Episode 595 Navigating Client Support for Digital Agencies With Ryan Waterbury
Show Highlights
The SDM Show, hosted by Rob Cairns, focuses on business, life, productivity, digital marketing, and WordPress. In this particular episode, Rob Cairns and guest Ryan Waterbury of One Dog Solutions discuss the critical importance of clients adhering to established support systems and guidelines for agencies and solo operators. They emphasize that clients often disregard official support channels, leading to inefficiencies and frustration for business owners. The conversation highlights the need for agencies to set clear boundaries and enforce their terms and conditions to protect their time and mental well-being, even if it means parting ways with clients who refuse to cooperate. Both hosts advocate for proactive communication, detailed client submissions, and the use of dedicated ticketing systems to streamline the support process and foster mutual respect.
Show Notes
This episode of Agency Talk with Rob Cairns and Ryan Waterbury focuses on the importance of having a clear support process for clients and the challenges that arise when those processes aren’t followed. The discussion highlights the need for business owners to set and enforce boundaries to protect their time, mental health, and business efficiency.
Key Takeaways
- Establish a formal support process. Both Rob and Ryan emphasize the necessity of a single, dedicated channel for clients to submit support tickets, such as a portal or ticketing system. This centralizes communication, prevents dropped requests, and ensures all necessary information is captured.
- Enforce your policies. Clients will continue to contact you through unofficial channels (text, DMs, personal email) as long as you allow it. It’s crucial to enforce your terms and conditions (T&Cs) from the beginning. Rob and Ryan suggest a “three-strikes” rule: first, you open a ticket for them as a reminder; second, you give a final warning; and a third offense can lead to termination of the relationship.
- Define what an emergency is. Rob clarifies that for his agency, the only true after-hours emergency is a website being completely down. Non-critical issues, even if they feel urgent to the client, should be handled during regular business hours or incur a significant surcharge.
- Charge for after-hours work. If a client needs something done outside of your standard hours, don’t hesitate to charge a premium. Rob’s policy is a three-times-normal-rate minimum, paid in advance, to discourage abuse of his time and avoid negotiations.
- Prioritize mental health. As business owners, it’s easy to get burned out by constant client demands. Rob and Ryan share their personal experiences with setting boundaries to improve their mental and physical well-being. By being more selective about client communication, they can be more focused and effective during their work hours.
- Demand detailed information. To resolve issues efficiently, encourage clients to provide as much detail as possible when submitting a ticket, including screenshots, console logs, and a description of what they were doing. Ryan recommends tools like Userback, which automates this process by capturing screen recordings and technical data directly into the ticketing system.
- Recognize and address “red flag” clients. The hosts note that the same clients often cause the most problems. They also discuss the challenges that arise when a long-standing client hires new personnel who are not aware of or willing to follow established policies. In these cases, it’s important to be firm and willing to part ways if the new dynamic becomes unworkable.
Additional Resources
- Web Designer Habits: A newsletter by Cammy McMer, highly recommended by Rob and Ryan for agency-focused insights.
- Userback: A tool for collecting client feedback, screenshots, and video recordings to streamline the support process.
PocketCasts
Radio Public
Spotify
Stitcher
Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
