Are you being too considerate of the client?
In the case of civil engineering projects, once a contract is awarded, the client is highly likely to be a public entity. Once a contact person is assigned, the project will generally proceed through communication with that person throughout the construction period.
In situations like this, I often find myself wondering if I’m being too considerate of the client.
It goes without saying that the client is our customer. Our primary goal as construction management engineers is to ensure the quality the client demands and to successfully complete the project. However, I often find that by focusing too much on treating the client as a customer, we end up being overly cautious, which actually has the opposite effect.
First,The idea that "the client is the customer" is a bit off the mark.I feel that way, too. In the field of architecture, for example, there are customers who have purchased homes, and we are required to ensure a level of quality that satisfies those customers.
However, in the case of civil engineering, while the client is certainly the customer, the client’s objective is likely to have the work carried out exactly as specified in the design documents. In other words, even though we say we need to be considerate, I feel it’s important to know exactly what we should be considerate about.
Examples of Failing Because You're Too Cautious
Now, let's take a look at some specific examples of what goes wrong.
I suppose the most common ones are meetings and paperwork. Once construction begins, communication with the client is generally conducted through the construction meeting log. The submission of the construction meeting log often involves verifying the consistency of the documents in advance.
We have them review it first, and then make the final submission based on their response; however, naturally, some clients take a long time to respond.
Have you ever had an experience like this: You know you should call or email to follow up, but you feel reluctant to rush the other person, so you end up not following up much; you wait all day but don’t receive a reply, and eventually end up calling the next day?
This is exactly what,A Classic Example of Failing Because You're Too CautiousIsn't that right? A task that could have been wrapped up if I'd just called that day and gotten an answer has ended up being put off until the next day.
Clients often juggle multiple construction projects at once, so it’s not uncommon for them to have forgotten about a particular one. Even if you follow up, you won’t necessarily get an immediate response, but if you don’t follow up without being overly cautious, the project may come to a standstill.
Don't halt work on-site while waiting for a response
The reason I say that ”we should follow up to a certain extent without worrying about offending the client” is because it “causes disruptions on-site.”
If you put off work while waiting for a response, the client may end up sending a reminder just when you’re at your busiest. This is the worst-case scenario. If you’re being reminded about documents you’ve set aside while waiting for a response, there’s a problem with your performance as a construction management engineer.
It’s true that calling multiple times might make you feel a little uncomfortable. But there are various ways to handle it: for example, you could space out your calls by two hours, pretend you’re calling about something else to gently follow up, or—if it seems like you’re not going to get a response—simply tell them frankly that you’d like an answer by the end of the day.
You might worry about what to do if the client gets annoyed with you, but you can handle that by choosing your words carefully. What I made a point of doing when making follow-up calls was to address the person by name.
“Mr./Ms. ○○, have you had a chance to review those documents yet?” “Mr./Ms. ○○, if you could get back to me by the end of the day, I think we’ll be able to submit the documents right away.” I made a conscious effort to address people by name in this way. Just doing this makes a big difference in how you’re perceived. To keep operations running smoothly, it’s a good idea to start with the little things.
――A relationship of trust with the client is certainly important. However, such a relationship isn’t built by being overly cautious.It’s important for us to communicate with each other. When we suggest the best approaches to one another and deliver excellent work, that’s when a relationship of trust is built.
It’s not good to be too stubborn, but saying nothing at all is even more dangerous. As a construction management engineer, let’s strive to become the kind of person who can firmly follow up with anyone, no matter who they are.
