Satisfaction Guaranteed…Maybe Not
Jennifer at Catalyst Blogger had a provocative post (at least it provoked me to write this post) mentioning that she has been toying with the idea of offering some sort of guarantee for her work. I won’t explain each of the 
options she suggested, but I immediately shook my head in disagreement when I began to read her article.
Instead, I shared with her how I handle the writing submission/approval process, one that helps me avoid guarantees, whether expressed or implied:
- If a customer is dissatisfied with my work before my final submission, then I do what it takes to make the work acceptable to them.
- Once a job is finished, my work is done and I expect my final payment to be made. If the customer comes to me after the fact and asks that additional changes be made or if they are unhappy with the results, then they must pay for the work I do over and above the original project.
In early 2007, I had dealings with a doctor who was unhappy that his press release didn’t bring in the results he wanted. It was well written (’natch) and submitted to a leading PR distributor, but it wasn’t the springboard to new customers he thought it would be. He didn’t ask for a guarantee for future work and I never broached the subject. We parted ways which was fine as I sensed that he wanted me to give to him something (customers) I couldn’t deliver.
I work with four excellent clients right now who know what kind of work that I provide, what I can deliver, while leaving the results to them. I cannot worry about people who are dissatisfied after the fact, but I’ll do what must be done before we both sign off on the final copy.
Matt | Personal Marketing, Writing
Thanks for this post..I have just started doing submissions on elance, and sometimes it is difficult when the buyer seems to have another idea in mind than what you projected. My first project in elance though was with a very fair company who was very easy to work with. Thank you for the tips.
I think this is fair, Matt. Another thing I do for editing clients is to give a free sample edit of a few pages. If my work doesn’t meet the client’s expectations (some authors want the editor to tell them their words are golden!), the client doesn’t hire me. If the client likes my initial work, chances are they are going to be satisfied with the completed project. I also send work to the client throughout the process (usually a chapter at a time for books), so they can tell me if I’m getting off-track. Of course, this won’t work with press releases or most writing, but it’s very helpful for editing work.
Actually, Matt, you are offering a satisfaction guaranteed policy with your method. We function the same way. Once the job’s done, the job’s paid and considered closed.
But until the client’s happy, we work.
The moment of payment doesn’t take away from the fact that you are offering a satisfaction guaranteed policy.
Lillie — book editing is quite a bit different, I can see where the process is closely scrutinized, necessitating many changes along the way. It is the “after the fact” changes some people want — long after the project has closed. I suppose it is apparent that both parties understand when the job is officially done, right?
James — yes, absolutely. The “guarantee” is evident in the editing process. Once the job has been done and the payment received, the job has closed. After that point, then it becomes a separate issue.
Your offer is very much lucrative.
“If a customer is dissatisfied with my work before my final submission, then I do what it takes to make the work acceptable to them.” I liked this comments.
Nice post
I do believe that we must get the right payment for the work we had put forth…
Now a days client are just saying that article is not worth and after some time they will rewrite our article
Rostyslav — it takes a lot of work to get some articles right. If a customer was still saying that something I wrote “isn’t worth it” then I would work on honing my skills to produce excellent work.
Satisfaction Guaranteed…Maybe Not…
Prius owners already enjoy fuel economy above the industry average, thanks to its rechargeable battery system. The Toyota Prius has long been considered the standard hybrid vehicle, but that isn’t stopping owners from pursuing after market options……
Satisfaction Guaranteed…Maybe Not…
Jennifer at Catalyst Blogger had a provocative post (at least it provoked me to write this post) mentioning that she has been toying with the idea of offering some sort of guarantee for her work. I won’t explain each of the options she suggested…….