Controlling Those Client Expectations

A writer I know recently mentioned being up int he middle of the night, sending an email, and getting a reply shortly after, and then wondering if the act telegraphed a willingness to be an indentured servant.

It's a good concern to have. Most clients make assumptions, largely unconscious and unreasoned, based on your activities. The assumptions become expectations: "Oh, Cathy is up at that hour anyway, so I should have the edits by the time I walk into the office in the morning." When Cathy actually decides to sleep that night, for a change, the client doesn't see the file when he expected it, and so gets cranky. Now Cathy has a problem to smooth over, probably without knowing that it exists. In other words, Cathy won't be dealing with the unhappy client, who might decide to go elsewhere next time, even though his unhappiness is the product of his own self-generated expectations, and not from any promise that a writer has made.

In general, it's better to let the client wait at least for a little bit. When someone wants you to do something, deliberately schedule it and negotiate a different time or day, at least early on in the relationship, so you aren't taken for granted. When people give you initial deadlines, they generally have added some padding in to help their own planning. Don't push everything to the last minute, but make sure that clients understand you are busy, in demand, and can't automatically drop everything for them.

You can telegraph this attitude in a number of ways. I know one writer who never immediately answers an email, even when possible. Instead, everything sits for at least a few hours in the inbox, even if it's possible to send an immediate answer. Another writer uses the capabilities of her email system to write responses whenever and then to configure the email not to transmit until after a specific time in the morning. When someone calls, you could explain that you are busy and schedule a time later in the day to continue a conversation.

Sure, if you know the client and there's an emergency, jump right on something as a favor. But there's an old saying: When you want something done, ask a busy person. So make sure you appear appropriately busy so that clients appreciate what a break they get when you devote some of your time to them.