This month, I ran into a couple of situations where clients reported issues, but it turned out they simply overlooked the guidelines or tampered with settings they shouldn’t.
It’s a tricky balance to strike: telling them the truth while keeping their dignity intact. Sometimes I think about just addressing the issue without mentioning their mistakes.
I document everything we agree on. When problems pop up, I just show them the work order. The paperwork does the talking. Then I handle the issue and bill for extra time. Clients respect good record-keeping and straight talk.
Just get to the point and fix it. No need to make them feel worse.
I make it a learning moment instead of calling out their mistake. “Let me show you how this works so it doesn’t happen again.”
Client screwed up their payment settings last year - transactions kept failing. Instead of saying they broke it, I said the system got “out of sync” and walked them through the fix.
They felt way better and actually started following procedures after that. Sometimes being vague about what caused the problem works better than brutal honesty.
I fix the problem first, then casually mention prevention.
I’ll say “Found it - all fixed” then add “Here’s what to watch for next time” with:
They don’t feel attacked this way. They’re just happy it’s working, so they actually listen to the prevention stuff.
Fixing first avoids the defensive reaction. Clients remember when you solve problems instead of pointing fingers.
I usually say something like ‘looks like a settings change caused this’ instead of pointing fingers. Nobody wants to feel stupid. Just fix it and show them the right way for next time.