As a business most want to deliver what the customer wants. For a writer, designer or other creative type how do you deliver when the customer doesn’t know – or doesn’t communicate – what they want?
For example, was recently approached by someone unhappy with other writers. Wanted to do a sample first. Sample was presented and he liked it – wanting a couple tweaks. I’d written as a soft sell of the product. One of the tweaks was “Also we assume everyone knows and uses or wants to use a (product)”. This was duly noted so the soft sell was not implemented in the other four articles presented. A request for feedback on topic was unanswered so four were presented to meet the promised deadline.
Then came the comment “The articles are supposed to point the reader towards desiring a (product). Yours don’t.” They were changed to include this and the project cancelled.
Now I have no problem with if someone’s not happy will make it right. This clearly shows for some there isn’t a right – but instead of looking at, seemingly, several writers there just might be a communication issue within.
As a business owner communication is vital. Now I can – and will – use the articles elsewhere. But even knowing some people just don’t want to be pleased, it’s aggrevating to have no right resolution possible.
What do you do when what is requested and delivered isn’t really what’s wanted? And from a buyer’s side – do you immediately write it off or figure the person’s time is valuable enough to warrant making it right?
