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Survey Results

When the customer is wrong, what do you do?   [Edit]

Survey period: 14 Jun 2010 to 21 Jun 2010

What do you do when the customer asks for a feature, a fix, or makes a call that is complete and utter nonsense?

OptionVotes% 
Keep quiet and agree with them. They pay the bills.182.32
Raise a concern but go along with whatever they say739.41
Explain in detail why they are wrong, try hard to convince them, but agree with their final decision37748.58
Convince them they are wrong and do no further work until they see reason384.90
Do it the correct way and just don't tell the client395.03
The customer is never wrong.141.80
It depends on the situation (degree of wrongness, size of pay cheque, etc)21727.96



 
GeneralI couldn't answer this question Pin
Marc Clifton14-Jun-10 3:47
mvaMarc Clifton14-Jun-10 3:47 
GeneralRe: I couldn't answer this question Pin
Yusuf14-Jun-10 7:33
Yusuf14-Jun-10 7:33 
GeneralRe: I couldn't answer this question Pin
Marc Clifton14-Jun-10 7:45
mvaMarc Clifton14-Jun-10 7:45 
GeneralRe: I couldn't answer this question Pin
Ben Daq14-Jun-10 22:41
Ben Daq14-Jun-10 22:41 
GeneralRe: I couldn't answer this question Pin
Marc Clifton15-Jun-10 2:15
mvaMarc Clifton15-Jun-10 2:15 
GeneralIt always depends. Pin
Maximilien14-Jun-10 3:00
Maximilien14-Jun-10 3:00 
GeneralRe: It always depends. Pin
Gandalf_TheWhite18-Apr-11 2:44
professionalGandalf_TheWhite18-Apr-11 2:44 
GeneralTake great care PinPopular
Gary R. Wheeler14-Jun-10 1:07
Gary R. Wheeler14-Jun-10 1:07 
Whenever I've been in this situation, I've learned to be extremely careful. The customer being 'wrong' may simply be due to a miscommunication. Sometimes I don't understand the explanation of what they want, and in others their explanation is poor, or uses terminology that I don't know.

The best way I've found to deal with this is honesty. Reiterate what they're asking in your own terms. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they want.

I've found that customers like to describe what they think are solutions, rather than the actual problem they are trying to solve. Unfortunately the solutions they describe may or may not solve the original problem.

If you are dealing with a large organization, see if you can't get multiple inputs on the problem. Occasionally I've been caught as a chess piece in organization politics.

Finally, if what they ask is illegal or immoral in some way (defrauding their customer), just walk away. Don't make yourself liable for their misdeeds, as it's not worth the risk.
Software Zen: delete this;
Fold With Us![^]

GeneralIt also depends on our perception of wrong... Pin
AlexCode13-Jun-10 23:27
professionalAlexCode13-Jun-10 23:27 
GeneralRe: It also depends on our perception of wrong... Pin
Mycroft Holmes14-Jun-10 12:18
professionalMycroft Holmes14-Jun-10 12:18 
GeneralCustomers are owner.... Pin
koolprasad200313-Jun-10 23:16
professionalkoolprasad200313-Jun-10 23:16 
GeneralRe: Customers are owner.... Pin
Xmen Real 14-Jun-10 6:32
professional Xmen Real 14-Jun-10 6:32 
GeneralFrom experience.... Pin
Abhinav S13-Jun-10 19:14
Abhinav S13-Jun-10 19:14 
GeneralThis one time... Pin
PIEBALDconsult13-Jun-10 18:09
mvePIEBALDconsult13-Jun-10 18:09 
JokeRe: This one time... Pin
Johnny J.13-Jun-10 21:17
professionalJohnny J.13-Jun-10 21:17 
JokeRe: This one time... Pin
BloodBaz15-Jun-10 3:38
BloodBaz15-Jun-10 3:38 
GeneralRe: This one time... Pin
Dan Neely20-Jun-10 14:56
Dan Neely20-Jun-10 14:56 

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