[thelist] What would you do?

[Anthony Baratta]

At 04:03 PM 1/5/2001 -0500, you wrote:

>If he sits there and does nothing, then his chances are zero, and he risks 
>being further badmouthed by the new shop as they screw it up more and 
>more, while the client sits there and agrees because they don't know any 
>better.

Seb...

My philosophy is that no client is worth dying over. So this jades my 
thinking a bit. ;-)

I'm going through the same process that Matt is right now and the biggest 
obstacle to "winning" back the client is who is making the decisions to 
move to another company. Many times the person making the decision to 
switch is not your contact or "manager" for the project being taken away. 
Its someone above them. So by delineating problems with the new site is 1 - 
only preaching to the choir, 2 - endangering your contact's job with that 
company by giving the higher mucky-muck a black eye from a junior player.

Like I mentioned previously, there are egos involved with this decision and 
most likely they are not the same people you deal with on a day to day 
basis or even dealt with to sign the initial contract. Besides 4 years is a 
long time to have a client in "our" business, and most likely if the client 
can not see value in that relationship (even now after the botched job), 
then it might be time to sever the relationship.

Granted its too easy to say "flee" or "fight" and one answer does not fit 
all - but my experience in dealing with these types of relationships have 
taught me to stay way. In my eager youth (gwad am I really saying that??) 
my thinking was "the right thing matters most". My current thinking is that 
"the right thing matters, but Machiavelli was right - the do-gooders get 
knifed. Do the right thing, but watch out for the political ramifications."

In this case, it's keep your channels at the philandering company open. 
Send them the requisite propaganda and contact them about new products you 
are offering. Beyond that (e.g. showing them they are stupid for making the 
choice they did) is potentially sacrificing any good will you have. Because 
no matter how professional you are, that's what you are doing. Its like 
taking a dog and rubbing its nose in its own "mistake".
---
Anthony Baratta
President
Keyboard Jockeys