What do I do if a client is unhappy with my work?

It’s a situation every tradesperson dreads: your client isn’t happy with the result of your hard work.

Mistakes and misunderstandings are part of everyday working life, so it’s important to have a plan in place to respond in a way that keeps your client happy and doesn’t see you out of pocket.

The best outcome is to work with your client to fix any mistakes, so they’re satisfied. That might not always be possible, but it’s a useful goal to work towards.

Our 8-step guide will show you how to turn a client dispute into a happy customer.

1 – Stay calm

When you have worked hard on a project it can be a shock to find out that your client isn’t happy. Emotions can be high, so make sure you take your time before responding. Avoid initiating a conversation if you’re angry or upset.

It’s fine to tell the client that you need time to review the work against their feedback so you can come back to them with a solution. This approach will give you some breathing space to look at their feedback objectively and come up with an approach you are happy to propose.

If you need even more distance, you can always provide the proposal via email rather than face-to-face. This will give your client time to review it too.

2 – Get feedback

Work hard to open a dialogue with the client to get concrete ideas about what they aren’t happy with and what they want changed.

It’s no good rushing to change the work without a firm idea of what needs fixing. Having a positive fix-it attitude will help smooth over the relationship when your client is unsatisfied. Focus especially on the idea that you are all working towards a shared goal – a completed project that they are happy with.

3 – Offer to fix the problems

Take some time to review their feedback and assess – is it reasonable? Is it fixable?

If your client’s feedback is something you can fix, offer to make good by re-doing or amending the work. It’s usual practice to fix these on your own time if the request is reasonable, especially if it’s down to a mistake you’ve made.

4 – Go back to the original agreement

If you’re not sure that what the client is asking for is reasonable – for example, it seems wildly different to what you originally agreed – then it’s important to revisit the original brief for the project.

Does what you have provided match this? If what your client is asking for now isn’t what was agreed, and you think it will take a lot of work to fix, refer them back to what was originally agreed.

Explain what you originally quoted for and outline the extra work involved in delivering their new vision. Offer to do the additional work but quote a price for it.

5 – Give advice – but be flexible

You are the expert in your trade, but the customer is in control. This means that even if you think the amendments they want will make the result worse, sometimes you might just have to do it to keep them happy.

Definitely put forward your view, giving your professional advice and reasons why you think that way, but ultimately, it’s up to your client how they want to move forward.

6 – Prepare ahead

Try and lay the groundwork for potential disputes in advance of any projects.

Make sure you have a clear, agreed brief or agreement for each project in writing: you might need to refer back to it later.

A contract is also essential and it’s also a good idea to specify in this how many rounds of amendments (if any) your rates include, and the price that any extra remedial work beyond this would cost.

This approach means everything is provided up front for your client making it hard to dispute.

7 – Handle the financial side carefully – but make sure you get paid

Knowing that a client is unhappy might trigger a worry that you won’t get paid.

It might be wise to hold off on sending an invoice until the mistakes have been fixed and the client is satisfied.

If you’ve attempted a fix and the client is refusing to pay, refer them back to your original brief and the contract that you’ve both signed.

However, if they are still refusing to pay you may need to look at other options to ensure payment – such as small claims court.

8 – Get covered

One of the most efficient and comprehensive ways to protect your business against mistakes or client complaints is to take out a Professional Indemnity insurance policy. If a client tries to bring a claim against you, this insurance steps in to support you, taking the worry off your shoulders.

Professional Indemnity insurance also covers any costs and compensation due to the other side, up to the value of your policy limit. Knowing that these costs are covered if something goes wrong with a project can provide you with peace of mind.

You can add Professional Indemnity cover alongside Public Liability insurance, Good and Tools cover, Contract Works, Hired in Plant, Owned Plant and Employers’ Liability within a single policy at Kingsbridge.

Almost every tradesperson will face some negative feedback or a disgruntled client at some point in their career. Sometimes it’s just down to a communication error or misunderstanding, and sometimes the client might have unrealistic expectations or be under pressure at their end.

The good news is that most problems are easily resolved with a bit of collaboration, understanding, and openness to feedback. And when they’re not, Professional Indemnity insurance can provide you with a safety net.

Get a quote for our trades insurance today via our online quote and buy.