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From: Kimberly Powell <>
Subject: Re: [TGF] Advice on Difficult Client
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:21:30 -0400
References: <COL107-W2B2BF46E59EEB05FBD60692EF0@phx.gbl><CABPpKTib7y6V7SfrkWw+NVbr+UNBWA7HHNTRqw=GSU+4EvTOBA@mail.gmail.com><COL107-W36DCCBF36B4784E91E41F892EF0@phx.gbl>
In-Reply-To: <COL107-W36DCCBF36B4784E91E41F892EF0@phx.gbl>


This actually comes up quite frequently, unfortunately, so I now write
up the "Background" portion of the Research Report and send it to the
client to approve via email before commencing research, so we are both
on the same page as to what the client already knows. Sometimes my
locating a record during the course of research still jogs memories of
additional information from the client, but having that jointly
approved starting point in writing helps alleviate tension and
confusion when issues like this come up.

Whether you should offer to work several hours for free is really a
personal decision. If you really feel that you did everything you
could to collect background information from the client and understand
his goals before proceeding, then I don't think it is necessary. You
do have the fact that collecting the information for all individuals
in Generation 2 led you to the marriage record for Generation 3 to
show that this extra work was worthwhile. Some of this is about
customer service, however. When you get your hair cut/colored/etc. by
a reputable stylist, they will often agree to redo something for free
if you are not happy with the result, even in cases where the client
is clearly at fault for not better expressing their wishes. So if you
feel that this would make your client happy and that customer
satisfaction is more important to you than the time spent, then go for
it.

Just my 2 cents :)

Kimberly


On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 2:44 PM, Melanie D. Holtz CG
<> wrote:
>
> I explained to him in the beginning that it would require going back and reconstructing the families to make sure we were on the right track. I found a huge amount of information for him for two couples and all their children, 9 or more in each generation. Today he says he "basically had all the information I found". That is not logical because he told me in the beginning the information he gave was all he had. I could forward him his emails but I'd like to find a more tactful approach.

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