A Liaison is a person that creates a close working relationship between people. As a business owner, you are a liaison between your clients and other vendors, organizations or businesses. Unfortunately, some clients don’t understand the concept in the beginning. Today, I am going to provide a deeper understanding to the term liaison.
I recently had a conversation with one of my clients. It was an interesting conversation that I wish I would have recorded. I will do my best to explain it. A client has a cell phone that needed fixing. I contacted tech support, followed their instructions and fixed the problem for my client. The cell phone is not manufactured by me so I depend on the vendor to assist my client when issues arise.
Three months after the phone was fixed the same issue happened again with the cell phone. The client was upset with me because they thought I manufactured the cell phone. I had to explain that the product comes from a vendor and I am the liaison between the client and the vendor. However, I am not the engineer or the owner of the cellphone or software company. I rely on the engineers at the vendor to fix problems.
The client was voicing their concerns about the product to me as if I was the engineer and creator of the software program. I had to kindly explain that I am on their side and we are on the same team. I feel just as upset as they do because the same problem happened after just 3 short months.
During the conversation, the client began to understand that instead of dealing directly with the vendor, I was doing the hard work of getting the information to fix their phone. This process actually saved them time and money. Once the client understood the process, they were able to calm down and allow me to help them fix the cellphone.
As a business owner, your clients don’t usually see the complexity of the issue. However, if you take the time to explain it to them and express that you are on their team and fighting to have their issue fixed as quickly as possible, they often understand.
The client understanding that you are on their team and working hard to help make their life easier often helps the situation. Their understanding is also beneficial when future problems arise with the same client. They already have a deep understanding of the process and allow you the amount of time needed to fix their problem. When dealing with a complex situation or a client that doesn’t understand the process, kindly explain and help them see you are on their side!