The past week, someone asked me how did I achieve 100% client satisfaction on Upwork. This post will answer that question, here is my Upwork profile in case you are interested.
Expectations.
If you are trying to land the first job, you are probably on one of two roads. Either, you are planning to convince the client you can do everything regardless of you not knowing, or you will tell the client exactly what you don’t know.
No client likes to hear you don’t know how to do something they are interested in. However, when they are on a budget and not looking for the most experienced developers, they expect it.
Here the key is a great mentality and how you communicate it. It’s not enough with having an “I’ll figure it out” head, but you have to let them know and make them believe it. You will go the extra mile, guaranteed results, and be there for them.
Report, report, report.
I gave my status each time I sat in front of the computer, just a sentence describing my work. It doesn’t have to be good news all the time but make sure to show light at the end of the tunnel.
“Today, I couldn’t progress with this feature but a colleague of mine has experience with it, I already contacted him to talk tomorrow morning.”.
That goes a long way, demonstrates you are concerned.
Try to bring a possible solution to the problem you are facing or an alternative path around it when your reports aren’t that good.
Work frequently.
This is central when you are working for a company and decide to jump part-time on a freelance platform. Avoid performing only during weekends.
Weekends have distractions. Sunday is not the perfect time to contact a client with a question. Worst of all, it means you did not report during the week, and your client is going to reach the weekend with you on his head.
You would be impressed with how much you can accomplish with one hour. You can detect potential problems and ask questions before your heavy work starts.
Be accessible.
Not saying you should be aware of Slack at the gym or during dinner, but having it on the home screen with the red notification dot makes all the difference.
Respond as soon as you can even though you don’t have an answer or you can’t investigate at the moment. Just indicate when you will be available. In case you have a notion of the root of the problem, let the client know, so there is no panic.
“I think I know what the problem might be, I will tackle it first thing tomorrow”
If a client writes to you on a Saturday, it means he considers his message necessary, and it would be great if he doesn’t have to wait until Monday for a response. Maybe you can’t work, but a reply shows you are there for him.
Bring more than just the code.
There are tons of developers out there, but what should differentiate you is that you strive for the project’s success.
During some projects, you are encouraged to give feedback. Do so. When you receive the designs, look for flaws. Give suggestions or alternatives that may result in less development time if they are still good.
“Is this part of the design necessary? By changing this to that, we can save us a couple of days.”
Suggest analytics to track user interaction and then improve engagement. Recommend security measures that you consider would bring value.
When the client mentions a new feature that you think is great, say so. Express yourself. It’s not enough to be happy the application is growing, demonstrate it.
Show the person behind the work.
Creating a good relationship with the employer is significant. It comes in handy when you have something else you need to do, when you make a mistake and when you don’t have an answer right away.
Have a professional profile picture, turn on the camera when doing a video call, and mention a small detail of your day when they ask you how you are. It makes a connection with the person behind the work.
My girlfriend dances Salsa and every year perform a show with the rest of the class. The difference of having a smile is huge when dancing. Well, it is influential at every moment of your life. Smile, show you are happy to work with them.
Forecast and keep learning.
In a world where everything updates, changes policies, and deprecates, it is vital to be updated. Let your client know about new software releases, new hardware features that your app could exploit, and new libraries that require an update.
Read not only about updates and releases but also about new trends. Learn new development patterns, and don’t think of anything as a silver bullet. There are different ways to do anything, each one of them brings advantages and disadvantages.
Adapt.
This one is that last one. At the end of the day, each client and project is different. Try to read your client and be his solution.
Some clients need just your technical expertise, others are in the market for guidance as well. Do your best to detect where and when you can help the most, and let them know your limitations.
Your success is your client being happy with your work. Of course, you want the application to be a hit and you will work your best for it, but your primary concern is to achieve 100% client satisfaction.