Reputation

Some Web firms love to go for an eclectic image. They may wish to have a reputation for innovative design. This office may operate in a laid-back way that allows people the freedom to dress and behave in a way that fosters creativity and allows for individuality. Other firms, which are in a ferocious search for venture capital, may want to present a more buttoned-down image and a strong entrepreneurial focus. Which type of reputation do you want your Web firm to have?

Of course, so much depends on who you are and what your goals may be. However, never confuse image with reputation. Image is superficial. Reputation is set in stone and is based upon performance. Let your image feed into the reputation you wish to create. However, do not let image drive your reputation.

Reputation is about quality of work, fairness, and doing the things that you say you are going to do when you say that you are going to do them. I knew of a firm that was in a big search for venture capital. Eventually, they got it. However, in the beginning, their focus on customer service was lacking. They were not concerned with their reputation among their existing clientele. Once that focus changed and the firm was concerned with providing a service that simplified the process for their clients, they did receive venture capital. So, by taking care of business correctly, the firm eventually got what it wanted.

Everyone is in business to make money-hopefully, lots of it! However, as in any business, your own personal set of ethics will drive how you make your money. It's often best to walk away without a dime, maybe even owing one, than to allow the reputation of the firm to be tarnished. I'm not advocating letting people walk all over you, because, unfortunately, as your business grows, you will be dealing with all kinds of people and some may surprise you, despite your screening efforts. However, I would never want someone who is mostly reasonable to walk away from my firm feeling that we were unfair to him or her. You can make a mistake programmatically, but hopefully not too many. Maybe the graphics don't necessarily meet the client's liking. However, all of these things can be fixed. If you are unfair to a client, in pursuit of padding your own wallet, it's obvious, and these kinds of transgressions aren't forgiven in the business community. They ruin strategic partnerships and no one feels comfortable referring business to you.

Exercises

Charge Clients Fairly

a)	How would you develop a price list that is fair to your firm and your clientele? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
b)	If a client is unhappy with the quality of your work, what kinds of questions should you ask yourself? How would the answers impact on price? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Underpromise And Overdeliver

a)	What do you think the statement "Underpromise and overdeliver" means? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
b)	Describe ways that you "underpromise and overdeliver" when building a Web site. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Understand the Value of Firm Reputation

a)	What kinds of positive outcomes can occur from having a good reputation for your Web firm? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
b)	What kinds of actions might contribute to a good reputation for the Web firm? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Exercise Answers

This section gives you some suggested answers to the questions in Lab 14.4 with discussion related to those answers. Please post any alternative answers to these questions at the companion Web site for this book, located at http://www.phptr.com/phptrinteractive.

Answers

a)	How would you develop a price list that is fair to your firm and your clientele? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	You may consider calling a noncompetitive Web firm, maybe one in another city, and inquiring about procuring consulting services. Present them with several models for Web sites that you might expect to bid on and ask how they would handle the bid. Often we get vague requests for quotes that come through our Web site. We can usually tell that they are most likely bogus because there isn't any contact information attached to them besides an e-mail address. When we write back and ask the person to tell us more about the project, we never get a response. Most likely, these inquiries are from other developers who are trying to figure out how to price a Web project. We caught on and don't respond with anything more than a request for further information. However, if you called and set up a phone consult with a Web firm, you might be pleasantly surprised by the response you get by being up front. Another option is to talk with a local ISP. They usually hear through the grapevine what is being charged for sites that reside on their servers. A talk with someone at the ISP is a discreet way to find out how much you should be charging. Prices differ by region, quality of graphics, firm track record, and complexity of programming. You might also consider researching prices that are given on the Web. Many firms do not post pricing online, but some do. Pricing can vary greatly depending on the amount of overhead and the staff a firm might have. What's the difference between a $3000 graphic job and a $13,000 job? Usually the difference lies in the ability to give a lot of composites in a short amount of time or to take a team approach to the creative direction. Do not steal space in a busy person's brain by pretending to have a Web site you need to have a price on. When you become busy, you won't like it either. However, ifsomeone calls you and asks politely if they can take you to lunch or hire you for an hour of consulting time, your response may be very helpful.
b)	If a client is unhappy with the quality of your work, what kinds of questions should you ask yourself? How would the answers impact on price? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Sometimes it may seem like the client is being unreasonable. However, before you make that determination, you need to take a hard look at your actions during the execution of the contract. If you can see any area in which your client may have a point, it's important not to allow your emotions to get in the way and try to understand and accommodate your client. If that means cutting the client a break on price because you feel that somewhere along the way they could have been let down, then so be it. Once in a while, a client will attempt to grind the price down by complaining. This is a much different scenario. If you have performed well, there's no reason why you should bend to this kind of pressure. Rather, in the event of a situation where you can assign some fault to your project team, it makes sense to make amends by either adding some extra value to the Web site or by cutting a little off the final payment. This can go a long way toward securing the client's long-term business and regard.

Answers

a)	What do you think the statement "Underpromise and overdeliver" means? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Those of us who grew up withStar Trek witnessed how Scotty would underpromise and overdeliver when responding to his captain's requests. He never shaved any time off of what he thought was realistically necessary to complete a task to try to pacify his superior momentarily. In fact, inStar Trek: The Next Generation he admitted to heavily padding time estimates. I'm not suggesting that anyone pad time estimates, but giving yourself a little leeway doesn't hurt. Nothing angers a client like having a certain expectation, being assured by the developer that the firm could meet that expectation, and finding that the firm has missed the target.
b)	Describe ways that you "underpromise and overdeliver" when building a Web site. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Previously, we spoke about not skimping on time estimates as a way to underpromise and overdeliver, but throwing in an extra effort to further simplify a user interface can accomplish the same thing. Adding some extra graphics or spending some extra time consulting with a client about an Internet-related, as opposed to project-related, concern is also helpful. I've had several clients whom I've walked through solving computer problems after giving project updates. It's part of underpromising and overdelivering. The worst thing that you can do is to tell a client that your firm can leap tall buildings at single bound but fall far short. If you're not sure you can meet an expectation, do not promise it. If you find that you can in fact do it, do it and pleasantly surprise your client.

Answers

a)	What kinds of positive outcomes can occur from having a good reputation for your Web firm? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	If your firm has a good reputation, you will Bid bigger projects. Charge the going rate for development services. Attract more business. Have more credibility with clients should there be a disagreement about a technical or creative direction.
b)	What kinds of actions might contribute to a good reputation for the Web firm? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Charge fairly. Deliver projects on time. Underpromise and overdeliver. Deliver project according to specification. Provide excellent customer service. Truly care about the client's experience building the site and make efforts to simplify it.

Self-Review Questions

In order to test your progress, you should be able to answer the following questions.

1)	(True/False) The client is unhappy that his finished site does not exhibit multimedia capabilities, which were not previously discussed. _____ The firm should consider refunding money. _____ The firm should consider offering an upgrade gratis. _____ The firm should offer an upgrade at a discounted price.
2)	(Yes/No) Is the customer always right?