Client Tip #3: Save ALL correspondence

Client Tip #3: Save ALL correspondence

Scott Manning
September 16, 2002 | Comments (8)

It is absolutely imperative to save all emails and keep notes of any other forms of communications between you and your clients. You never know when something will come up that was taken care of months ago.

A client of mine recently added a new feature to the scope of a project that he had told me to cut out just a month earlier. Development had already started at this point. This new feature was going to cause more work and push the project completion date back by about a week.

After searching through his emails, I found a message where he had originally told me to cut the new item out of the scope. I forwarded him the email and this was his reply:

Email Standards
It's a good idea to set up some email standards with your client from the beginning of the relationship. At the least, make sure they always include the message they are replying to and make sure they use sensible subject lines.

Tracking Phone Calls
Phone calls are a little harder to keep track of than emails and letters, but keeping a notebook on your desk or word document on your computer is a simple solution.

At the least, date each conversation you have. If you really want to be organized, include a title with the date. The title should include some key words that will quickly help you remember what the conversation was about.

For example, a client calls me to discuss adding an "Email this page" link on every page of his site. My notes from the conversation would look something like this:

I typically try to keep a paperless office, but sometimes you just can't prevent it. I would immediately put these notes in a digital format.

The next day, I would write up the new change and have the client sign off for it. If he wonders in three weeks why the final price was $200 more than originally quoted, I can show him not only his signature, but I can quote him the time and day we talked about it.

That's professional, impressive, and powerful.

Tracking Instant Messaging Conversations
At Scottmanning.com, I've actually made it a policy not to discuss any important business issues with clients via instant messaging. It's very hard to keep track of conversations and important decisions should not be made through chatting. Clients also tend to feel that they can IM you at any part of the day (or night) to talk to you about a project. So at the most, I use instant messaging to see if a client is available. All other discussion is done through email and phone calls.

But if you must use instant messaging as a means of communicating with a client, keep a folder full of text files for each conversation. Save the text files with the date at the beginning so your operating system can keep them organized by date (for example: 06-02-02). Again, title each conversation with the topic discussed. This is more difficult with instant messaging since they typically cover a slew of random topics, but try to nail down the main subject of the conversation in as few words as possible. A typical text file name could look like this:

06-02-02_ Email this page Feature.txt

By saving these discussions in text files, you'll be able to search the conversations with your operating system when needed.

Save your butt
Clients are not the enemy, but sometimes they can forget what was previously agreed upon. This happens with anyone working on a complicated project. Keeping a record of every instance of communication will clear up potential confusion and it can also save your butt.

Related articles:
Client Tip # 1: Always have a contract
Client Tip #2: Always get a down payment

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Comments (8):

1) Posted by: Patrick Berry
September 17, 2002 3:37 AM

Ok but sounds like some stripped down CRM software would do all of this for you a bit better ...

Scott do you use CRM software ?

2) Posted by: Scott Manning
September 17, 2002 6:47 AM

RE: Scott do you use CRM software?

I have used CRM software in the past, but the point of the article is not to get people using another piece of software. I'm trying to get businesses to re-think their process, work-flow, and habits. And truthfully, that can usually be done without CRM software.

3) Posted by: Pablo Impallari
September 17, 2002 9:55 AM

I Wonder I haver found this client relationship series 2 years ago...

4) Posted by: Daiv mowbray
September 22, 2002 6:54 AM

I would like to add a suggestion,
When sending and receiving material.
I recieve the bulk of my project material through FTP. I then open the packet, take a screen shot of the folder contents, displaying file names, size dates etc. then return the screen shot to the client to confirm the arrival of the material. Latter when I discover that content X is missing and the client says that he sent it, I have prof of what was and wasn't sent. This is very helpfull when the client sends last minute content which didn't arrive inside the calandar of delivery. If someone has a more effective method...all ears.

5) Posted by: Beth Lowgren
August 29, 2003 3:20 PM

Tracking Instant Messaging Conversations

Go ahead and discuss whatever you want via IM. You can use a utility program to record AIM conversations called "Dead AIM" (there's probably one out there for Windows Messenger too). I came across this little program because my niece's boyfriend installed it to spy on her conversations (he's since been given the boot). It is handy though for your OWN conversations, just as long as you know it is installed. It keeps a 30 day archive of messages and you can set Windows to back those up on a regular schedule.

6) Posted by: Sylvain Hallé
October 21, 2004 5:17 PM

My client told me at the beginning of the contract via e-mail that I should NOT make any graphics for his site; that part of the job was handed to someone else. Now that everything is finished, he is menacing to sue me because I did't do any graphics. I showed him the e-mail right in his face, but alas, he keeps telling it was my job.

The moral: when your client is a real stubborn scam, all the protections you can think of might not be enough.

7) Posted by: Thomas Brown
October 25, 2005 4:08 AM

Cool site! I'll be back. black girls on their mission: http://www.grandonline.com , my parents didnt told me about it , my parents didnt told me about it

8) Posted by: Will Barrett
January 2, 2006 12:54 PM

project material through FTP. I then open the packet, take a screen shot of the folder contents, displaying file names, size dates etc. then return the screen shot to the client to confirm the arrival of the material. Latter when I discover that content X is missing and the client says that he sent it, I have prof of what was and wasn't sent. This is very helpfull