opinion, so I emailed the doc.u.ment to a colleague for a comment. He wrote back: "You cannot send this email. This problem is too serious, and the solution too complicated, for email. It needs a 'live' discussion."

He was right of course; it was if he had read my book and I hadn't. I thought about it for a minute, and although it was Sat.u.r.day, decided to reschedule my out-of-town meeting. I then wrote to my client and scheduled a meeting on Monday.

On Monday, I took him through the whole situation: the source of the problem, the possible solutions, and the recommendation. I admit I cringed when he said, "You are actually double the budget? How can that possibly, possibly be?" But without further complaint, with no invective, and to his eternal credit, he focused on the problem. He was largely responsible for our working out something satisfactory. It wasn't a happy meeting, but we got done what we needed to get done.

Now I could say this outcome would have been very different had I not gotten to know this client well and had I not developed a measure of trust and mutual respect along the way. But that's not what I'm going to say. I've been in this business for nearly 30 years and certainly knew better, and yet I still managed to screw up big-time.

The lesson? Do not a.s.sume anything, and never, ever be as glib or as cavalier as I was about money. Check and recheck your claims, then check them again. Above all, remember your own advice. And by G.o.d, follow it.

Socializing

CHAPTER 52.

Remember the Personal Side of Business Relationships I was only five minutes late for the client dinner. When I arrived, I found everyone seated. A place was left for me at the end of the table. Nothing wrong with that, except . . . was only five minutes late for the client dinner. When I arrived, I found everyone seated. A place was left for me at the end of the table. Nothing wrong with that, except . . .

Except that I was seated next to agency colleagues, not clients. The clients were at the other end of a long table. I had to shout my greeting to them.

This was not what I expected. What I expected was a well-orchestrated seating arrangement. Because there were no place cards to direct people, seating became an ad hoc affair, clients sitting with clients, and agency people also bunched together. A primary purpose of any client/agency dinner is to get to know one another better. The best way to ensure this is to intersperse client and agency people, with attention paid to specific pairings.

I made the best of a less-than-optimal situation. From my end-of-the-table perch, I offered a toast to recognize a successful year of partnership, and to wish for many more holiday celebrations together. I conducted an impromptu wine tasting. When a moment presented itself to switch seats, I did, so I could talk with a couple of clients.

The evening was lovely; we all enjoyed ourselves. But for me it was a missed opportunity to get to know the clients better.

If you're responsible for conducting a social event with your client, make sure you take it as seriously as any business meeting. Make sure you plan every detail, to ensure you get the maximum benefit from the event.

If you have clients coming from out of town, meet their plane personally. If you work in a city where that is impractical-New York, Chicago, or LA-have a reliable car service, one you know well, meet and bring them to your office. Ask the car service to send a sedan, not a stretch (it's business, not the prom).

Before your client visits, offer to make hotel reservations, or at least offer suggestions of good hotels, consistent with the client's travel budget and policies, conveniently located near to the agency. Once you know where the client is staying, call the hotel's front desk manager to see if you can arrange a complimentary room upgrade.

Then call the concierge to arrange to have an amenity placed in their room prior to arrival. It could be flowers, a bottle of mineral water, a bowl of fresh fruit, or all of these. Include a welcome note from the agency. The client will appreciate and be impressed by this small gesture.

Arrange for transportation to and from the hotel to the agency. Also arrange to have the car service take the client back to the airport at the conclusion of the visit.

Ask your client to have dinner with you, either the night before the meeting or the evening after its conclusion. a.s.suming the client says yes, choose a restaurant that you know well, that will make your client feel both comfortable and special, and is quiet enough to conduct a conversation. You need to know your client's tastes, preferences, and special needs. A casual and unintimidating place, or a temple of fine dining? A cla.s.sic experience, or the latest hot spot?

Cast the dinner with care. Whom do the clients know and like? Whom do they need to meet, or get to know better? Who is good with clients at these events?

Generally follow the rule of having no more than two agency people for every client person in attendance. You want the agency people to focus on the client, not on each other. The 2:1 maximum ratio ensures that; 1:1 is even better. Besides, more than two agency people per client makes the dinner look like a boondoggle. That's not the impression you want to make on your clients, your colleagues, or your management.

A small group is better for business discussion; a large group is better for pure fun. Fun is good; fun is a legitimate client-dinner objective. You want the clients to enjoy the experience, and it's great if you and your team enjoy it as well.

If it's a large group, use place cards so you can orchestrate a seating arrangement that meets your business needs. You might want the client to get to know certain people; you might want certain team members seated next to certain clients because you think they'll connect on a personal level.

In advance of the dinner, arrange a special menu and have printed copies at each place at the table. This simplifies the evening, makes it feel more special, plus removes prices from view, which is a nice touch.

Talk to the restaurant manager about where the group will be placed in the dining room. It might be preferable to select a restaurant that has a private dining room. On the other hand, the buzz of the main dining room might be more enjoyable.

Run any dinner, large or small, as you would a meeting. Arrive ahead of your clients or with them. Start on time. Act as the host; oversee the conversation, but do not dominate it. Keep every client engaged.

Keep it lively: Conduct a wine or beer tasting, share some appetizers, have the chef talk about the menu, make some toasts. Do whatever is appropriate for the occasion.

Handle the bill in advance, so you don't have to deal with it at the end of the evening, in front of the clients.

Remember that the dinner, while social, is still a business event. Watch what you drink. Keep an eye and ear open for cues from your clients, spoken or nonverbal. End the evening early if you are meeting the following morning or if the clients are leaving early-unless, of course, the clients want to continue the party. If that's the case, have an after-dinner destination in mind. If it's a group of young clients, it might be a dance club. If the clients are older, maybe a jazz club.

Make sure your clients get back to their hotel safely. Arrange for a car service; escort them if necessary.

Call each client the following day. Tell them how much you appreciate their spending the evening with the agency. Let them know you and your colleagues had a good time. Reinforce the message in a handwritten note to each client.

Then remember to thank your colleagues for joining you. For them, no matter how enjoyable the evening was, it still was an evening away from their family and friends. It still was business.

CHAPTER 53.

Take On the Coloration of Your Clients, But Do Not Compromise Your Character Some of my clients seem to live for golf; they don't just play it, they breathe it. I don't play golf, but I can talk it. I make a point to read the sports reporting on major golf tournaments. That way, if my clients want to talk about how Tiger Woods blew up at the British Open, I'll be ready.

I'm also ready to talk about the latest movie, the hottest Broadway show, or some new restaurant everyone is raving about. From bowling to Beethoven, it doesn't matter. If you're going to be good at account work, you need to be interested in whatever your client is interested in. That means being a voracious consumer of popular culture, and at least on pa.s.sing terms with higher-brow pursuits.

You also need to be wise enough to sidestep discussions of politics, religion, or controversial subjects best avoided. No matter how friendly you become, remember that clients are still clients, not friends, and edit yourself accordingly.

Client service requires you to be flexible, open-minded, and able to handle the unexpected with grace. It also requires you to never compromise your integrity, honesty, or sense of fairness.

Be a good listener. Take a sincere interest in your clients' lives-professionally and personally-while remaining respectful of their privacy. Don't force the relationship; take the time needed to build a personal connection.

I worked with two clients for more than a year and got to know them fairly well. We had more than the occasional lunch together. One day, after finishing up a meeting, I suggested the three of us continue the discussion over dinner. Then I remembered that each had a young child. I was a single guy at the time with not much interest in children, but that didn't stop me from suggesting we bring the kids with us.

The five of us went out for pizza. It was as much fun as I've had at any client dinner, and it was a great way to bond with my clients. Every time thereafter, I could ask about their boys by name.

It was a great lesson in taking on the coloration of my clients.

CHAPTER 54.

No Matter How Social It Becomes, Never Forget That It's Business I once had one martini too many (two actually, which for a lightweight like me is one too many) over dinner with a client. I wound up saying something I shouldn't have said. Fortunately for me, and my agency, there was no damage as a result. But I learned an important lesson about self-restraint. once had one martini too many (two actually, which for a lightweight like me is one too many) over dinner with a client. I wound up saying something I shouldn't have said. Fortunately for me, and my agency, there was no damage as a result. But I learned an important lesson about self-restraint.

If you work with clients long enough, you usually have an opportunity to spend time with them outside the office. There's the occasional lunch or dinner. You might play golf or tennis together, or go to a ballgame. These are good things to do. Spending time away from work allows you to talk about work in a different context. You can use such occasions not only to be social, but also to deal with tough issues.

No matter how many dinners you attend, no matter how friendly you become with your client, never mistake your relationship for personal friendship. Never forget that the person sitting across from you is always your client.

So watch what you drink, watch how you behave, and watch what you say. No tales out of school, no alcohol talking.

CHAPTER 55.