Balancing Client Satisfaction and Scope Creep

by Joey Flores on August 1, 2009

Question: How do you keep your web clients in check as far as telling them no to requests when you’re close to being over budget?

Startup Army Answer:

I think the best thing you can do is educate your customer in advance of signing the initial contract that you expect some discovery during the project and that they are likely to want to add some things to the scope. Ask them, “If that happens, shall I just provide you with an estimate for those additional requirements at that time, or do you want me to add them to a list of items to be included in the next phase/release?”

Most people want to stay consistent with their word. Since you will almost always have this issue with clients, the best thing to do is to educate them about the likelihood for this type of thing and ask them how they want to proceed in the event that it happens. Then, when it does, they will remember having agreed to increasing the budget or pushing extra items back into the next phase, and will likely stick to their originally suggested approach. If they ask if you can just “squeeze” it in, let them know that you can, but you’ll also be adding the hours to your invoice at the regular rate and will have to let them know about the impact to the deadline. Since they’ve already agreed that these things are additional to the contract, they’ll be more likely to understand this request.

Joey Flores
EVP of Marketing
StartupArmy.com – Bring in the heavy artillery

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